Schedule

Wes Montgomery: Live in '65 shines a light on one of the most unique and influential guitarists in music history. These beautifully filmed programs from the spring of 1965 feature Wes, in intimate studio settings, leading three different lineups through some of his best-known tunes, including “Four On Six”, “Jingles”, and “West Coast Blues”. This rare footage, featuring rehearsals, between-song banter, and closeup camera angles, illuminates Wes's extraordinary musical vocabulary and unconventional picking technique.

The MotorMusic Jazz Sessions filmed in MotorMusic Studios in Mechelen, Belgium, attract many great jazz musicians. A wide variety of visiting international jazz musicians share their passion for the music while performing some of the most original music within the European, as well as the global, jazz scene. American pianist Lynne Arriale’s name is known to many die-hard jazz lovers. Her active performance career started in the early 1990s, as a constant profession of her love for melody and musical discovery. Lyricism and intimacy are key characteristics of her musical identity, shared by her renowned bandmates Jasper Somsen (acoustic bass) and E.J. Strickland (drums).

The term "jam-session" was born in the 1920s, when black and white musicians gathered in smoke-filled bars after their respective concerts to enjoy the kind of jazz they could not play in traditional sets. Bing Crosby was a regular at these sessions, and had fun marking the first and third beats of musical phrases by clapping hands, which the musicians call "jammin' the beat". Today, the Seine Sessions revive the happy years of "jam sessions", while the cream of jazz, blues, gipsy and funk Parisian scenes occurs on the boards of the legendary restaurant and jazz club Le Réservoir. Entitled "World Music", this episode hosted by Eddy King features unique performances by artists playing together for the first time, and interviews with Teófilo Chantre, Tiwitine, Kinsy Ray, and many others.

Since 2005, the Morgenland Festival of Osnabrueck has dedicated itself to the fascinating music culture of the Near and Middle East. From traditional and classical music to avant-garde, jazz, and rock, the festival program also features art, such as visual arts, dance, and theatre of interdisciplinary projects. "The Art of Duo" presents an unprecedented duo featuring pianist Salman Gambarov and sheng player, a Chinese mouth-organ, Wu Wei.

After jazz reached Istanbul, it firmly took root there. Quite a few jazz bars have sprung up to cater to the genre’s fans. The DJAZZ series ‘Istanbul Sessions’ is the thermometer of Istanbul jazz in the first decade of the 2000s. The concerts featured in this series were recorded at several Istanbul jazz clubs, featuring some of the very best and freshest jazz bands. The series offers an eye-witness account of the incredible inventiveness and diversity of Istanbul’s jazz scene. Recognized as a composer of great talent in the tradition of Bill Evans, Kerem Görsev is one of the most gifted Turkish pianists of his generation. His trio, completed by Kagan Yildiz on bass and Ferit Odman on drums, plays an amazing concert in the Turkish jazz capital.

As part of the Blue Note Jazz Festival and Blue Note Records’ 75th anniversary, pianists Robert Glasper and Jason Moran delivered a stunning jazz piano duet, resulting in an exciting exploration of the great history of jazz. An intricate knowledge of African-American music is infused with modern energy. The two musicians reinterpret the stride piano tradition through captivating original songs and personal interpretations of the music of Albert Ammons, Andrew Hill, Thelonious Monk, Ornette Coleman and Herbie Hancock.

Dionne Warwick’s vocal artistry ranges from voluminous deep register to soft, fragile high notes. She masters the entire range with almost unnerving ease. But more than her strong, warm voice, Dionne’s magic is in the silky elegance and the secure delivery with which she tells a story. That’s how her, along with composer Burt Bacharach and lyricist Hal David become pioneers of the brand of pop music called “Middle of the Road”, meaning pop that is grippingly simple, but never trite. Sixty of her hits made it into the American charts and sold over 100 million albums worldwide. This amazing 1964 recording from the 27 Club in Knokke, Belgium showcases the 23-year-old star vocalist at the start of her career.

