Schedule

Georgie Fame, known for "Yeh, Yeh" and "The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde" makes a triumphant comeback with The Blue Flames. Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames was a popular band in the UK in the '60s, celebrated for its R&B, soul, jazz, ska, and pop sounds. The training was largely inspired by ska, a popular musical style in Jamaican cafes in London at the time. It was the song "Green Onions" from the Booker T & The MG that inspired Georgie to incorporate the Hammond organ into her compositions. This performance by Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames is brimming with blues and soulful sounds that will delight the group's old and new fans.

Pioneering folk/pop quartet The Brothers Four was formed in 1957 by University of Washington fraternity brothers Bob Flick (upright bass, vocals), Mike Kirkland (guitar, banjo, vocals), John Paine (guitar, vocals) and Richard Foley (guitar, vocals). Their consistently smooth, warm, and lush harmonies set The Brothers Four apart from others. They turned professional as a result of a practical joke. A member of a competing fraternity arranged for a woman to telephone the band members, identifying herself as the secretary to the manager of Seattle's Colony Club and inviting the quartet down for an audition. As soon as The Brothers Four got there, they found that there was no invitation or any audition scheduled – but since they were there anyway, the club manager asked them to play a few songs and ended up hiring them. A few years later, The Brothers Four appeared at a short-lived Belgian jazz festival in Comblain-la-Tour, where they sang the entire book of American Folk Songs.

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 singer-songwriter Melody Gardot as she visits the legendary studio. After an accident in 2003 left her hypersensitive to light and sound, Gardot discovered the healing power of music. At Hérouville, she gives an interview and plays a breathtaking live set. Her performance opens with a beautiful version of ‘Baby I’m a Fool’ and includes ‘If The Stars Were Mine’ and ‘Les Étoiles,’ before concluding with the Chet Baker hit ‘You Don’t Know What Love Is.’ Melody Gardot (piano, guitar, vocals) is accompanied by Charles Staab (drums), Sam Minaie (double bass), Mitchell Long (guitar), Sylvain Gontard (trumpet), Ludovic Beier (accordion), Artyom Manoukyan (cello), and Guillaume Latour, Alexandra Kondo, and Benjamin Ducasse (violin).

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.

Lithuanian band Olivia Gongas gave an intimate performance at Vilnius jazz dance club Lindyhop.lt in late June 2021. The band, fronted by multi-instrumentalist Remis Rančys, consists of guitarist Laimonas Jančas, bassist Paulius Adomėnas, and drummer Domantas Razmus. Olivia Gongas draw from the band’s indie and world music inspirations for this mellow and cosy concert. The Lindyhop.lt has been Lithuania’s longest running jazz dance venue, in operation since 2003. Located in Vilnius, the country's capital city, it features an in-house jazz band that performs arrangements from the rich history of New Orleans jazz, the golden era of swing, and hot club-style jazz.

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”.

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 1986, the acclaimed jazz fusion group Mahavishnu Orchestra led by guitarist John McLaughlin took the stage at the North Sea Jazz Festival in The Hague. This third incarnation of the group featured an outstanding lineup, with Jim Beard on keyboards, Jonas Hellborg on bass, Danny Gottlieb on drums, and Bill Evans on saxophone.

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.

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 features a rising star on the jazz scene: within the last few years, vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant (*1989) has risen to international acclaim at lightning speed. An innovative singer with extraordinary soul, intuition, and deep character, Cécile McLorin Salvant has been hailed as the next great jazz vocalist in the lineage of Ella Fitzgerald, Betty Carter, and Dianne Reeves.

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.

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. Miriam Makeba, also named Mama Africa, was a South African singer, actress, United Nations goodwill ambassador, and civil-rights activist. Her career flourished in the US, where she released several albums. Makeba was among the first African musicians to receive worldwide recognition. She brought African music to a Western audience, and popularized the world music and Afropop genres. Her performances at Estival Lugano is beyond incredible. Her voice, the power and the soul summarizes her musicality in 40 minutes, together with her band and extremely talented backing-vocals.

Teus Nobel is a Dutch trumpet and flugelhorn player. As a little boy, he was inspired by ‘power’ trumpeters such as Maynard Ferguson and Bill Chase. While studying at the conservatory, he played both as jazz player and as a commercial session musician at musicals. After his time at the conservatory, he started playing in the Royal Netherlands Air Force Orchestra, playing march music influenced by pop and jazz. Today’s broadcast was recorded at the Amsterdam BIMhuis. Teus dedicates his compositions to his all-time heroes Jarmo Hoogendijk, Woody Shaw, Christian Scott, Roy Hargrove and Eric Vloeimans. This performance is based on his second album ‘Legacy’.

