00:00
Morgenland: Songs Without Frontiers
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. Recorded at the Morgenland Festival, the “Songs Without Frontiers” collection brings together exceptional collaborations between a variety of musicians from around the globe, interspersed with interviews that present the genesis of these works.
01:39
KAMA Kollektiv - 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. Due to COVID-19, only half of the scheduled performances of the 2021 edition were actually recorded in Bremen. Among the performing ensembles is the KAMA Kollektiv. The young Finnish singer and trumpet player Kirsi- Marja “Kiki” Harju leads the KAMA Kollektiv. At one moment groovy and quirky, melancholic and sentimental the next, the group’s music reflects on the confusions and challenges of today's world. Its influences range from the style of jazz artists such as Mathias Eick to the Nordic's trademark melancholic soundscapes full of minimalism, folk, and indie pop. Kirsi-Marja Harju is joined by pianist Chaerin Im, double bassist Jonathan Nagel, and drummer Joe Korach.
02:11
jazzahead! 2022 - Brekky Boy
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. One of them is Sydney-based, Australian jazz rock trio Brekky Boy, made up of pianist and synthesizer player Taylor Davis, electrical bassist Ryan Hurst, and drummer Alex Hirlian. Inspired by artists and bands, including pianists Tigran Hamasyan, Robert Glasper, and jazz trio GoGo Penguin, Brekky Boy’s all-instrumental, invigoratingly original sound combines jazz, rock, minimalism, and folk music.
03:00
MotorMusic Jazz Sessions: Steven Delannoye
The MotorMusic Studios in Mechelen, Belgium, attract many great musicians to the city. A wide variety of visiting international jazz musicians share their art of making jazz music with us in the DJAZZ series ‘Belgium Sessions’. In these sessions, some of Europe’s finest musicians perform their own, original music. New York is Jazz Heaven: small wonder that many young Belgian musicians cross the ocean to try their musical luck in the ‘Big Apple’. One of these journeymen brings the fruits of his successful New York experiences to this MotorMusic Session: tenor saxophone player Steven Delannoye and his New York Trio join forces with saxophonist Frank Vaganée. The intense and intriguing dialogue between the two saxophones recalls the golden jazz age of the 1950s, but adds a freshness of approach that is defined by their respective experiences. The horns are underpinned by the powerful NYC-based rhythm section of drummer Jesse Simpson and bassist Desmond White, who contribute a vibrant energy that propels the saxophonists to lofty heights.
04:05
The Flying Pickets - Don't Turn Around
The Flying Pickets are a British vocal group that was formed in 1982, transferring the art of a cappella to the pop music scene. These five gentlemen scored a number one hit in 1983 in the UK Singles Chart with their version of 'Only You'. Performing live in Stuttgart, vocalists Hereward Kaye, Gary Howard, Michael Henry, Nick Godfrey and Ricky Payne have many surprises in store for their appreciative audience.
05:02
Summer Night Music - Love Songs
In Summer Night Music - Love Songs, artists from all over the world contribute their favourite love songs to an unusual and exciting event uniting classical, jazz, and world music. Among the classical musicians are the Gewandhaus Orchestra, cellist Mischa Maisky, and The King’s Singers. Other world stars include jazz vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater and flamenco cantaora Mayte Martin. The variety of musicians and genres appeals to a wide audience, aiming to create a grand open-air atmosphere that every music lover will remember.
06:00
McCoy Tyner Trio live at Estival Lugano
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.
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
Les McCann: Live in New Orleans
Self-taught musician Les McCann became the international jazz superstar he is today after the release of his album “Swiss Movement” which he recorded in 1968 with the late Eddie Harris. Yet there is much more to this musician than that one record. McCann moves comfortably from one jazz style to the next, demonstrating impressive chops in all areas, from bop to fusion, and from vocals to the keys of the electric piano, clavinet, or synthesizer. His mix of church and swing music captures the spirit of the time perfectly, even when an illness prevented him from playing with more than one finger at a time in the early 1990s. In today’s broadcast, McCann takes gospel back to New Orleans, where he played this set in 1983. McCann’s vocals shine in the soulful performances of several of his hits, including “Just Like Magic”, backed by his wonderful “Magic Band” of saxophonist Bobby Bryant Jr., bassist Curtis Robertson Jr., and drummer Tony St. James.
