The PINTO journey begins in June 2012 when Margaux Vranken, pianist/composer, writes a few pieces in the same vein as the album “Invisible Cinema” by Aaron Parks (Blue Note, 2008). Florent Jeunieaux (guitar) joins her, and so does Vincent Cuper (electric bass). Together, they play for about a year with Samy Wallens (drums).

The repertoire develops, the gigs come one after another (Open Jazz Festival, Jazz Station, Sounds Jazz Club, The Music Village, Leffe Jazz Nights, De Hopper Antwerpen).

At the end of 2013, drummer Paul Berne joins PINTO. The Sounds Jazz Club (Brussels) offers to the band a monthly residency for two years. Margaux Vranken, nourished with new influences (Gerald Clayton Trio, Hermeto Pascoal, Esperanza Spalding, Egberto Gismonti, Diederik Wissels,...) explores new trails of composing.

After an acclaimed performance for the XL-Jazz contest in the scope of Brussels Jazz Marathon 2014 for which PINTO is awarded the Audience Prize, the band receives the support of the program “Ca Balance”. The band records a 5 tracks EP in 2015 in the studios of the Liège Province. In May 2015, the gig/concert of PINTO at one of the most prestigious festivals of Belgium, the Mithra Jazz Festival, receives a great public and critical success.

The quartet  PINTO offers a singularity of acoustic/electric contrast where the rock energy meets the jazz instantaneousness.