Schedule

Big hits, booty dancing, stage dives, fan freestyles and of course, controversy, A$AP Rocky's debut Down Under tour had it all! At his sold-out Sydney show, hip hop's hottest star and 5000 rowdy fans got wild for the night at the Hordern Pavilion and we captured it all exclusively.

Sarah Vaughan: Live in '58 & 64 features the Divine One in her prime, wrapping her sultry voice around jazz standards such as “Lover Man”, “Misty”, and “I Got Rhythm” and popular showtunes such as “Over The Rainbow” and “Maria”. One of the greatest voices of the 20th Century, her renditions of songs by Harold Arlen, Leonard Bernstein, Johnny Burke, the Gershwins, and Stephen Sondheim are pure diva magic. These three performances demonstrate why Sarah Vaughan is invariably mentioned in the same breath as Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday.

Having played in New York with jazz icons Dave Liebman, Eliot Zigmund, Ari Hoenig, and Chris Cheek, Catalan bass player Manel Fortià now returns to his roots to reinvent traditional Catalan repertoire. Manel Fortià teams up with Antonia Lizana (saxophones), Pere Martínez (vocals), Max Villavecchia (piano), and Raphael Pannier (drums) to form ‘Libérica’, reimagining Catalan music and Flamenco through the eyes of a New York jazz musician. Their 2021 album ‘Arrels’ explores Catalan hymns, including ‘El cant dels ocells’ and ‘Els tres tambors’, heard here during a live performance at Nova Jazz Cava in Barcelona.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

For 20 years, Sly Johnson, author, composer and performer of the Saïan Supa Crew, has been touring the French music scene with his soul, hip-hop and beat-box vocals. He leaves his machines in the studio for a tribute concert to one of the leading voices of the famous Motown label, Marvin Gaye. The singer was killed by his father, a pastor, the day before his 45th birthday. In 1971, Marvin Gaye released a major record in the history of soul music "What's Going On". Sly Johnson, accompanied by Nicholas Vella's keyboard, makes the hot music of this album groove, a monument of soul and rhythm'n'blues. A true message of love delivered by MarvinGaye, through the story of a Vietnam war veteran who returns home and sees only injustice, suffering and hatred. The abrasive groove of Sly Johnson and Nicholas Vella is a rich music at the crossroads of hip-hop, funk and jazz. Sly Johnson, a great regular of the stage, embarks with extreme generosity the audience in his musical universe, an irresistible performance.

The idiosyncratic pianist and composer Thelonious Monk (1917-1982) is one of the all-time greats of jazz. His music went largely misunderstood for the first 15 years of his career, after which he was rightly hailed as a genius, and received credit as a founding father of bebop. Several concerts from his 1966 European tour were recorded for television, featuring his quartet of Charles Rouse (tenor saxophone), Lawrence Gales (bass) and Benjamin Riley (drums). His quartet performed Epistrophy, 'Round Midnight, and Lulu's Back in Town in Warsaw for Polish television on April 4, 1966. On April 17, the same quartet performed a short set in Copenhagen for Danish television, featuring Lulu's Back in Town, Don't Blame Me, and Epistrophy.

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 the first row! This episode is a fantastic registration of the after party of the North Sea Jazz Festival: Boogieball. This mega jam session is a great coming together of, amongst others, bassist Bootsy Collins, guitarist Flávio Silva, and drummer/vocalist Sheila E.

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.

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!

In this 1970 performance at Maison de la Radio in Paris, France, American blues legend John Lee Hooker (voice and guitar) is joined by the masterful Carey Bell (harmonica), Joe Harper (bass), Lester Dorsie (drums), and Jimmy Dawkins (electric guitar). From the first to the very last minute of the concert, Hooker illustrates why he, 45 years later, was to be ranked 35th on Rolling Stone’s 2015 list of 100 Greatest Guitarists: this bluesman is truly in a class of his own.

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 talented Dutch drummer Philippe Lemm with his trio.

Five musicians, in excess of 3000 miles, nine concerts, in thirteen days: in November 2015, the five-piece ensemble ‘Tango Extremo’ left the confines of its hometown, the Dutch city of The Hague, to travel through Russia. On the musicians’ jam-packed itinerary were performances in Moscow, Novosibirsk, Saratov, Tomsk, and Barnaul. There, the ensemble collaborated with a local classical orchestra, the members taught workshops, and travelled countless miles by busses, planes, and trains. The warm welcome of the Russian audiences made up for the icy Siberian colds of the journey. The Dutch reporter Herman Nanninga was on hand to document this gargantuan tour of Russia in his film ‘Tango on the Tundra’.

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, famed Icelandic jazz fusion band Mezzoforte performed for over an hour at the North Sea Jazz Festival in The Hague. Led by founders Fridrik Karlsson on guitar, Eythor Gunnarsson on keyboard, Jóhann Ásmundsson on bass, and newcomer Dave O'Higgins on saxophone, they play a variety of pieces, including their 1982 hit single "Garden Party".

