Schedule

Since 1977, Estival is a summer jazz festival in Switzerland, Lugano. Estival offers a thrilling and particularly surprising line-up that explores the rich world of contemporary music whilst promoting the understanding of different cultures, tolerance, and co-existence. The Mel Lewis Orchestra was arguably the most influential big band since the swing era. They were an unusual band, creating new styles, succeeding in an era when big bands were unpopular and remaining integrated during racially tense periods.

British pianist George Shearing enjoyed an international reputation as an instrumentalist, arranger, and composer. Equally at home on the classical concert stage as in jazz clubs, he was recognized for his inventive, orchestrated jazz. In this live recording from the Munich Philharmonie, Shearing played in a duo format with Canadian double bassist Neil Swainson. The repertoire consisted of a selection of compositions by Shearing himself, among them ‘Lullaby Of Birdland’, which is a standard in jazz repertoire.

After Dutch singer Kim Hoorweg landed her first record contract from Universal Music at the age of 14, her musical career took off and she became a well-known name in the Netherlands jazz community. Famous artists such as Candy Dulfer, Raul Midón, Metropole Orkest, and Gino Vannelli, to name a few, have already performed with the singer on numerous occasions. This time, Kim Hoorweg performs at BIRD in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, together with fellow Dutch musicians Anton Goudsmit on guitar, Niels Broos on keyboards, and Yoran Vroom on drums.

‘Harmolodics’, the musical philosophy of jazz saxophonist Ornette Coleman, is associated primarily with avant-garde jazz and the free jazz movement, although its implications extend beyond these limits. Coleman defined ‘harmolodics’ as “the use of the physical and the mental of one's own logic made into an expression of sound to bring about the musical sensation of unison executed by a single person or with a group”. Applied to the particulars of music, this means that harmony, melody, speed, rhythm, time and phrases all have equal position in the results that come from the placing and spacing of ideas - as evidenced in this broadcast of a performance by the Ornette Coleman Sextet.

This recording brings a great performance by Larry Graham & Graham Central Station from Bataclan in Paris. Numerous ‘funkateers’ came together to cheer the bass player and funk hero. In the sixties, Graham was mainly known for his work with Sly and the Family Stone, the popular and influential psychedelic soul and funk band. As founder and front man of Graham Central Station he has also enjoyed a successful solo career. It is often said that Graham pioneered the art of slap-pop playing on the electric bass, which has become a staple of modern funk. During this Paris performance, Graham shows he is one of the heroes of funk!

On July 20, 2018, double bassist Christian McBride presented his band ‘New Jawn’ at the Malta Jazz Festival. A five-time Grammy winner, McBride is one of the most requested, most recorded, and most respected figures in the music world today. Hailing from Philadelphia, this music luminary combines jazz, R&B, pop/rock, hip hop/neo-soul, and classical. Gracing the Malta Jazz stage with him are Nasheet Waits (drums), Marcus Strickland (tenor sax), and Josh Evans (trumpet).

The Newport Jazz Festival, first established in the North-American town of Newport, Rhode Island in the summer of 1954, has now grown to become one of the largest multi-day celebrations of jazz worldwide. It has resulted in numerous famous live albums from top-rate jazz stars, and has spawned several worldwide tours, including editions of the Newport Jazz Festival in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. In October 1972, the Newport Jazz Festival in Rotterdam welcomed the Giants of Jazz, an all-star band featuring drummer Art Blakey, trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, bassist Al McKibbon, pianist Thelonious Monk, saxophonist Sonny Stitt and trombonist Kai Winding. Part 2.

This selection of unforgettable performances by some of the most iconic and influential jazz guitarists in history showcases these legends’ unique essence. Revel in Wes Montgomery’s virtuosity as he performs the captivating “Nica's Dream” in Holland in 1965, and delight in the expressive beauty of his rendition of “Here's That Rainy Day”, recorded in London in that same year. Experience the timeless appeal of Joe Pass's “You Stepped Out of a Dream” and “You Turned The Tables on Me”, recorded live in Hanover in 1975. The interplay between Jim Hall and Atilla Zoller borders on the impossible as they perform “Extensions” in Hanover in 1973. Enjoy Jim Hall's lyrical solo performance of “I'm Getting Sentimental Over You” from 1964. Witness Sonny Sharrock’s avant-garde fusion of jazz and rock in an exhilarating performance of “Peanut", recorded live in France in 1970. Sharrock is joined by flutist Herbie Mann in a soulful performance of “Memphis Underground” from 1969. Immerse yourself in the magic of jazz guitar!

This broadcast shows a rare appearance at the 1996 Germeringer Jazztage by the legendary flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucía and his sextet. Some may question the inclusion of a flamenco guitarist within a jazz festival. However, the similarities between flamenco and blues have been well documented: both are the outlet for a poor, disenfranchised minority, with a primitive strength, boundless capabilities for improvisation and a requirement for breathtaking virtuosity - all qualities shown by Paco de Lucía in this performance. Moreover, he has long been experimenting with jazz forms (evident even from his inclusion of bass, drums, and saxophone in his sextet), while still retaining the essence of the flamenco tradition. In his own words: “What I have tried to do is have a hand holding onto tradition and the other scratching, digging in other places trying to find new things I can bring into flamenco”.

