Schedule

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. Due to COVID-19, only half of the scheduled performances of the 2021 edition were actually recorded in Bremen. Among the performing artists is the German, Berlin-based drummer and composer Tilo Weber. Having studied drums and composition in Berlin and Hamburg respectively, Weber now presents his own quartet, “Four Fauns”, which focuses on the drummer's original compositions. Tilo Weber is joined by vocalist Almut Kühne, trumpeter Richard Koch, and double bassist James Banner.

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. Due to COVID-19, only half of the scheduled performances of the 2021 edition were actually recorded in Bremen. Among the performing bands is Red Kite. This band comprises some of the finest Norwegian jazz, prog, impro and rock musicians. The band’s music lies somewhere between 1970s psychedelic rock and experimental jazz. Red Kite have found a new, energetic musical expression infused with visceral grooves and roaring fuzz guitar. The musicians are trumpeter Fulvio Sigurta, keyboardist Esben Tjalve, bassist Adrian Christensen, and drummer Frederik Bülow.

In this DJAZZ.tv 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 Saxkartel. This band plays jazz and modern music with an uncommon approach: as a saxophone quartet, they perform chamber-like music without the accompaniment of a rhythm section. Their approach is similar to that of the classical string quartet, but their choice of repertoire clearly sets them apart: they play pure jazz!

The Australian-born singer-songwriter Sia Kate Isobelle Furler, simply known as Sia, is one of the most unique artists in today's popular music scene. However, her path to stardom has been nothing but rocky. Only after numerous musical experimentations, where the singer tried to establish herself in her home country as well as United Kingdom, Sia finally blossomed in United States around the second decade of the 21st century. The very beginnings of her mainstream recognition was captured on 25 March 2009, where the artist performed live at Metro Theatre in Sydney, Australia.

Guitarist Mike Stern and violin player Didier Lockwood sharing a stage: that promises a good show! After playing for years with Blood, Sweat & Tears, Mike Stern landed a gig with drummer Billy Cobham and then broke through with Miles Davis’ comeback band in the 1980s. Didier Lockwood played in jazz fusion band Magma during the 1970s and is known for his use of electric amplification and experimentation. Together they perform a unique duo concert at the beautiful antique theatre in Vienne, France.

Despite his advanced age, the legendary jazz pianist Earl Hines was at the top of his game when he performed in the Belgian town of Spa in 1977. With a band consisting of Rudy Rutherford (reeds), Jimmy Leary (bass), and Eddie Graham (drums), Hines livens up the room with his interpretations of “I Can’t Believe That You’re In Love With Me” and “The Man I Love.” Marva Josie joins the group for soulful renditions of “A Sunday Kind of Love” and the well-known classic “Kansas City” before the set comes to a close with “Caravan,” which features a lengthy drum solo by Graham.

Double bassist Avishai Cohen’s trio with Noam David (drums) and Omri Mor (pianist) joined forces with the international Symphony Orchestra ‘INSO-Lviv’, conducted by Christian Schumann. On June 24, 2017 they brought Avishai Cohen’s signature blend of influences from Eastern Europe, American jazz and the Middle East to the Alfa Jazz Festival in Lviv, Ukraine. Cohen, who also supplies vocalizations in the Judeo-Spanish dialect Ladino, came to prominence internationally in the 1990s when jazz great Chick Corea offered him a place in his trio and a recording deal. Thirty years later, Cohen has become a house-hold name himself, leaving his Ukrainian audience enthralled and connected through the universal language of music.

Homelands is a collaboration between Artvark Saxophone Quartet and Cameroonian-Dutch singer Ntjam Rosie. The music is inspired by both traditional and modern music from Ntjam’s home country Cameroon, (Manu Dibango and Richard Bona) as well as by an Afro-European blend of soul, jazz, gospel and world music. Using unorthodox sounds as the basis of their compositions, Artvark continues to be radical, experimenting with alternative ways of playing the sax. For this project, they explore the world of electronics and effects to create new sounds. Ntjam’s role is divers. She is the quartet’s fifth instrument, recites spoken word, plays (vocal) percussion, forms duos or trios with the saxophones and accompanies the quartet on her guitar. She performs texts in English as well as in French, one of Cameroon’s official languages, and sings in Bulu, her mother tongue.

