Schedule

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. The talented American singer Michelle David performs pop and gospel music that feeds the heart and soothes the soul. Having grown up with the church, she started singing at the age of four. A year later she joined her first band, The Mission of Love. In 1980 she enrolled at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York City, known from the film 'Fame'. During this time, she appeared as an extra in the legendary comedy film 'Ghostbusters'. Musicals and tours with the bands of Diana Ross and Michael Bolton followed.

In the 1960s, composer Michel Magne transformed the Château d'Hérouville, an 18th-century country house north of Paris and former home of lovers George Sand and Frédéric Chopin, into the first residential recording studio. In addition to its excellent facilities, the complex featured a swimming pool and a beautiful garden, allowing artists to stay for weeks or months at a time. From David Bowie and Iggy Pop to Pink Floyd and Chet Baker, countless stars recorded unforgettable music here until the studio closed in the 1980s. Three decades later, Château d'Hérouville has reopened its doors. This program follows American baritone Gregory Porter as he collaborates with the British electro-pop band Metronomy. The former American football player, who later dedicated himself entirely to music, gives an interview at Hérouville and performs songs including ‘Don't Loose Your Steam’, ‘In Fashion’, and ‘Sunny’. The British band Metronomy contributes songs such as ‘The Look’, ‘Night Owl’, and ‘Mick Slow’. Metronomy consists of Joseph Mount (drums), Oscar Cash (saxophone, keys), and Michael Lovett (keys). Gregory Porter’s own band consists of Lakecia Benjamin (saxophone), Chip Crawford (piano), Jahmal Nichols (bass guitar), and Emanuel Harrold (drums).

Far from being strictly a jazz bassist or a flamboyant improviser, Eberhard Weber is nonetheless one of Europe's finest musicians. Neither bluesy nor animated and energetic, what you see is what you get. Weber's influences are primarily European, notably contemporary classical and new music. His technique using contrasting ostinato patterns in different voices was inspired by composer Steve Reich. An innovator, Weber added an extra top string to his electric bass in the early 1970s. In this concert, he appears with three of his “brothers in music”: Rainer Brüninghaus on piano, Clarence “Herb” Robertson on flugelhorn and David Bargeron on tuba. The result is a virtuoso concert full of power, concentration and inner harmony.

Jong Metropole (Young Metropole) is a unique collaboration between the Dutch Metropole Orchestra, the National Youth Orchestra of the Netherlands and the National Jazz Youth Orchestra of the Netherlands. It aims to prepare talented, young musicians in classical and light music for a professional career. Jong Metropole blends the best of different music genres, borrowing from the performance strength of classical strings to the swing, improvisation, and timing of jazz, and more. Conducted by Christian Elsässer, this special performance was recorded at the former radio transmission station, Kootwijk.

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!

As a twenty-five year old saxophone player, Maceo Parker played in the band James Brown, but is also known for his collaborations with P. Funk, "Parliament" George Clinton and the "Rubber Band" by Bootsy Collins. Maceo has proven to be star by creating a special chemistry between all the different styles of American black music. As a pioneer in the ‘groove’, he blends funky jazz with roots and blues with gospel. The result is an overheated concert hall with a very enthusiastic audience that completely surrender to the energy of the music. Full conviction he drags his audience along his world and plays his memorable songs, among which the funky song ‘Southwick’.

Recorded in 1971 in Paris, France, Brazilian, classically trained bossa nova guitarist Baden Powell and his quartet play Pai, Lotus (written by Baden Powell), Tristeza (by Haroldo Lobo/Niltinho), Round Midnight (by Thelonious Monk), Nega do cabelo duro (by David Nasser/Rubens Soares), and Aos pes da cruz (by Zé da Zilda/Marino Pinto). Powell is joined by Ernesto Ribeiro-Gonçalves on double bass, Helio Schiavo on drums, and Alfredo Bessa on percussion.

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.

Considered one of the most technically brilliant players in the history of the trumpet, jazz musician Wynton Marsalis is also a master of classical music and a fine composer. Marsalis takes the cameras with him around New York, to his home town of New Orleans, and to his rehearsal studios where he and his assembled band of musicians are seen putting together the album Blood on the Fields. He also talks about his music and his way of working.

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”.

Bill Evans is considered one of the greatest jazz pianists all time and is known for interpreting the jazz repertoire using impressionistic harmonies. In 1958, Evans first played in Miles Davis’s sextet recording the modal jazz album “Kind of Blue”, which is now considered one of the best jazz albums of all time. After leaving the ensemble, Evans formed several trios. In this concert, recorded at Maison de la Radio in Paris in 1972, Evans performs with his longest standing trio, featuring Eddie Gomez on double bass and Marty Morell on drums. The program features some of Evans's own compositions, including the jazz waltz “Very Early” and the modal jazz piece “Time Remembered”, as well as jazz standard “Autumn Leaves”.

The audience at the Montreal Jazz Festival in Canada was in for a treat on July 3, 1982, as a true musical innovator hit the stage: Jaco Pastorius, who transformed the electric bass into a formidable solo instrument. Combining intricate harmonics, fluid melodies, and unparalleled technical skill, Pastorius left a lasting impact on the music world. In this concert, he is accompanied by Peter Erskine (drums), Don Alias (percussion), Othello Molineaux (steel drums), Bob Mintzer (tenor sax and bass clarinet), and Randy Brecker (trumpet and electronics). They perform “Chicken”, “Donna Lee”, “Mr. Phone Bone”, and “Fannie Mae”. Don't miss this extraordinary opportunity to experience Jaco Pastorius’s electrifying performance at the Montreal Jazz Festival 1982!

Embark on a remarkable journey through the world of jazz piano as we showcase some of the most iconic and influential pianists in history. This collection of extraordinary performances captures the unique essence and brilliance of legendary pianists Art Tatum, Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, and others. Revel in Oscar Peterson’s virtuosity as his trio plays “C-Jam Blues” in Holbaek, Denmark, on May 2, 1964. Let the sublime artistry of Art Tatum captivate you as he interprets Antonín Dvořák's “Humoresque” in 1953. Discover Thelonious Monk’s enigmatic genius as his quartet performs his iconic composition “Round About Midnight” in Poland on April 4, 1966. Experience the timeless appeal of the Dave Brubeck Quartet's odd-metered “Take Five", recorded live in Brussels, Belgium, on October 10, 1964. Delight in the lyrical beauty of Bud Powell's solo performance of “Sweet and Lovely” at the Antibes Jazz Festival of July 13, 1960. Witness the fusion of jazz and funk in Herbie Hancock & The Headhunters' exhilarating studio performance of “Sly” in Bremen, Germany, recorded on November 6, 1974. Lastly, enjoy the soulful grooves of Horace Silver's “Song for my Father” performed by his quintet at the Umbria Jazz Festival of July 20, 1976. Tune in and let these legendary jazz pianists transport you on unforgettable musical adventures!