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.

The Dutch world-class jazz pianist Peter Beets has shared the stage with jazz greats like Chick Corea, Wynton Marsalis, “Toots” Thielemans, Elvin Jones, George Coleman, Johnny Griffin, Benny Golson and John Clayton. From birth, Beets was surrounded by music: he heard classical music from his mother, who is a music pedagogue, and he heard jazz from his father, who has a great fan of Oscar Peterson and Art Blakey. Although Beets’ parents originally did not associate the word “musician” with the word “career”, music is definitely in the family’s blood. At this concert at the Kurhaus in Scheveningen, the Netherlands, Peter Beets teams up with the world-famous guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel. With a career spanning almost twenty-five years and including collaborating with dynamic peers like Brad Mehldau, Brian Blade, Mark Turner, Joshua Redman, Chris Potter, as well as esteemed jazz legends like Joe Henderson, Paul Motian and Gary Burton, Rosenwinkel’s indelible mark in music is the consummation of being steeped in the rich and deep traditions of jazz, springing off of the shoulders of such vital underpinnings to elevate his own art to new heights, evolving the language in a way no other guitarist has since his arrival. This collaboration between Beets and Rosenwinkel guarantees brilliant music.

On July 20, 2018, double bassist Christian McBride presented his band ‘New Jawn’ at the Malta Jazz Festival. A five-time Grammy winner, McBride is one of the most requested, most recorded, and most respected figures in the music world today. Hailing from Philadelphia, this music luminary combines jazz, R&B, pop/rock, hip hop/neo-soul, and classical. Gracing the Malta Jazz stage with him are Nasheet Waits (drums), Marcus Strickland (tenor sax), and Josh Evans (trumpet).

In 1988, Dee Dee Bridgewater was one of the first great jazz singers to perform at the Jazz Festival in Ramatuelle. In 2016, the story seems to repeat itself as her daughter China Moses took the stage at Ramatuelle. Over the years, China Moses has become a mature performer with a unique style: rocky voice, sharp sense of swing, and intense/energetic stage presence. After signing compilations dedicated to Dinah Washington and blues, Moses released in 2016 an album of his own compositions, entitled "Whatever". Get ready for a most entertaining performance combining jazz, soul, and hip-hop.

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 1982, the Superstar Quintet, which consists of the otherworldly American trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, saxophonist Joe Henderson, drummer Tony Williams, bassist Ron Carter, and pianist Kenny Baron performed at the North Sea Jazz Festival in The Hague. The star-studded fivesome put on a concert of cosmic proportions.

Dave Brubeck: Live in '64 boasts a beautifully filmed concert from one of the most beloved quartets in jazz history. Captured at the pinnacle of their power and popularity, Paul Desmond (alto sax), Joe Morello (drums), Eugene Wright (bass) and Dave Brubeck (piano) explore the trails they blazed into the realm of odd time signatures with ‘Forty Days’ and two versions of their groundbreaking hit ‘Take Five’, as well as forays into world music with a unique exploration of ‘Koto Song’. Their intimate onstage chemistry and impeccable musicianship made the DBQ an award-winning jazz supergroup.

Steven Gene Wold, commonly known as Seasick Steve, (born circa 1941) is an American bluesman, although he prefers to be called "a song and dance man". He plays guitars (mostly personalized), and sings, usually about his early life living rough and doing casual work.

‘The legend of the groove’ is a series of documentaries devoted to the musicians who were most influential on contemporary hip hop, soul, rhythm 'n' blues, and on the course of history. Between the late 1950s and now, these musicians radically changed music. Although sometimes hardly in the public eye, they have all been major sources of inspiration for today's major artists: Prince, Erykah Badu, Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix.

The Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam is a world-renowned concert hall, known for its first-rate acoustics. It has attracted many famous performers over the years and is one of the Netherlands' most treasured musical institutions. On November 2, 1958, American jazz titan Duke Ellington and his Orchestra performed two concerts at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. Among the many talents in the Orchestra were trumpeter Clark Terry, trombonist Quentin Jackson, saxophonist Johnny Hodges and violinist Ray Nance.

Legendary jazz pianist Horace Silver's groundbreaking fusion of hard bop, blues, soulful grooves and Cape Verdean influences have left an indelible mark on the world of jazz. At the renowned Umbria Jazz Festival in the picturesque region of Umbria, Italy, Silver is accompanied by a great band of future all-stars: Bob Berg on tenor sax, Tom Harrell on trumpet, Steve Beskrone on bass and Eddie Gladden on drums. During this performance from July 20, 1976, Silver’s quintet stretches out on four Silver originals: “Adjustment”, “Barbara”, “In Pursuit of the 27th Man”, and “Song For My Father”. Tune in and let Horace Silver’s irresistible music mesmerize you!