00:00
Invisible World - WOMEX 2018
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. In 2018, WOMEX was held in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria. One of its participating bands, Invisible World, is based at the jazz crossroads where East European and Mediterranean influences merge and caper off in new directions. Led by Czech bassist Tomáš Liška, a prolific idea man of many projects, joined by Turkish violinist Efe Turumtay, Serbian accordionist Nikola Zarić and Moravian drummer Kamil Slezák.
00:48
WOMEX 2018
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, Mario Batkovic, aims to explore the sonic possibilities of the accordion, without effects or loops, rather through a mutualist symbiotic relationship between man and instrument. Challenging, hypnotic, and grandiose, Batkovic’s single-handed symphonic vision is certainly unique.
01:17
Guitarlegend Wes Montgomery in The Netherlands
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.
02:36
Smooth Series at NSJ: George Benson & Kenny G
The world-renowned North Sea Jazz Festival features a wide variety of genres, including traditional New Orleans jazz, swing, bop, free jazz, fusion, avant-garde and electronic jazz, blues, gospel, funk, soul, R&B, hip hop, world beat and Latin. The festival was founded by entrepreneur and jazz fan Paul Acket, who sold his highly successful pop magazine publishing house to organize and fund the first edition of the festival in 1976. This broadcast from the North Sea Jazz Archives presents a compilation with music of George Benson & Kenny G.
03:09
Episode 2: Dizzy Gillespie - Jazz Greats
American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader Dizzy Gillespie (1917-1993) was one of the seminal figures of the bebop movement. He fuses all musical forms rooted in African culture, such as music from Cuba, Latin America and the Caribbean, into his music. On November 4, 1970 he played a concert in Denmark with the Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band, performing Con Alma, Brother K, Now Hear My Meanin’, Manteca, Let Me Outta Here, and Things Are Here.
04:02
Frank Paavo Quintet feat. Joris Teepe - Café Miles
Saxophonist Frank Paavo has been active on the jazz scene of Amsterdam and the Netherlands since the early 1980s. His music is inspired by the hard-bop sounds of the late 1950s and early 1960s, full of positive energy, rhythmic intensity, and good old-fashioned swing. Among Paavo’s major influences are Wayne Shorter and Charles Mingus. The Dutch jazzman grew up with their music and deserves credit for his effort to revive it by doing what all great jazz musicians of this era did: by playing their very own music. In this October 2020 concert from Amersfoort's Café Miles, Frank Paavo performs with Kurt Weiss (trumpet), Dirk Balthaus (piano), Joris Teepe (bass), and Bart van Helsdingen (drums).
04:59
Seine Sessions: Funk & Afro
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 "Funk & Afro", this episode hosted by Eddy King features unique performances by artists playing together for the first time, and interviews with Cool Jam, Bibi Tanga, Kingsy Ray, and many others.
05:40
The Morgenland Festival: Blossom
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 Morgenland Chamber Orchestra has been an integral part of the Morgenland Festival since 2009. This ensemble of musicians from Germany and various guest countries performs as part of the festival's opening concert. This episode includes performances sometimes energetic, sometimes soft and soothing.
07:00
November Music: R. Frerichs/H. Alizadeh/Cello8ctet
The November Music festival in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands is the ultimate event for experiencing a broad range of music. It features a wonderful variety of contemporary and experimental pop, sound art, non-Western music, jazz and free improvisation. The closing concert for the 2016 edition offers a great example of this musical wealth - Dutch composer and pianist Rembrandt Frerichs’ fantastic trio play a wonderful set with Cello8ctet Amsterdam and renowned Iranian tar player Hossein Alizâdeh. Rembrandt Frerichs studied in New York and lived in Cairo for several years. His music has the drive of American jazz, the lyricism of Middle-Eastern music, and the sensitivity of the chamber music of Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel. The combination of Frerichs’ trio with Cello8ctet and Alizâdeh is unique. Their music is a miracle of organic creativity, and a shining fusion of old and new world music.
08:20
Robert Rook Trio: The other set at the Bimhuis
09:25
Stift Festival: Suite del Ángel
Late August is traditionally the time for the annual Stift International Music Festival. Weerselo’s Stift Church and Oldenzaal’s ‘Hofkerk’ serve as venues for wonderful concerts of various young musicians from all over the world. The theme of the 2014 Stift Festival was “Divine and Demonic Passion”. Young musicians performed divine and demonic chamber music by composers such as Astor Piazzolla. Piazolla, who combined classical music and tango, created the ‘Nuevo Tango’ in the 1960s. In this period, he composed a number of tangos inspired on angels. These tangos had a spiritual touch. In the years before his death, Piazzolla used to perform this series of tangos as a single suite, the ‘Suite del Ángel’. This four-tango suite has been performed in several instrumentations. Brava broadcasts the version for bandoneon accompanied by the guitar, violin, double bass, and piano.