This might come unexpected, but the Brussels Jazz Orchestra (BJO) is not the kind of jazz orchestra that sticks to standards. They prefer to achieve the highest level by composing original music, creating unique arrangements, and playing inventively as well as passionately. In fact, it really is jazz with a dynamic orchestral sound, with a classic strength in which each musician is also a brilliant soloist. Call it an ‘orchestrated passion for jazz’ that incites BJO to create world-class music. Founded in 1993 by Frank Vaganée, Serge Plume and Marc Godfroid, the Brussels Jazz Orchestra is recognised and has been subsidised by the Flemish Government since. Brussels Jazz Orchestra is orchestra in residence at Flagey in Brussels.

In 2019, the vibrant city of Sofia, Bulgaria, hosted the International A to JazZ Festival. Among the featured acts was the trailblazing jazz trumpeter Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah. This genre-defying artist captivated the audience with his eclectic “stretch music”; an approach that incorporates hip-hop and reaches back through the American canon into African percussion and its rich melodic content. Trumpeter Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah’s quintet, which includes drummer Corey Fonville, percussionist Weedie Braimah, pianist Lawrence Fields, and bass guitarist Max Mucha, delivered a performance that defied boundaries and expectations.

Known outside jazz circles mainly for his film scores, French composer, arranger and pianist Michel Legrand has had a long and storied career in music. Interpreters of his compositions include jazz legends such as Sarah Vaughan, Stan Getz, and Bill Evans, as well as pop stars such as Barbra Streisand and Frank Sinatra. During this 1982 performance in the Belgian town of Spa, Legrand leads his orchestra through a number of original songs, including “The Summer Knows,” “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?” and “Les Moulins de mon Cœur.” Singing either in English or French, Legrand delivers a spirited performance with plenty of romantic flair that is sure to capture your heart.

Jazz festival slash conference inJazz brings together the supply and demand sides of the Dutch jazz scene, helping artists share knowledge and experiences and stimulating the development of international relationships. The conference program includes inspiring panel discussions, workshops, networking sessions and presentations. During the night, promising Dutch jazz acts as well as more seasoned groups hit the stage to show what they’re capable of. One of the artists performing at inJazz is Sabrina Starke, a self-made, award-winning singer-songwriter, producer and self-empowerment ambassador. She has won an impressive number of prestigious awards for her soul-soothing music.

Jazz festival slash conference inJazz brings together the supply and demand sides of the Dutch jazz scene, helping artists share knowledge and experiences and stimulating the development of international relationships. The conference program includes inspiring panel discussions, workshops, networking sessions and presentations. During the night, promising Dutch jazz acts as well as more seasoned groups hit the stage to show what they’re capable of. One of the artists performing at inJazz is Agnes Gosling. She has matured as a writer and arranger. The vocalist is unafraid to show her vulnerability. With her quartet, Gosling honors the tradition of great acoustic jazz while exploring new sounds and styles from the contemporary music world.

Jazz festival slash conference inJazz brings together the supply and demand sides of the Dutch jazz scene, helping artists share knowledge and experiences and stimulating the development of international relationships. The conference program includes inspiring panel discussions, workshops, networking sessions and presentations. During the night, promising Dutch jazz acts as well as more seasoned groups hit the stage to show what they’re capable of. One of the bands performing at inJazz is Ponyland, a UK-based ensemble that brings together professional musicians from across Newcastle and Cumbria to create a unique sound. Two drummers, vocals, lead and bass guitar and a mighty horn section create a heady, energetic mix of samba-reggae, drum and bass, Afrobeat and jazz.

Legendary free jazz pianist Burton Greene rose to fame in New York City's free jazz scene of the 1960s. Exploring various spontaneous improvisational styles, Greene performs live at Cafe OTO in London, UK.

Since 2005, the Morgenland Festival, held in 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. Jivan Gasparyan Jr has always been inspired by the folk melodies of his native Armenia. His grandfather, also a musician, taught him the art of duduk, an instrument of Armenian origin.

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!

Relive the magic of one of the most beloved crooners in music history in his prime: Tony Bennett! Recorded live in London’s Royal Albert Hall on March 2, 1974, this enchanting performance showcases Bennett's remarkable vocal prowess and charisma to full effect. Bennett is accompanied by his musical director Torrie Zito and an orchestra of British musicians that includes Kenny Clare (drums), Don Lusher (trombone), and Kenny Baker (trumpet). Tune in for Bennett’s captivating take on songs “The Good Things in Life”, “My Favorite Things”, “My Love”, “I’ve Got Five Dollars”, “It Don’t Mean a Thing”, and “Maybe This Time” in this magical concert recording.