In 2013 it is 25 years ago that singer and trumpet player Chet Baker mysteriously died, caused by a fall from the window of his hotel room in Amsterdam. His music is more popular than ever. This concert is performed by Fay Claassen, who became internationally known through her album ‘Two Portraits of Chet Baker’. In the U.S. this album was the ‘Best Vocal Album of the Year’. In this concert Fay Claassen brings a tribute to Baker with the most beautiful songs and improvisations.

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.

Watch the performance of Jamie Cullum live at Jazz à Vienne, in 2017.

The Netherlands Chamber Orchestra commissioned violinist Tim Kliphuis, internationally known for his genre-crossing approach to music, to write a new version of Antonio Vivaldi's ‘Four Seasons’. Kliphuis choose to take improvisation as his starting point; at the same time, he intended to leave the best-known Vivaldi themes and chords in, as they give the piece its wonderful energy. The result is a fresh and exciting interpretation that never loses sight of the original. Each season has a different character: the freshness of spring is reflected by the use of Irish and Norwegian traditional music; the summer heat can be heard in the American jazz and funk rhythms; the autumn includes a galloping safari hunt in South-Africa and the ice-cold winter warms up with the energy of Russian gypsy music. For each movement, Kliphuis has a metropole in mind which he visited on his previous concert tours. You’re about to witness a truly genre-crossing spectacle!

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 2022, jazzahead! paid special attention to Canada’s jazz scene and invited forty jazz acts from all over the world to perform over the course of three days. Among the performing artists are vocalist Kim Zombik and double bassist Nicolas Caloia. The music of this Montreal-based duo, which goes by the name of Silvervest, is characterized by tenderness, humor and tunefulness. The band’s name pays homage to an item of clothing favored by the indefatigable and endlessly creative legendary drummer Elvin Jones.

Martin Fabricius is a Danish vibraphonist and composer of film music who studied with the legendary vibes master Gary Burton. Ever since Fabricius' first album in 2008, he has performed his own music all over the world, attracting a growing audience of listeners both familiar and new to jazz. Fabricius is also a sought after guest soloist and sideman and has played with legendary trumpet player Tomasz Stańko and bassist Steve Swallow.

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).

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 2025, about forty international jazz acts performed over three days, with a special focus on the RE:CONNECT theme, celebrating the vibrant jazz scenes of returning partner countries Spain, France, and Switzerland. Among the bands representing France in the festival's RE:CONNECT showcase is the trio of French trombonist and vocalist Robinson Khoury. Their performance is a palpably personal and authentic blend of electro-acoustic indie-jazz with Middle Eastern sounds, ancient music, and electronica. The trio features Anissa Nehari (percussion and vocals), Léo Jassef (keys and vocals), and Robinson Khoury (trombone, vocals, and modular synth).

When renowned jazz pianists of the old and new school meet at a "Solo Piano Summit," audiences are treated to many an interesting musical surprise. The "Solo Piano Summit" brings together a handful of top pianists with different musical backgrounds: Jacky Terrasson, Junior Mance, Geoff Keezer, Bill Charlap and Alex Wilson. Besides solo performances the all-stars used the occasion for spontaneous interplay, improvisation and a fantastic finale - in short for the pleasure of virtuoso jazz piano playing.

