Schedule

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, an outstanding lineup played shoulder-to-shoulder at the 7th Newport Jazz Festival held in Rotterdam's then-recently built concert venue De Doelen. These masterful groups consisted of pianist Dave Brubeck and his trio (Jack Six on bass, Alan Dawson on drums), with accompaniment from Paul Desmond on alto saxophone and Gerry Mulligan on baritone saxophone, and bassist Charles Mingus and his group (Joe Gardner on trumpet, Hamiet Bluiett on baritone saxophone, John Foster on piano, Roy Brooks on drums) with the great high-note trumpeter Cat Anderson as a guest, alongside Hammond organist Jimmy Smith and his band (featuring Art Farmer on flugelhorn, Illinois Jacquet on tenor saxophone, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Clark Terry on trumpet, and Roy Haynes on drums) at the Newport Jazz Festival in Rotterdam.

Chet Baker Quintet: Live in '64 features a great concert by the foremost interpreter of West Coast jazz in the early and mid-'50s. Chet Baker had a generally restrained, intimate playing style and attracted attention beyond jazz for his photogenic looks and great singing. However, his career was marred by drug addiction. This show is a haunting 1964 performance in a Belgian TV studio with a quartet including long-time sidemen and saxophonist Jacques Pelzer and French pianist René Urtreger. Songs include the Miles Davis classic “So What”, and a very rare rendition of jazz standard “Time After Time” featuring Chet’s cool vocal style.

In 1959, Jacques Loussier hit upon the idea that was to make his international reputation, by combining his interest in jazz with his love of J.S. Bach. Only a pianist with such an exceptional classical technique and deft improvisatory skill could have nurtured such a vision. He founded the Play Bach Trio, which used Bach's compositions as the basis for jazz improvisation. The trio immediately caught the public imagination. In their live appearances, tours and concerts, plus a succession of recordings built on the cornerstone of four albums made between 1960 and 1963, Loussier's group achieved the breakthrough to popular commercial success enjoyed by only a select few jazz musicians. In fifteen years, the trio sold over six million albums! On July 28th 2004, the day of Bach's 254th anniversary of death, the Jacques Loussier Trio perform a special concert at the famous St. Thomas Church of Leipzig - the city where Bach composed many of his most famous works.

In 2019, the vibrant city of Sofia, Bulgaria, hosted the International A to JazZ Festival. Among the featured acts was the trailblazing jazz trumpeter Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah. This genre-defying artist captivated the audience with his eclectic “stretch music”; an approach that incorporates hip-hop and reaches back through the American canon into African percussion and its rich melodic content. Trumpeter Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah’s quintet, which includes drummer Corey Fonville, percussionist Weedie Braimah, pianist Lawrence Fields, and bass guitarist Max Mucha, delivered a performance that defied boundaries and expectations.

Formed in 1952 from the rhythm section of Dizzy Gillespie's big band, the Modern Jazz Quartet took its inspiration from classical chamber music as well as jazz's blues roots. The group enjoyed a decades-long career with multiple critically acclaimed albums, cementing their place in the history of the genre. Following concerts in Rotterdam and Amsterdam the days before, the Modern Jazz Quartet performed at Singer Concertzaal in Laren for Dutch TV on March 31, 1969. Composed of Milt Jackson on vibraphone, John Lewis on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Connie Kay on drums, the foursome plays with elegance and style.

Under the Surface is an improvisational jazz band formed by drummer Joost Lijbaart, vocalist Sanne Rambags, and guitarist Bram Stadhouders. Sanne Rambags, the youngest artist of the trio, is one of the few vocalists of her generation who able to improvise effortlessly, be it by using her voice as an instrument blending with the sounds of the band, or by performing her own poetry. Joost Lijbaart, known from bands by Yuri Honing, is one of the top artists of the Dutch jazz scene. Guitarist Bram Stadhouders is one of the most renowned musicians of improvisational music in Europe. Together, the three Dutch musicians have developed their own “universal language” within the genre. Their performance at Bimhuis showcases their unique intergenerational chemistry and hypnotizing sound. Bimhuis Amsterdam provides a platform for pioneering national and international musicians by hosting over 300 concerts a year.

Explore the music of one of the most influential and innovative saxophonists in jazz history: John Coltrane! Immerse yourself in this collection of remarkable performances from the early 1960s that showcase Coltrane's unparalleled artistry and unique sound during a transformative period in the artist’s career. Recorded in various European cities, Coltrane is seen playing the songs “Autumn Leaves”, “Hackensack”, “My Favorite Things”, “I Want To Talk About You”, “Vigil”, and “Naima”. Tune in and experience why the music of John Coltrane has touched the lives of so many!

Manu Dibango, one of Africa’s biggest musical stars and top saxophonists, is an indispensable artist. He was one of the first African musicians to score a worldwide hit with his 1972 release “Soul Makossa”, paving the way for many other artists. The very concept of world music owes much to him. A superb stage performer with great communicative humour, Dibango is above all one of the founding fathers of a modern African musical style that is open to jazz, R&B, salsa, gospel, funk, and reggae. This concert showcases all these genres, and features an excellent line-up of musicians from the four corners of the planet.

Big hits, booty dancing, stage dives, fan freestyles and of course, controversy, A$AP Rocky's debut Down Under tour had it all! At his sold-out Sydney show, hip hop's hottest star and 5000 rowdy fans got wild for the night at the Hordern Pavilion and we captured it all exclusively.