Schedule

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 2023, jazzahead! paid special attention to Germany’s jazz scene and invited thirty jazz acts from all over the world to perform over the course of three days. Among the artists presenting themselves at jazzahead! 2023 is Canadian singer and bandleader Dominique Fils-Aimé. Her ethereal yet powerful vocals are paired with a tight-knit band to deliver a fresh take on jazz and blues with hints of R&B and free improvisation. Her single “Feeling Like a Plant” serves as a sign of great things to come.

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 2022, jazzahead! paid special attention to Canada’s jazz scene and invited forty jazz acts from all over the world to perform over the course of three days. Among the performing bands is the François Bourassa Quartet. With ten albums of original music and multiple awards, jazz pianist François Bourassa is an international ambassador for Canada’s thriving jazz community. Taking inspiration from a diversity of sources, this award-winning quartet has been a staple of Montreal’s artistic landscape for a quarter of a century. The band features bassist Guy Boisvert, saxophonist André Leroux and drummer Guillaume Pilote.

The MotorMusic Studios in Mechelen, Belgium, attract many great musicians to the city. A wide variety of visiting international jazz musicians share their art of making jazz music with us in the DJAZZ series ‘Belgium Sessions’. In these sessions, some of Europe’s finest musicians perform their own, original music. Saxophonist Ben Sluijs and pianist Erik Vermeulen both had a classical training. Both musicians have a strong melodic and harmonic approach. Their music offers no room for showing off: it’s all about the music itself. Sluijs’s fascination for jazz grew after he graduated cum laude. This led to him taking lessons with David Liebman in the US. His colleague, Erik Vermeulen, entered the Belgian jazz scene at age 22, playing with his trio. He performed with international stars such as Clark Terry, Joe Lovano, Steve Grossman, Art Farmer, Bob Mover, Toots Thielemans, and Michael Moore. This MotorMusic episode shows the fruits of this inspiring collaboration between these two classically-trained jazz musicians.

Legendary performer Tony Bennett made his debut appearance at London's iTunes Fest at the Roundhouse and this stellar performance features the multi-Grammy award winner performing his biggest hits, among them, "The Best Is Yet To Come," "Fly Me to the Moon," and his signature song "I Left My Heart in San Francisco."

Biréli Lagrène is a French jazz guitarist born on September 4, 1966 in a family of gypsy tradition. His brother and his father introduced him from an early age to the repertoire of Django Reinhardt, whose influence is still felt in the style of Lagrène. In this performance, Lagrène pays homage to Django Reinhardt with his son, Babik Reinhardt.

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, legendary swing band leader jazz clarinettist Benny Goodman performed two sets with his septet at the North Sea Jazz Festival in The Hague. True to form, with his concert the 'King of Swing' revisited the atmosphere of the swing era – the 1930s – when jazz enjoyed tremendous popularity. Goodman's septet includes Scott Hamilton (tenor saxophone), John Bunch (piano), Phil Flanigan (double bass), Mel Lewis (drums), Warren Vaché (trumpet), and Chris Flory (guitar). Here is the first of two sets recorded at the festival in 1982.

Dino Saluzzi, one of Argentina's tango music masters, has been building his legacy since the mid-1980s. His accordion-like bandoneon defines Argentina's tango music. Saluzzi has explored many paths—paths along which he has rarely travelled more than once, despite some common threads. This rare, vibrant and intense performance is an intimate collaboration with Charlie Mariano (saxophone) and Wolfgang Dauner (piano) and features music ranging from tango and classical music to international favorites.

On October 19, 2021, John Patitucci (bass), Marco Pignataro (sax and musical director), and Joe Lovano (sax) showcased inspirational new originals at GBH's Fraser Performance Studio in Boston, MA, accompanied by Terri Lyne Carrington (drums), Nadia Washington (vocals), Chico Pinheiro (guitar), and Anastassiya Petrova (piano). This recording, titled 'Tällberg’s Jazz for the Planet', was made in support of the Tällberg Foundation’s message and aims to inspire positive climate action. Since 1981, the Tällberg Foundation has been trying to nurture new thinking, in part by looking at societal challenges through the lenses of artists.

The mere mention of the name John Coltrane evokes a deeply emotional, often spiritual response from even the most casual jazz fan. Dexter Gordon was a fantastic saxophonist. Miles Davis was a genius. Coltrane stood above - he was a visionary, a saint-like figure. By the standards of most jazz musicians, his life was uneventful. Sure, he had a heroin habit for a while, and Miles Davis punched him, but once he'd experienced the “spiritual awakening” described in the liner notes of his 1965 album A Love Supreme, he dedicated himself to his music with extreme single-mindedness. This broadcast of Coltrane's 1965 performance at the short-lived Belgian jazz festival in Comblain-la-Tour features Trane's classic quartet with Elvin Jones (drums), Jimmy Garrison (bass) and McCoy Tyner (piano).

American soul jazz singer and organist Jackie Davis (1920-1999) contributed greatly to the popularity of the Hammond B3 organ in jazz, preceding even the great Jimmy Smith. Seen here during an intimate solo performance in Brussels in 1967, we get to enjoy Davis’ every musical twist and lyrical turn. His infectious enthusiasm and dynamic musicianship make his audience grow increasingly excited as he performs “I Got Rhythm”, “Satin Doll”, “Yesterday”, “Smack Dab In The Middle”, and “It Ain’t Necessarily So”. Davis’ spellbinding vocals invite his audience on a musical journey. Get ready to let yourself be carried away by Jackie Davis, recorded live in Brussels!

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 Tilburg based Bertus Borgers and his Young Retro's!

