Schedule

Misha Mengelberg, the forgetting has begun. He is waiting for a taxi he didn’t call to go to a performance that won’t take place. Dutch composer/pianist and grand duke of jazz Misha Mengelberg (1935) has been submerged in the shadow of dementia, ending his life as a musician. At the London jazz club Vortex in 2013 he impressively says his goodbyes to the international stage. It’s also his last major performance with his band, the Instant Composers Pool Orchestra. The musicians find it hard to let him go, but Misha’s decline is constant, and he slowly fades away from their midst. A film about exceptional loyalty, dilemmas, respect and dedication. And about music, the music of Misha Mengelberg.

Esplanada was brought to life by Eddy Koopman, a long time Metropol Orkest member and composer. However, unlike other leading members in musical acts along the globe, Koopman does not put emphasis on himself. Most of the music he composes are for the Rotterdam Conservatory graduate violinist Sarah Koch. Blending various musical influences from both Western and Eastern parts of the world, Esplanada creates a zen-like atmosphere, which is further strengthened by the presence of Leontine Smit who is a visual artist.

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.

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.

'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 1995, vibraphonist Gary Burton and pianist Makoto Ozone, both great jazz players noted for their virtuoso technique and innovative style, came together to give a concert of improvised music. They delighted the audience with their fluid, poetic artistry, which was expressed in a performance of the highest order.

The world-renowned North Sea Jazz Festival features a wide variety of genres, including traditional New Orleans jazz, swing, bop, free jazz, fusion, avant-garde and electronic jazz, blues, gospel, funk, soul, R&B, hip hop, world beat and Latin. The festival was founded by entrepreneur and jazz fan Paul Acket, who sold his highly successful pop magazine publishing house to organize and fund the first edition of the festival in 1976. This broadcast from the North Sea Jazz Archives presents the great Wayne Shorter Quartet. Shorter’s maxim is to reinvent his music during each concert. He means to give his music a radical originality.

The world-renowned North Sea Jazz Festival features a wide variety of genres, including traditional New Orleans jazz, swing, bop, free jazz, fusion, avant-garde and electronic jazz, blues, gospel, funk, soul, R&B, hip hop, world beat and Latin. The festival was founded by entrepreneur and jazz fan Paul Acket, who sold his highly successful pop magazine publishing house to organize and fund the first edition of the festival in 1976. This broadcast from the North Sea Jazz Archives presents a compilation with music of Ray Charles.

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. Discover the special bond between pianist Carla Bley and bassist Steve Swallow. The two have performed in the same bands since the '60s and have been romantic partners for more than two decades. Watching them perform is the definition of musical telepathy. Together with musicians Wayne Krantz, Victor Lewis, Larry Willis, and Don Alias, they form an amazing sextet at Estival in 1986.

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, Anthony Hamilton, Anderson Paak, Christian Scott, Cory Henry and Kneebody!

After Dutch singer Kim Hoorweg landed her first record contract from Universal Music at the age of 14, her musical career took off and she became a well-known name in the Netherlands jazz community. Famous artists such as Candy Dulfer, Raul Midón, Metropole Orkest, and Gino Vannelli, to name a few, have already performed with the singer on numerous occasions. This time, Kim Hoorweg performs at BIRD in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, together with fellow Dutch musicians Anton Goudsmit on guitar, Niels Broos on keyboards, and Yoran Vroom on drums.

This selection of unforgettable performances by some of the most iconic and influential jazz guitarists in history showcases these legends’ unique essence. Revel in Wes Montgomery’s virtuosity as he performs the captivating “Nica's Dream” in Holland in 1965, and delight in the expressive beauty of his rendition of “Here's That Rainy Day”, recorded in London in that same year. Experience the timeless appeal of Joe Pass's “You Stepped Out of a Dream” and “You Turned The Tables on Me”, recorded live in Hanover in 1975. The interplay between Jim Hall and Atilla Zoller borders on the impossible as they perform “Extensions” in Hanover in 1973. Enjoy Jim Hall's lyrical solo performance of “I'm Getting Sentimental Over You” from 1964. Witness Sonny Sharrock’s avant-garde fusion of jazz and rock in an exhilarating performance of “Peanut", recorded live in France in 1970. Sharrock is joined by flutist Herbie Mann in a soulful performance of “Memphis Underground” from 1969. Immerse yourself in the magic of jazz guitar!

The Newport Jazz Festival, first established in the North-American town of Newport, Rhode Island in the summer of 1954, has now grown to become one of the largest multi-day celebrations of jazz worldwide. It has resulted in numerous famous live albums from top-rate jazz stars, and has spawned several worldwide tours, including editions of the Newport Jazz Festival in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. In October 1968, two former colleagues met again on stage, this time leading their own bands at the Newport Jazz Festival in Rotterdam: drummer Art Blakey and pianist Horace Silver were both co-founders of The Jazz Messengers.