The North Sea Jazz Festival is the largest indoor music festival in the world, known globally as the event where the past, present and future of jazz are featured within three days. Next to a firm base of jazz as the festival’s staple music genre, many others, such as blues, soul, funk, or hip hop, pass by. In 1978, the famed Chicago Blues All Star Band put on an electrifying performance at the North Sea Jazz Festival in The Hague. In this short clip, they are joined by guitarist Eddy Clearwater who plays a stunning cover of "Everything's Gonna Be Alright."

In the 1960s, composer Michel Magne transformed the Château d'Hérouville, an 18th-century country house north of Paris and former home of lovers George Sand and Frédéric Chopin, into the first residential recording studio. In addition to its excellent facilities, the complex featured a swimming pool and a beautiful garden, allowing artists to stay for weeks or months at a time. From David Bowie and Iggy Pop to Pink Floyd and Chet Baker, countless stars recorded unforgettable music here until the studio closed in the 1980s. Three decades later, Château d'Hérouville has reopened its doors. This program follows American singer-songwriter Melody Gardot as she visits the legendary studio. After an accident in 2003 left her hypersensitive to light and sound, Gardot discovered the healing power of music. At Hérouville, she gives an interview and plays a breathtaking live set. Her performance opens with a beautiful version of ‘Baby I’m a Fool’ and includes ‘If The Stars Were Mine’ and ‘Les Étoiles,’ before concluding with the Chet Baker hit ‘You Don’t Know What Love Is.’ Melody Gardot (piano, guitar, vocals) is accompanied by Charles Staab (drums), Sam Minaie (double bass), Mitchell Long (guitar), Sylvain Gontard (trumpet), Ludovic Beier (accordion), Artyom Manoukyan (cello), and Guillaume Latour, Alexandra Kondo, and Benjamin Ducasse (violin).

Rotterdam’s ‘ BIRD’ is a club, café and restaurant with a live music programme that's deeply rooted in jazz, and also branches out towards soul, funk, hip-hop and electronic music as well. Its name ‘BIRD’ refers to the nickname of the legendary New York jazz saxophonist, bebop co-founder Charlie Parker (1920-1955). BIRD serves Neapolitan pizzas, good wines, no-nonsense beers and an all-round metropolitan rawness. Since 2014, this urban jazz club and DJAZZ.tv have been collaborating for a series of music programmes: ‘BIRD.tv’, allowing you to experience the best BIRD concerts and interviews as from a first row seat! Today’s guest is drummer Mark Guiliana (*1980), who has acquired a cult following as a drummer who’s equally at home in hard bop as in the new beats of hip-hop and electronic dance music. Guiliana paid his dues in the bands of the celebrated double bassist Avishai Cohen and as half of ‘Mehliana’, an electro jazz duo with pianist Brad Mehldau. Moreover, Guiliana has collaborated with vocalists David Bowie, Gretchen Parlato, and Meshell Ndegeocello.

'Münchner Klaviersommer' was an annual concerts series that took place from 1981 to 1998 in Munich, Germany. Although the festival's name suggests a strong focus on piano music, it featured countless famous musicians from jazz and classical music – not just pianists. The concerts were usually held in July at The Gasteig, home of the Munich Philharmonic. In 1987, American pianist Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea was one of the artists appearing here. Together with Frank Gambale on guitar, Eric Marienthal on saxophone, John Patitucci on bass and Dave Weckl on drums, Corea performed jazz fusion with his Elektric Band - a jazz subgenre inspired by the rock music and electronic instruments of the day. The band was nominated for two Grammy Awards.

American trumpeter Miles Davis (1926-1991) was a pioneering jazz musician from the late 1940s to the late 1980s. His influence on 20th century music is hard to overstate, as he trailblazed bebop, cool jazz, hardbop, modal jazz, and electronic music. On October 11, 1964, Miles Davis performed at Teatro Dell’Arte in Milan. With tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter, pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams, Davis performed Autumn Leaves, My Funny Valentine, All Blues, All of You, and Joshua.

Jazz in Duketown is the largest free outdoor jazz festival in the Netherlands. It's a real gathering for jazz addicts, inviting internationally renowned artists. In 2019, one of them is Copenhagen-based Norwegian saxophonist Marius Neset, who is known internationally for his collaborations with People Are Machines, Kaktusch, JazzKamikaze, and Django Bates' projects StoRMChaser and Human Chain. Neset completed his Master's degree at the Copenhagen Rhythmic Music Conservatory in 2008.

