Schedule

Dexter Gordon: Live in '63 & '64 features three concerts filmed in Holland, Switzerland, and Belgium that highlight the bebop legend's classic style and silky tone. These shows feature legendary side musicians such as Art Taylor (drums) and Kenny Drew (piano), and jazz classics “Blues Walk”, “A Night In Tunisia”, “Body And Soul”, and others. One of the most influential saxophonists in jazz history, Dexter Gordon is captured in sharp form and style in this 70-minute tour de force.

Erroll Garner: Live in '63 & '64 presents two beautifully filmed concerts featuring his classic trio of bassist Eddie Calhoun and drummer Kelly Martin. Erroll Garner was one of jazz’s true original players and this showcases his improvisational brilliance on a parade of his most classic numbers, such as “Fly Me To The Moon” and “I Get A Kick Out Of You”, as well as originals “Erroll’s Theme,” “Mambo Erroll”, and his best-known composition, “Misty”.

Lex Jasper Trio: Happy Days Are Here Again - the title says is all… After an automobile accident and 15 years of revalidation, he is back! Together with his musical pals Edwin Corzilius (double bass) and Frits Landesbergen (drums), pianist and composer Lex Jasper celebrates his return to jazz club The Duke in the Dutch village of Nistelrode. Following his car accident, Lex nearly joined the leagues of Netherland's “forgotten” jazz heroes, though he is still considered one of the most important artists and composers of his generation and Dutch jazz history. Jasper played and recorded with all the greats, including Toots Thielemans, Clark Terry, Joe Pass, and Rita Reys.

As one of the best Hammond B3 organ players, Jimmy McGriff (1936-2008) is often lost among great soul-jazz organists from his hometown of Philadelphia. Of the major soul-jazz pioneers, he was the bluesiest and often insisted that he was more of a blues musician than a jazz artist. Regardless, he remained eclectic enough to blur the lines of genres. His sound - deep, down-to-earth grooves drenched in blues and gospel feeling - made him popular with R&B audiences. This 1965 performance is part of the Comblain-la-Tour Jazz Festival.

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 Mel Lewis Orchestra was arguably the most influential big band since the swing era. They were an unusual band, creating new styles, succeeding in an era when big bands were unpopular and remaining integrated during racially tense periods.

Aki Rissanen's interest in jazz came after he started taking classical piano lessons. His deep interest in improvised music placed him among top jazz pianist in his home country - Finland. While composing and performing his own music, Rissanen has also collaborated with Verneri Pohjola and Dave Liebman, and today his name appears among the top European jazz musicians. Live from 'Jazzclub Unterfahrt' in Munich, Germany, together with Antti Lotjonen on bass and Teppo Makynen on drums, Rissanen showcases the best of Scandinavian jazz and its DNA - the Nordic Tone.

Five-piece contemporary jazz band Theorem of Joy released their first, self-titled album in April 2018 following three years of intense touring. During June 2018’s celebratory album release party at Studio de l'Ermitage in Paris, Ellinoa (vocals), Thomas Julienne (bass), Thomas St. Laurent (guitar), Boris Lamerand (violin and alto saxophone), and Tom Peyron (drums) perform repertoire from their album. Adding luster to this special occasion is Les enfants d'Icare: this French string quartet of Boris Lamerand and Antoine Delprat (violin), Olive Perusson (viola), and Octavio Angarita (cello) is no stranger to jazz. Moreover, special guests Maxime Berton (soprano saxophone) and Emilie Calmé (flute and bansuri) contribute generously to this intimate, yet oh-so surprising performance. Enjoy Theorem of Joy’s vibrant mix of rock, free-jazz and pop live at Studio de l'Ermitage in Paris!

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.

November Music, a Dutch music festival in ’s-Hertogenbosch, showcases today's prominent composers. It programs top-notch ensembles, jazz and world music pioneers, interdisciplinary concerts, and sound art. In 2019, Tigran Hamasyan and Mathias Eick played a duo performance here. Armenian pianist Hamasyan has claimed a category of his own in contemporary jazz. Norwegian trumpeter Mathias Eick is an undisputed master of his instrument.