Put five distinctive characters in a band bus, let them tour Europe and beyond, and let yourself be surprised by what happens along the way! “What Could Possibly Go Wrong?”, the title of Tristan’s 2021 album, aptly reflects the band’s perspective on love and life. The Dutch, five-piece band’s music is best described as feel-good vintage acid jazz, with energy, vibe, and sounds of today thrown in. What’s more, it’s performed by some of Europe’s best contemporary pop/jazz musicians. With funky rhythm guitars, Hammond organ, Fender Rhodes and synths, and a rhythm section that has been a tight-knit unit for decades, the band plays their trademark solid grooves and tight, punchy arrangements. All this underpins singer Jaycilee’s stunningly beautiful and soulful vocals. Tristan takes you back to the warm sound of the 1970s, adding a refreshing breeze of present influences. Tristan consists of Jaycilee Teterissa (vocals), Coen Molenaar (keys), Frans Vollink (electric bass), Sebastiaan Cornelissen (drums), and Guy Nikkels (guitar).

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. McCoy Tyner’s first main exposure came with Benny Golson, being the first pianist in Golson’s and Art Farmer’s Jazztet. He’s also known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet. Tyner’s style is easily comparable to Coltrane’s maximalist style of saxophone. Though a member of Coltrane’s group, he was never overshadowed by the saxophonist, but complemented and even inspired Coltrane’s open-minded approach. McCoy Tyner is considered one of the most influential jazz pianists of the 20th century, an honour he earned both with Coltrane and in his years of performing following Coltrane’s death.

'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 1997, American pianist Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea was one of the artists appearing here. He performed a set with longtime duet partner, vibraphonist Gary Burton. This concert was a reunion of sorts for the two, who had not appeared as a duo for many years, and the first of many more joint performances to come. Today, both musicians have more than earned their jazz legend status.

Brazilian artist Gilberto Gil returns to Jazz à Vienne in France with a new round of singing that is inspired by his latest album ‘Fé na Festa’: a mixture of celebration, tradition and even some rock now and then. Gilberto Gil, worldwide known for as musician and the Brazilian minister of Culture, was one of the pioneers of the cultural movement ‘tropicalismo’. This movement, with a strong character of social protest, combines elements of traditional Brazilian culture with modern art forms. Gilberto Gil's new sound clearly has its roots in Brazilian culture, yet it is always inspired by jazz.

By the time this set was recorded at Brussels Jazz Club in the summer of 1980, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard had already built an impressive resume. During the 1960s he became a leading voice in the hard bop movement while not shying away from avant-garde sessions with the likes of John Coltrane and Eric Dolphy. In the 1970s, Hubbard expanded his palette by recording in more diverse settings that included electric instruments and orchestral arrangements. On this club date, Hubbard showcases all of the experience he had accumulated up to this point. The working group consists includes David Schnitter on tenor saxophone, Billy Childs on keyboards, Larry Klein on bass, and Sinclair Lott on drums. Watch as the quintet deftly switches between acoustic and electric instruments and Hubbard entertains the crowd with his onstage antics.

The Da Pá Virada Sessions series presents the best musicians of contemporary Brazilian jazz, and beyond. Filmed in São Paulo, each session offers a unique experience by giving a fresh look into Brazil's music scene. The artists for each session are selected in consultation with Stingray DJAZZ's music editor. One of the bands taking part in this series is the ensemble Samba das Flores, which dedicates itself to exploring the world's different rhythms, thus keeping the Brazilian heritage alive. The individual voices of the ensemble members color Samba das Flores's unique sound. Let Brazilian culture and global rhythms inspire you during this Samba das Flores performance!

Salif Keita’s music is a rich combination of traditional Malian music with European and American influences. We can hear this in the instrumentation of Keita’s music, which varies from traditional West-African instruments to Western European ones. The Malian singer was cast out by his family because of his albinism. In 1967 he moved to Bamako, where he started his musical career and joined Les Ambassadeurs (Internationaux). He achieved international acknowledgement with this band in the 1970s. After spending a couple of years in Ivory Coast, Salif has found his home base in Paris since 1984. During this 2010 concert, he proves to be rightfully referred to as “The Golden Voice of Africa”.