00:00
Blue Note: A Story of Modern Jazz - Part II
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.
01:16
jazzahead! 2024 - Xavi Torres Trio
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 2024, jazzahead! paid special attention to the jazz scene of the Netherlands and invited over forty jazz acts to perform over the course of three days. Among the bands presenting themselves at jazzahead! 2024 is the trio of Xavi Torres, a pianist originating from Tarragona, Spain. Torres studied both classical and jazz piano at the Amsterdam Conservatory. In 2018, he distinguished himself as the second Spanish musician to reach the finals of the Monk (now renamed the Hancock) Competition, following drummer Jorge Rossy in 1992. At jazzahead! 2024, Xavi Torres (piano) is joined by Reinier Elizarde (double bass) and Andreu Pitarch (drums).
01:45
jazzahead! 2024 - Matt Carmichael (GB)
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 2024, jazzahead! paid special attention to the jazz scene of the Netherlands and invited over forty jazz acts to perform over the course of three days. Among the artists presenting themselves at jazzahead! 2024 is Glasgow-based tenor saxophonist Matt Carmichael. A distinctive and influential figure on the vibrant Scottish jazz scene, The Scotsman has praised Carmichael for developing “an exciting Scottish style of his own”. At jazzahead!, Carmichael presents his album ‘Dancing with Embers’, a collection of wordless songs “with quiet, emotive melodies that blossomed into big cinematic climaxes” (Snack magazine). Matt Carmichael (saxophone) is joined by Fergus McCreadie (piano), Charlie Stewart (violin), Ali Watson (double bass), and Stephen Henderson (drums).
02:16
Belgium Sessions: Ben Sluijs
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. Saxophonist Ben Sluijs received a classical training. He has a strong melodic and harmonic approach to music. His music offers no room for showing off: it’s all about the music itself. Sluijs’ fascination for jazz developed after his cum laude graduation, inspiring him to take lessons with the American saxophonist and flutist David Liebman in the USA.
03:28
Tony Bennett
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.
04:24
Huu Bac Quintet Live in Canada '15
Huu Bac left Vietnam for Quebec at the age of two. This musician was first interested in jazz guitar, then in dan bau, an old monochord musical instrument, central to the folk music of Vietnam. Huu Bac's curiosity about ancient instruments led him to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, where he studied erhu, a traditional Chinese string instrument. Bac's work combines classical repertoire and Western influences.