Art Blakey, Dexter Gordon, Ron Carter, Herbie Hancock, Thelonious Monk... these names are synonymous with the great Jazz Age. But how many people know Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff, to whom we owe the recorded memory of our Jazz legends? Two German Jews who emigrated from Nazi Germany to New York "discovered" an American art form which at the time received little serious attention from mainstream America: Jazz Music. Without money or connections and speaking little English, the two men began to record practically unknown musicians, following their own taste and judgment. Today this list of artists reads like the Who-is-Who of Jazz. "Blue Note - A Story of Modern Jazz" tells the story of Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff and their record label. It is the story of the rise of Modern Jazz, of a friendship in exile and of uncompromising artistic excellence. Told by the musicians, by friends and associates and by fans of the Blue Note recordings from all walks of life, the film Blue Note recreates an era of American cultural history.

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 artists taking part in this series is Filo Machado. Born in São Paulo, this singer, composer, instrumentalist, arranger, and producer has celebrated many musical successes. Filo Machado took part in saxophonist Jane Bunnett's Canadian tour with her spectacular project 'Rendez-Vous Brazil/Cuba'. He has appeared at the jazz festivals of Córsega and Uzeste and opened for the one and only Nina Simone in Cannes. In this episode presented by Da Pá Virada Sessions and Stingray, Machado performs his uniquely sparkling take on Latin jazz.

The UK based band Metronomy started out as a bedroom project by Joseph Mount, who during its early stages was the sole contributor to the band's repertoire. After the debut release, Mount started expanding the band's personnel: first by adding two members, and later increasing it by one more. Metronomy's critical acclaim comes from frenetically hybrid indie pop style knitted together with trademark electronic sounds inspired by Mount's favorite acts, namely Autechre and Funkstorung. Here Metronomy performs at Beck's Festival Bar, in Sydney, Australia, on January 15, 2009.

They called her “the most exciting woman in the world”, and this Afro-American voice lived up to this expectation with international flair. Eartha Kitt was one of the reigning queens of blues and jazz. She epitomized the idea of the sex-kitten chanteuse, rising to fame with a nightclub act centered on her slinky stage presence and throaty purr. As much as she enjoyed vamping it up, Kitt also projected the image of an exotic international sophisticate, singing in several languages.

The term "jam-session" was coined 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. Titled "Legendary Jazz", this episode hosted by Eddy King features unique performances by artists playing together for the first time, and interviews with Steve McCraven, Oona Guino, Rodolphe Lauretta, and many others.

Although its music might sound like the sound track 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.

The annual international festival November Music was first held in 1993. Since then, the festival has been promoting contemporary music across various locations in the Netherlands city ‘s-Hertogenbosch. Its 2018 edition included jazz, avant-garde, world, and electronic music, sound installations, modern opera and theatre, as well as various interdisciplinary performances. One of the performers in 2018, the singer Lucia Cadotsch has received praise from Downbeat and The Guardian. Accompanied by saxophonist Otis Sansjö and bassist Petter Eldh, the trio performs with everything from acoustic instruments to electric synthesizers and drum machines

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 trio Massot/Florizoone/Horbaczewski. This adventurous threesome pushes the boundaries of jazz, folk and classical music. There is a certain commonality between the instruments they play: accordion, tuba and cello share a richness of sound, as well as a broad register and a photogenic appearance. When improvising, the trio produces the weirdest and wackiest, but also most moving sounds.

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 Earth, Wind & Fire Experience. In this concert, original Earth, Wind & Fire guitarist, writer and musical director Al McKay performs the band's timeless disco and soul. Together with seven of the thirteen original Earth, Wind & Fire members, he keep hits such as Boogie Wonderland and September alive, touring all over the world.

Jazz in Duketown is the largest free outdoor jazz festival in the Netherlands. It's a real gathering for jazz addicts, inviting internationally renowned artists. One of them is Dutch singer, pianist, composer and bandleader Ruben Hein. Widely praised for his warm and characteristic voice and his offbeat piano playing, Ruben Hein is the artistic director and conductor of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NJJO). At Jazz in Duketown he performs a jazzy set, accompanied by his 18 finest proteges.