09:18
Milt Jacksons' Modern Jazz Quartet at the Bozar
The Modern Jazz Quartet (MJQ) was composed of Milt 'Bags' Jackson on vibraphone, John Lewis on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Connie Kay on drums. Milt Jackson and John Lewis were pioneer bebop musicians who had played together in Dizzy Gillespie's 1948 big band. They pursued separate careers before adding Heath and Lewis to form the Modern Jazz Quartet in the 1950s. Noted for its delicate percussion sonorities, innovative jazz forms, and high performance standards, the MJQ was an immensely popular jazz and “third stream” ensemble until its final concerts in the early 1990s.
10:00
Marion Williams Sings Spirituals
You can’t help but be carried away by the powerful voice Marion Williams, who, with backing from Tommy Brown (piano), Joe Washington (organ), Billy Tuliver (drums), and singers Barbara White and Ann Bolden, sings gospel songs and spirituals as if she has lived them a thousand times over. The repertoire includes such familiar tunes as “Peace in the Valley,” “We Shall Overcome,” and “Michael, Row the Boat Ashore.”
10:39
São Paulo Samba
An exceptional concert from Brazil: the Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo proves its position as the most important orchestra in Latin America. Conducted by charismatic Maestro John Neschling since 1997, the orchestra is defined by its emblematic interpretations of Latin American music. With “São Paulo Samba”, the orchestra yet again grips the listener with an electrifying selection of Brazilian and Latin American classics, including works by Heitor Villa-Lobos, João Bosco and Astor Piazzolla. The Banda Mantiqueira and singer Mônica Salmaso complement the show.
12:33
Thelonious Monk live in Palais des Beaux-Arts
Thelonious Monk: Live in '65 features an intimate concert filmed in Belgium in the winter of 1965 with a legendary quartet that includes drummer Frankie Dunlop, bassist John Ore and tenor saxophonist Charlie Rouse. Thelonious Monk revolutionized jazz with his innovative musical approach and these remarkable performances allow viewers the rare opportunity to experience Monk’s genius up close as he performs his classic compositions Monk's Dream, Epistrophy and Rhythm-a-Ning.
13:02
View From The Outside
'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 1987, American pianist Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea was one of the artists appearing here. Together with Frank Gambale on guitar, Eric Marienthal on saxophone, John Patitucci on bass and Dave Weckl on drums, Corea performed jazz fusion with his Elektric Band - a jazz subgenre inspired by the rock music and electronic instruments of the day. The band was nominated for two Grammy Awards.
13:19
Zyryab
This broadcast shows a rare appearance at the 1996 Germeringer Jazztage by the legendary flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucía and his sextet. Some may question the inclusion of a flamenco guitarist within a jazz festival. However, the similarities between flamenco and blues have been well documented: both are the outlet for a poor, disenfranchised minority, with a primitive strength, boundless capabilities for improvisation and a requirement for breathtaking virtuosity - all qualities shown by Paco de Lucía in this performance. Moreover, he has long been experimenting with jazz forms (evident even from his inclusion of bass, drums, and saxophone in his sextet), while still retaining the essence of the flamenco tradition. In his own words: “What I have tried to do is have a hand holding onto tradition and the other scratching, digging in other places trying to find new things I can bring into flamenco”.
14:02
Under the Surface - Live at Bimhuis 2018
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.
14:43
BIRDtv: Badbadnotgood
Rotterdam’s ‘ BIRD’ is a club, café and restaurant with a live music programme that's deeply rooted in jazz, and also branches out towards soul, funk, hip-hop and electronic music as well. Its name ‘BIRD’ refers to the nickname of the legendary New York jazz saxophonist, bebop co-founder Charlie Parker (1920-1955). BIRD serves Neapolitan pizzas, good wines, no-nonsense beers and an all-round metropolitan rawness. Since 2014, this urban jazz club and DJAZZ.tv have been collaborating for a series of music programmes: ‘BIRD.tv’, allowing you to experience the best BIRD concerts and interviews as from a first row seat! This episode shows you the four-piece jazz/hip hop ensemble BADBADNOTGOOD, whose collaborators include the likes of rapper ‘Tyler, The Creator’, the Haitian-Canadian electronic musician Kaytranada, the vocalist Kali Uchis, and the rapper Ghostface Killah. BADBADNOTGOOD is endlessly inventive: its four members have ultimately crafted their own, lasting mark on hip-hop and electronic beats.
14:54
Seine Sessions: World Music
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.