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 2022, jazzahead! paid special attention to Canada’s jazz scene and invited forty jazz acts from all over the world to perform over the course of three days. Among the ensembles appearing at jazzahead! 2022 is saxophonist Melissa Aldana’s quartet. Chilean-born Melissa Aldana (1989) studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, and, in 2013, became the first female instrumentalist – and the first South American musician – to win the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition. Her album ‘Visions’ earned the saxophonist her first Grammy nomination. She is accompanied by Lage Lund (guitar), Pablo Menares (bass), and Kush Abadey (drums).

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, multi-talented American guitarist John Scofield and his band performed an electrifying concert at the North Sea Jazz Festival in The Hague. First known for playing with Miles Davis, Scofield shows here that he earned that pedigree.

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.

Raul Midón appeared at 2017’s Sing Jazz Festival in Singapore with double bassist Romeir Mendez and drummer Billy Williams. Blind since birth, Raul Midón is a singer, guitarist, and songwriter from New Mexico. With a vocal range as dynamic as his guitar playing and a remarkable talent for trumpet mimicry, Midón’s performances transcend musical boundaries, effortlessly blending rock, jazz, folk, and Latin pop into his unique sound. He has worked with numerous legends, including Bill Withers, Herbie Hancock, Sting, and Dianne Reeves, and his album ‘Bad Ass and Blind’ was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album in 2018. No wonder the Sing Jazz audience were ecstatic!

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 Swiss jazz band VEIN accompanied by saxophone player Greg Osby.

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 1987, American trumpeter Randy Brecker and saxophonist Bennie Wallace brought their band of pianist Elian Elias, drummer Peter Erskine and bassist Marc Johnson to the North Sea Jazz Festival in The Hague. Together they put on a stellar duo performance.

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! Today’s guest is drummer Mark Guiliana (*1980), who has acquired a cult following as a drummer who’s equally at home in hard bop as in the new beats of hip-hop and electronic dance music. Guiliana paid his dues in the bands of the celebrated double bassist Avishai Cohen and as half of ‘Mehliana’, an electro jazz duo with pianist Brad Mehldau. Moreover, Guiliana has collaborated with vocalists David Bowie, Gretchen Parlato, and Meshell Ndegeocello.

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 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.

Spirograph Studies have leapt onto the Australian music scene with their detailed, textural approach to playing improvised music. Post-rock, post-jazz and post-minimalism, they shamelessly steal sonic palettes from all areas to build their cinematic sound. This collaborative group features Luke Howard (piano), Fran Swinn (guitar) and James McLean (drums). This strong collection of music-makers each bring their unique voice to the stage as part a united front led by bassist Tamara Murphy.

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, American saxophonist Gerry Mulligan gave an unforgettable performance at the North Sea Jazz Festival in The Hague. Mulligan was one of the leading arrangers of the cool jazz era, who worked with Miles Davis, Stan Kenton and Claude Thornhill in the 1950s and 1960s. Mulligan’s early pianoless 1950s quartet with trumpeter Chet Baker is still regarded as one of the finest groups in cool jazz. Born in New York in 1927, Mulligan spent his life composing, arranging and playing jazz until his death on January 20, 1996.

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 1980, American soul legend Ray Charles brought the Raelettes and the Ray Charles Orchestra to the North Sea Jazz Festival in The Hague. With the full force of these two groups behind him, Charles showed why throughout his storied career he has been viewed as one of the most recognizable voices in music.

‘Ella Fitzgerald: Live in '57’ features ‘The First Lady Of Song’ in a distinct performance. It's the earliest known complete concert of Ella to be captured on film. Shot in Belgium, this 1957 concert sees her performing with jazz greats Ray Brown, Herb Ellis, Jo Jones and the legendary Oscar Peterson on classics such as ‘Lullaby Of Birdland’ and ‘It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)’. Although she wanted to be a dancer at first, Ella Fitzgerald already listened to recordings of Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby and The Boswell Sisters at an early age. After her debut at an amateur talent show in 1934, Ella joined Chick Webb’s Orchestra with which she recorded several hits; after Webb died, she became the leader of the orchestra. In the late 1940s, Ella Fitzgerald became known as the ‘First Lady of Song’, with her wide vocal range of three octaves. The American jazz singer was particularly appreciated for her pure tone, intonation and phrasing, and unparalleled improvisational abilities. In a career that spanned close to 60 years, Fitzgerald sold 40 million albums and won 13 Grammy Awards, mainly for her definitive interpretations of the Great American Songbook.

Aleph is the stage name of Lebanese pianist Fady Abi Saad. To celebrate the release of his debut album, Aleph took to Paris Olympia to perform an evening’s worth of music before an appreciative crowd. Aleph brought with him a host of guest musicians, adding all kinds of musical colours to the evening’s proceedings, including flamenco guitar, the spooky musical saw, and the Middle-Eastern qanun. The music may be classified as ‘world music,’ but ‘otherworldly music’ is just as fitting.

Belgian singer-songwriter Selah Sue performed at La Cigale in Paris as part of the digital Culturebox Festival 2020. The singer released her million-selling debut album 'Selah Sue' in March 2011, featuring her popular single 'Raggamuffin' and her duet 'Please' with American hip-hop artist Cee Lo Green. Months after its release, Selah was presented with a European Border Breakers Award (EBBA), for her cross-border success. At La Cigale in 2020, Selah Sue is accompanied by Joachim Saerens on keyboard and Simon Lenski on cello, opening her concert with a jazzed-up 'So This Is Love', a romantic ballad from Walt Disney’s film 'Cinderella'.