The North Sea Jazz Festival is the largest indoor music festival in the world, known globally as the event where the past, present and future of jazz are featured within three days. Next to a firm base of jazz as the festival’s staple music genre, many others, such as blues, soul, funk, or hip hop, pass by. In 1982, American trumpeter and composer Wynton Marsalis and his quintet performed at the North Sea Jazz Festival in The Hague. Accompanied by brother/saxophonist Branford Marsalis, drummer Jeff Watts, bassist Phil Bauer and pianist Kenny Kirkland, 20-year-old Wynton Marsalis shows his pedigree as a former member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers.

30 minutes of... Orquestra Jazz de Matosinhos and Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música conducted by Dirk Brossé. Casa da Música is a performance hall located in Porto, in northern Portugal. Brossé, born in Ghent, Belgium in 1960, is a versatile composer and a respected conductor on the international music scene. Pianist Jason Moran and cellist J.A. Pereira de Sousa accompany both sets.

‘Jazz en Baie’, a whining guitar sound, and the baritone voice of Big Daddy Wilson are the perfect recipe for an emotional and melancholy blues concert. As a young man, Big Daddy Wilson never saw a real blues concert before he walked into a Bremen club as a young soldier. This revelation drove the expatriate to throw himself head over heals into music. A few decades and a couple of studio albums later, he’s well-known as one of the greatest contemporary bluesmen: his baritone voice, of a rare emotional power, recounts the nostalgic stories of his native land. His album ‘I'm Your Man’ brought him his first international success. Always respectful of the blues roots he inherited, the charismatic singer adds soul, funk, country and gospel to his musical range; the memories of his American youth.

There’s no question about it: with a Grammy for Best Latin Jazz Album for her recording ‘Made In Brazil’, seven previous Grammy nominations, four ‘Gold Disc Awards’, and three ‘Best Vocal Album Awards’ in Japan, Eliane Elias has taken her place in the pantheon of music giants. In her projects, Elias wears many hats: she serves as producer, composer, lyricist, arranger, pianist, and vocalist. In this concert broadcast, recorded live at the Philharmonie in Munich, Elias shows her distinctive and immediately recognizable musical style, which blends her Brazilian samba roots and her sensuous, alluring voice with her impressive instrumental bebop, jazz, classical, and compositional skills. She is an artist beyond category, and in this concert she performs with Jay Randall Anderson (bass) and Adam Nussbaum (drums).

Since 1977, Estival is a summer jazz festival in Switzerland, Lugano. Estival offers a thrilling and particularly surprising line-up that explores the rich world of contemporary music whilst promoting the understanding of different cultures, tolerance, and co-existence. The composer, trumpeter and bugle player Franco Ambrosetti performs with his quintet in his native Lugano as part of the Estival.

'Münchner Klaviersommer' was an annual concerts series that took place from 1981 to 1998 in Munich, Germany. Although the festival's name suggests a strong focus on piano music, it featured countless famous musicians from jazz and classical music – not just pianists. The concerts were usually held in July at The Gasteig, home of the Munich Philharmonic. In 1995, vibraphonist Gary Burton and pianist Makoto Ozone, both great jazz players noted for their virtuoso technique and innovative style, came together to give a concert of improvised music. They delighted the audience with their fluid, poetic artistry, which was expressed in a performance of the highest order.

A sound support with provocative combinations, a modern music laboratory, a vehicle of inspiration whose importance has been proven by many high-profile collaborations. Music lovers who appreciate jazz for its ability to provoke and continuously question the status quo certainly do not expect that such a standard set in its configuration finds itself completely detached from tradition. But sometimes, the more the DNA of a set is anchored in tradition, the higher the margin to give way to novelty. Innovation is at the heart of the approach of VEIN, a bold Swiss ensemble composed of brothers Michael and Florian Arbenz, and bassist Thomas Lähns, for whom the term "piano trio" has long been too restrictive.

As a 25-year-old saxophonist, Maceo Parker played in the band of James Brown, but he is also known for his collaborations with George Clinton's Parliament-Funkadelic and Bootsy Collins' Rubber Band. Maceo has proven his star quality by creating a special chemistry between all the different styles of American black music. As a pioneer in the ‘groove’, he blends funky jazz with roots and blues with gospel. The result? Overheated concert halls, with enthusiastic audiences that completely surrender themselves to the music's boundless energy.

Rotterdam’s ‘ BIRD’ is a club, café and restaurant with a live music programme that's deeply rooted in jazz, and also branches out towards soul, funk, hip-hop and electronic music as well. Its name ‘BIRD’ refers to the nickname of the legendary New York jazz saxophonist, bebop co-founder Charlie Parker (1920-1955). BIRD serves Neapolitan pizzas, good wines, no-nonsense beers and an all-round metropolitan rawness. Since 2014, this urban jazz club and DJAZZ.tv have been collaborating for a series of music programmes: ‘BIRD.tv’, allowing you to experience the best BIRD concerts and interviews as from a first row seat! In this episode, our guest is an old-timer from African music: the saxophonist and composer Orlando Julius (*1943). Doubtlessly, he is royalty among Nigerian musicians. In his music, Julius combines highlife, jazz, soul, and R&B in ground-breaking ways.