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 Girl From Ipanema”, Astrud Gilberto’s second name. The Brazilian bossa-nova and samba singer gives an outstanding, swinging performance at Estival Lugano. The band features Marcello Gilberto, David Sacks, Gil Goldstein, and Eduardo da Fonseca. Astrud started to record her own compositions in the '70s. She has recorded songs in Portuguese, English, Spanish, Italian, French, German, and Japanese.

When Daryl Hall and John Oates took to the stage at Sydney’s Entertainment Centre as the iconic bass line of ‘Maneater’ began to play, the fans knew they were in for a treat. This duo may have been opening concerts with that irresistibly smooth number for years, but it never seems to lose its magic, and the crowd – an eclectic mix of teens and baby boomers alike – lapped it up. Daryl Hall and John Oates wisely reunited a few years ago after a string of solo projects, and although Oates no longer sports his signature ‘tache, they put on the kind of show that makes it hard to believe they even considered going their separate ways. Earworms like ‘I Can’t Go For That’, ‘Out Of Touch’ and ‘Kiss On My List’ were surefire reminders that these guys are absolute hit machines, and their catchy synth-soul classics probably deserve to permeate the airwaves as much today as they did decades ago. These Philly crooners still have it in bucket-loads, so this show should have everyone from diehard Daryl Hall and John Oates fans to kids of the 80's groovin’ along in no time.

Every year since 1970, the German city of Burghausen has been hosting one of the largest jazz festivals in the world. During Burghausen International Jazz Week, Burghausen becomes a 'Bavarian jazz mecca': guests from all over the world join the Burghausers to enjoy the most wonderful jazz performances as the colorful hustle and bustle of spectators and musicians shake up the city. One of the bands performing here in 2019 is the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, which consists of eight sons of jazz trumpeter and one-time Sun Ra Arkestra member Phil Cohran. He trained his children to play their horns and instilled in them a profound sense of the deeply spiritual roots of the music. The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble's music ranges from hypnotizing grooves to jazzy funk.

“Trenet” is all about France. French singer-songwriter Benjamin Biolay, with two other Frenchmen, guitarist Nicolas Fiszman and percussionist Denis Benarrosh, pays tribute to the legendary French singer-songwriter Charles Trenet. In a documentary-like setting where music is followed by spoken commentaries, Trenet’s songs gain fresh sounds and perspectives.

“The mournful expressiveness of his voice opens a window into the human heart, it is the sound of soul, a cosmic howl that cuts through emotional canvases like a hot knife through butter.” These words of Yvonne Smith perfectly describe the incredible voice of Ray Charles. Charles, the man who combined blues, jazz, gospel and rhythm & blues creating the music that we now know as soul, can rightfully be called a genius. This documentary gives a unique overview of his turbulent life. Colleagues and contemporaries including David "Fathead" Newman, Dr. John, Billy Joel, Willie Nelson, Hank Crawford, Ahmet Ertegun, Jerry Wexler, Billy Preston, Merry Clayton and Ray Charles, Jr. share their first-hand experiences with Ray Charles.

Since its opening in 1992, jazz club Moods has developed into one of Zurich’s largest and most prominent cultural venues. At the same time, it has become one of Europe’s prominent jazz clubs which today enjoys a well-deserved worldwide reputation among musicians and critics. The venue books a large variety of genres, ranging from jazz and soul to electronic and international music. Shai Maestro, Ari Bragi Kárason, Rick Rosato and Arthur Hnatek are collectively known as Melismetiq. The quartet's dreamy yet spirited jazz sound is characterized by Karason's gentle trumpet and Maestro's lyrical piano playing, accompanied by Rick Rosato (bass) and Arthur Hnatek (drums).

‘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.