10:00
Gonzalo Rubalcaba Trio - Münchner Klaviersommer
'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 1994, Cuban pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba was one of the artists appearing here. With bassist Ron Carter - one of the living legends on this instrument - and highly talented Cuban jazz drummer Julio Barreto, Rubalcaba's trio marks an important step in the development of jazz trio playing in the 1990s. Moreover, it demonstrates the brilliant improvisational and technical abilities of Gonzalo Rubalcaba, who has become one of our present-day jazz legends.
11:33
Sven Hammond Soul: Tivoli de Helling
Although its music might sound like the soundtrack of any 1970s American car chase movie, the band Sven Hammond Soul is from the Netherlands. This steaming soul machine is headed by Sven Figee, who prefers to attack rather than play his Hammond organ. In April 2012, the band was augmented with vocalist Jenny Lane. Today’s recordings were made at a steaming live performance at Utrecht’s Tivoli in 2012.
12:39
Huu Bac Quintet Live in Canada '15
Huu Bac left Vietnam for Quebec at the age of two. This musician was first interested in jazz guitar, then in dan bau, an old monochord musical instrument, central to the folk music of Vietnam. Huu Bac's curiosity about ancient instruments led him to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, where he studied erhu, a traditional Chinese string instrument. Bac's work combines classical repertoire and Western influences.
13:19
Visions of Music: Carnet des Routes
Visions of Music - World Jazz invites the viewer on a journey to the roots of music, introducing the enormous impact that traditional music from around the world has had on contemporary jazz. This program features legendary musicians such as BB King, Dino Saluzzi, Tito Puente, Carlos Santana, Zawinul Joe, Manu Dibango, Abdullah Ibrahim, as well as new generation representatives such as Nicholas Payton, Cyro Baptista, and Don Byron. This episode of the Visions of Music series presents the musette, a French musical genre that was first introduced by musicians from the south of France. It is to Django Reindhardt, the "virtuoso with three fingers" that we owe the introduction of the swing to the musette.
13:47
Herbie Man & Sonny Sharrock - Memphis underground
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!
14:02
Carl Wittigs Aurora Oktett - jazzahead!
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 presenting themselves at jazzahead! 2025 is Carl Wittigs Aurora Oketett, a German octet led by double bassist Carl Wittig. The ensemble performs music that combines the energy of jazz with the elegance of classical music, merging chamber arrangements with driving grooves, free improvisations, and lyrical melodies. The octet features Fabian Adams (tenor saxophone); Pascal Kleverer (trumpet); Ada Schwengebecher and Sophia Rasche (violin); Marie Schuttrak (viola); Franziska Ludwig (cello); Tom Friedrich (drums); and Carl Christian Wittig (double bass).
14:44
Paradox Live: Vein ft. Greg Osby
Innovative contemporary jazz and improvised music, the search for modernity, mind blowing sounds, rock and pop… Indeed PARADOX Tilburg goes beyond jazz, crossing musical boundaries into the unknown soundscapes of electronic music. Indie artists, blues veterans and jazz superstars all pour their hearts and souls at the Paradox. From young, local talents to top national and international artists, PARADOX Tilburg is the most intimate jazz club in the Netherlands, with a devoted audience from all across Europe. In their TV show PARADOX LIVE you get a taste of the greatest concerts and interviews with artists from all around the world. This episode of PARADOX LIVE presents the Swiss jazz band VEIN accompanied by saxophone player Greg Osby.
15:19
Gunsmoke Blues
In 1971, the camera crew of the Western series Gunsmoke travelled from Hollywood to the Pacific Northwest to capture blues greats Muddy Waters, Big Joe Turner, Big Mama Thornton and George “Harmonica” Smith during their tour. This documentary shows some of their best performances at the University of Oregon followed by footage and interviews on the road.
16:20
John Lurie: A Lounge Lizard Alone
In 1978, John Lurie formed The Lounge Lizards jazz ensemble with his brother Evan; the pair played music together for 20 years. However, in this New Year's Eve performance, Lurie (saxophone) plays a legendary show with drummer Larry Wright. Lurie is a musician, actor, painter, and the driving force behind the Strange & Beautiful music label. In the documentary John Lurie: A Solo Lounge Lizard, John talks about love, life, and gives insight on modern day hipster attitudes.
17:00
Chick Corea and Friends
Many of pianist Chick Corea’s compositions have become jazz standards. As a member of Miles Davis' band in the late 1960s, he participated in the birth of the electric jazz fusion movement. In the 1970s, Corea founded the legendary jazz fusion group Return to Forever. Along with Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner and Keith Jarrett, Corea is one of the biggest modern jazz pianists. He continued musical collaborations with a diverse range of artists, exploring various musical styles. This broadcast features three performances that illustrate Chick Corea's many talents.
17:58
A Perfect Combination's Tribute To Stevie Wonder
