00:00
On The Road With Duke Ellington: II
In May 2014, the Conservatory of Amsterdam hosted a unique conference about one of the greatest jazz composers of the 20th century: Duke Ellington. Musicologists and musicians with a special bond with Ellington and his music spoke about his life and music. Among them were David Schiff, author of ‘The Ellington Century’, and Harvey Cohen, author of ‘Duke Ellington’s America’. Moreover, concerts were played by jazz pianist Matt Cooper, the Calefax Reed Quintet, and the Concert Big Band of the Conservatory of Amsterdam conducted by David Berger. The winner of the Boy Edgar Prize 2013, viola player Oene van Geel, performed his ‘All Ellington Project’.
01:17
jazzahead! 2024 - Kika Sprangers Large Ensemble
Annual trade fair, exhibition, and festival jazzahead! is one of the international jazz community’s most important events. Hosted in Bremen, Germany, jazzahead! brings together musicians, bookers, agents, organizers, jazz experts, and music enthusiasts at the world’s largest jazz event. In 2024, jazzahead! paid special attention to the jazz scene of the Netherlands and invited over forty jazz acts to perform over the course of three days. Among the acts presenting themselves at jazzahead! 2024 is Dutch saxophonist and composer Kika Sprangers’s 12-piece Large Ensemble. Sprangers, born in 1994, is recognized as one of the most distinguished and promising young figures in today’s Dutch jazz scene. Online music magazine Written in Music notes that her compositions transition seamlessly from quiet moments to grand symphonic scales, maintaining a compelling tension without falling into clichés. Her two-year tenure as an artist-in-residence at TivoliVredenburg in Utrecht has culminated in a live album titled ‘Oneindigheid’ (Infinity), set for release in fall 2024. Kika Sprangers’ Large Ensemble features Kika Sprangers (saxophone), Anna Serierse, Nina Rompa, Marit van der Lei, Līva Dumpe (vocals), Ketija Ringa Karahona (flute), Alistair Payne (trumpet), Morris Kliphuis (French horn), Mete Erker (saxophone, bass clarinet), Koen Schalkwijk (piano, Wurlitzer), William Barrett (bass), and Willem Romers (drums).
01:48
jazzahead! 2024 - Liv Andrea Hauge Trio
Annual trade fair, exhibition, and festival jazzahead! is one of the international jazz community’s most important events. Hosted in Bremen, Germany, jazzahead! brings together musicians, bookers, agents, organizers, jazz experts, and music enthusiasts at the world’s largest jazz event. In 2024, jazzahead! paid special attention to the jazz scene of the Netherlands and invited over forty jazz acts to perform over the course of three days. Among the ensembles presenting themselves at jazzahead! 2024 is the Liv Andrea Hauge Trio. Hauge, who is originally from Northern Norway and now based in Oslo, writes compositions that emphasize groove, straightforward and catchy motifs, and dynamic interplay. Her music blends playfulness with a touch of melancholy, providing ample space for improvisation. This is also evident in a commission of a large-scale piece for a trio, three vocalists, and a full symphony orchestra on the occasion of the inauguration of Bodø24 as European capital of culture. At jazzahead! 2024, Liv Andrea Hauge (piano) appears with Georgia Wartel Collins (bass) and August Glännestrand (drums).
02:25
MotorMusic Jazz Sessions: Nardozza - Bisceglia
The MotorMusic Studios in Mechelen, Belgium, attract many great musicians to the city. A wide variety of visiting international jazz musicians share their art of making jazz music with us in the DJAZZ series ‘Belgium Sessions’. In these sessions, some of Europe’s finest musicians perform their own, original music. Trumpeter Carlo Nardozza and pianist Michel Bisceglia combine their talents to create wonderful music with haunting melodies and beautiful themes. The Belgian musicians, with Italian roots, have joined forces on several projects during the last few years. This MotorMusic session reflects the combination of two different identities and the beautiful blend of an intimate collaboration between piano and trumpet.
03:31
Jackie Davis in concert in Brussels
American soul jazz singer and organist Jackie Davis (1920-1999) contributed greatly to the popularity of the Hammond B3 organ in jazz, preceding even the great Jimmy Smith. Seen here during an intimate solo performance in Brussels in 1967, we get to enjoy Davis’ every musical twist and lyrical turn. His infectious enthusiasm and dynamic musicianship make his audience grow increasingly excited as he performs “I Got Rhythm”, “Satin Doll”, “Yesterday”, “Smack Dab In The Middle”, and “It Ain’t Necessarily So”. Davis’ spellbinding vocals invite his audience on a musical journey. Get ready to let yourself be carried away by Jackie Davis, recorded live in Brussels!
04:06
Ode to Miles: Bitches Brew Beyond
For the 40th anniversary of jazz legend Miles Davis' legendary album Bitches Brew, trumpeter Wallace Roney leads a band that revives the master's music. This project is the brainchild of Miles' family (including his son Erin), which is represented by his nephew, drummer Vince Wilburn. This concert at the ancient theater in Vienne, France, is a grand tribute to Miles.
05:08
Django Reinhardt Tribute: Beets & Rosenberg
The treasured compositions of guitarist Django Reinhardt, the founding father of hot club jazz, are engraved in everyone's memory. Although Reinhardt missed two fingers of his left hand, his virtuoso technique was unrivalled. Dutch guitarist Stochelo Rosenberg and pianist Peter Beets now have the pleasure to bring Django’s music back to life with their infectious improvisations.
06:50
On Broadway
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 1987, prominent guitarist George Benson brought his band to kick off day three of the North Sea Jazz Festival in The Hague. Joining him to play songs from their joint album "Collaborations" was Grammy award–winning acoustic guitarist Earl Klugh.
07:00
Face au Public: Odetta
Legendary African-American folk singer Odetta (1930-2008) sang her spirituals with immeasurable sorrow and anguish. Her spiritual music expresses the horrific impact of slavery on millions of African people stolen from their homeland. For Odetta, folk music—be it spirituals, blues or field songs—was a vehicle for expressing the racism and injustice experienced by black people dating back to the days of slavery. This 1964 episode of Face au Public shows the melancholy of the era.