Since 1994, World Music Expo (WOMEX) has been attracting musicians, agents, a great number of press agencies, as well as media companies from all over the world. Its main exposition event has been held in various locations throughout Europe, including Berlin, Brussels, Marseille, Stockholm, Seville, Cardiff, and Budapest. The 2018 edition of WOMEX was held in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria. One of its showcase participants, Vishten, has been animating audiences for 15 years with its fiery blend of traditional French songs and original instrumentals fusing Celtic, Acadian and contemporary folk influences with energetic virtuosity. The trio comprises multi-instrumentalists Emmanuelle and Pastelle LeBlanc from Prince Edward Island and Pascal Miousse from the Magdalen Islands.

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.

In this DJAZZ Belgium Sessions performance, which was recorded at AED Studios in Lint, Belgium, we witness Europe’s finest jazz musicians at work. A wide variety of international jazz musicians give a creative, up-close and inside insight into their art of playing jazz music. Young talent and established jazz musicians play to their heart’s content: take for instance this unusual performance by the Backback Trio. This trio of Filip Wauters on guitar, Marc De Maeseneer on saxophones and Giovanni Barcella on drums, has forged its own, impressive sound through years of rehearsing, gigging, and recording. The three gentlemen also seem to know the magic formula that keeps their music fresh and ingenious, yet accessible.

The series The Sound of New York. Music Today and Tomorrow is an exploration of the musical universe of a new generation of New York artists. Of diverse origins and all having a unique history and background, these musicians gave birth to a new sound that influences the music scene around the world. This new generation of artists combines sounds of yesterday and today, interacts with a range of other artistic forms, and plays with many influences, from Afro-American music to classical and contemporary music through hip-hop, R&B, rock, and so much more. Theo Croker was 11 years old when he heard his grandfather Doc Cheatham, a great jazz trumpet player, perform in New York. Doc died the following year, but young Theo continued to listen to his grandfather's recordings and performed for the first time at his memorial service. "I was only 12 years old, but the way music touched people and the emotions it caused in me were enough to prepare me for life. I immediately knew that I wanted to be a musician," said Croker. In 2013, Croker returned to the United States after a seven-year stint in Shanghai, China, where he broadened his musical horizons by infusing his jazz with other complementary styles including salsa, rock fusion, R&B, hip-hop, and blues. That same year, Croker performed for the first time with singer Dee Dee Bridgewater, who then decided to represent him on his label DDB Records. With this new partnership, Croker has started in New York the production of Afro Physicist , an album based on the musical concepts he has developed with his groups, Theo Croker Sextet and Afrosonic Orchestra & Collective. The album includes collaborations with Stefon Harris, Roy Hargrove, Karriem Riggins , Dave Gilmore, and Dee Dee Bridgewater. Theo Croker's newest album, Escape Velocity, is not limited to one musical category, but relies on the premise of jazz: merging and reinterpreting history, styles, and ideas to create a sound unique.

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 explored in three days. Besides jazz, other genres are included, such as blues, soul, funk, and hip-hop. Back in 1982, the legendary American vocal quartet The Manhattan Transfer gave an unforgettable performance at the festival. The Grammy award-winning group was founded in 1969 and explored various music styles including a cappella, traditional and latin jazz, rhythm and blues, and pop music. The quartet was especially famous for singing famous jazz instrumental solos with added lyrics to them - a style singing style known as vocalese.

World-class Dutch jazz pianist Peter Beets has shared the stage with jazz greats Chick Corea, Wynton Marsalis, “Toots” Thielemans, Elvin Jones, George Coleman, Johnny Griffin, Benny Golson, and John Clayton. His mother a music teacher and his father an Oscar Peterson and Art Blakey enthusiast, Beets was surrounded by music from an early age. And though music was in their blood, neither parent associated the word “musician” with a career. In this broadcast, Peter Beets teams up with gipsy jazz heros Stochelo Rosenberg, Martin Limberger and Frans van Geest. The strength and precision of Van Geests' rhythms and tempo, and the ease with which Stochelo's lead guitar soars above them, make this band a cohesive collective - unique in their renditions of standards, Django's classic compositions, and original tunes composed by Stochelo himself.