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.

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 amazing Dutch saxophone player Rolf Delfos.

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.

Five-piece contemporary jazz band Theorem of Joy released their first, self-titled album in April 2018 following three years of intense touring. During June 2018’s celebratory album release party at Studio de l'Ermitage in Paris, Ellinoa (vocals), Thomas Julienne (bass), Thomas St. Laurent (guitar), Boris Lamerand (violin and alto saxophone), and Tom Peyron (drums) perform repertoire from their album. Adding luster to this special occasion is Les enfants d'Icare: this French string quartet of Boris Lamerand and Antoine Delprat (violin), Olive Perusson (viola), and Octavio Angarita (cello) is no stranger to jazz. Moreover, special guests Maxime Berton (soprano saxophone) and Emilie Calmé (flute and bansuri) contribute generously to this intimate, yet oh-so surprising performance. Enjoy Theorem of Joy’s vibrant mix of rock, free-jazz and pop live at Studio de l'Ermitage in Paris!

Explore the music of one of the most influential and innovative saxophonists in jazz history: John Coltrane! Immerse yourself in this collection of remarkable performances from the early 1960s that showcase Coltrane's unparalleled artistry and unique sound during a transformative period in the artist’s career. Recorded in various European cities, Coltrane is seen playing the songs “Autumn Leaves”, “Hackensack”, “My Favorite Things”, “I Want To Talk About You”, “Vigil”, and “Naima”. Tune in and experience why the music of John Coltrane has touched the lives of so many!

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.

In 1968 traden het orkest van de Belgische pianist Francy Boland, de band van de Nederlandse trompettist Boy Edgar en de Amerikaanse band van trompettist Thad Jones en drummer Mel Lewis op tijdens het Newport Jazz Festival in Rotterdam.

Vocalist Jazzmeia Horn’s 2019 Malta Jazz Festival appearance was a celebration of jazz’s future, infused with the soul of its past. Featuring Keith Brown (piano), Rashaan Carter (bass), Irwin Hall (flute and saxophone), and Anwar Marshall (drums), the young singer’s performance was a reminder of jazz’s enduring power to speak to the heart. Situated at the Valletta waterfront outside Our Lady of Liesse Church, Horn’s concert was a truly spellbinding experience.

On June 18, 1962, American pianist and composer Erroll Garner performed at the Singer Concertzaal in Laren. The vibrant and joyous concert was played with drummer Kelly Martin and bassist Eddie Calhoun, each long-standing collaborators from Garner's trio. The Singer Concertzaal in Laren, the Netherlands is a concert hall and museum dedicated to the preservation of the art collection of American William Henry Singer. It features a variety of artists, both visual and aural.

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. Back in 1979, legendary American blues guitarist B.B. King gave an unforgettable performance for the audience in The Hague. Born in 1925 in a small town in Mississippi, 'Lucille' (as he nicknamed his guitar) helped him escape a miserable existence picking cotton. He arrived in Memphis in the late 1940s, where his cousin Bukka White taught him the tricks of the blues. Soon he developed his own style. King’s virtuoso, narrative solos with lots of vibrato, have been an inspiration for most (rock) guitarists after him.

Five promising musicians get together in Rotterdam jazz club BIRD’s artists-in-residence project “The Nest”. Over the course of seven sessions, these talents exchange ideas, work on their projects, and play music together. Following this period, during which record producer Jameszoo and music manager Jochem Tromp offer their coaching experience, BIRD and North Sea Jazz Festival’s fringe festival DownTown organize a tryout performance. In this short documentary, the artists share their impressions from the project. They introduce themselves, reveal why they joined The Nest and formulate what they hope to learn from the experience. Naturally, we get a glimpse of the songs they wrote during the sessions, as performed during the tryout show. Featuring Lisette Ma Neza (slam poet), Peter Somuah (trumpet), Michelle Samba (drums), Huy Le (bass), and Brenn Luiten (piano).

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!

The Newport Jazz Festival, first established in the North-American town of Newport, Rhode Island in the summer of 1954, has now grown to become one of the largest multi-day celebrations of jazz worldwide. It has resulted in numerous famous live albums from top-rate jazz stars, and has spawned several worldwide tours, including editions of the Newport Jazz Festival in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. In October 1968, two former colleagues met again on stage, this time leading their own bands at the Newport Jazz Festival in Rotterdam: drummer Art Blakey and pianist Horace Silver were both co-founders of The Jazz Messengers.