Schedule

World-class Dutch jazz pianist Peter Beets has shared the stage with jazz greats Chick Corea, Wynton Marsalis, “Toots” Thielemans, Elvin Jones, George Coleman, Johnny Griffin, Benny Golson, and John Clayton. His mother a music teacher and his father an Oscar Peterson and Art Blakey enthusiast, Beets was surrounded by music from an early age. And though music was in their blood, neither parent associated the word “musician” with a career. In this broadcast, Peter Beets teams up with gipsy jazz heros Stochelo Rosenberg, Martin Limberger and Frans van Geest. The strength and precision of Van Geests' rhythms and tempo, and the ease with which Stochelo's lead guitar soars above them, make this band a cohesive collective - unique in their renditions of standards, Django's classic compositions, and original tunes composed by Stochelo himself.

Arguably the greatest lady vocalists of all time are featured in this superb compilation. These historic recordings from the 1950s and 1960s offer a unique overview of different approaches to jazz singing that helped define the genre. Watch Billie Holiday’s performance of “God Bless The Child” closely and learn what made her such an influential jazz and pop singer. Enjoy Anita O’Day’s matchless rhythmic sense in a performance of “Honeysuckle Rose” recorded at the Arenateatern in Stockholm, Sweden on November 1, 1963. Marvel at Nina Simone’s December 1968 performance of “Ain't Got No, I Got Life” from London. Let Sarah Vaughan’s rendition of “Tenderly” sweep you off your feet – ‘Sassy’, or ‘The Divine One’, recorded this romantic evergreen in a television studio in Sweden on July 9, 1958. Last but not least, revel at the ‘First Lady of Song’: Ella Fitzgerald swung “Mack The Knife” in a December 4, 1960 appearance at The Embers in suburban Melbourne, Australia. Get to know the greatest lady vocalists in jazz history with this unique compilation of historic recordings!

Pianist Kenny Barron’s June 27, 2019 appearance at the Alfa Jazz Festival in Ukraine’s Lviv was a celebration of sublime jazz virtuosity. The revered elder statesmen of jazz piano brought his regular working trio of Kiyoshi Kitagawa (bass) and Jonathan Blake (drums), augmented by stellar jazzman Marcus Strickland (tenor saxophone) and young lion Riley Mulherkar (trumpet). Their seamless blend of classic bebop and modern explorations spoke of a deep, emotive connection to each note, captivating the Ukrainian audience with lyrical improvisations during this unforgettable concert.

Thomas Carbou and Patrick Graham share an almost telepathic rapport, blending spontaneous improvisation, electronic looping, and Brazilian and Indian musical influences to create ecstatic groove pieces and dream-like soundscapes. They use a wide array of instruments, including a custom-built 8-string guitar, cuatro, bouzouki, cajón, frame drums, berimbau, udu, and metal percussion instruments, as well as samplers and laptops, adding their own hypnotic vocals to the mix. This concert was recorded at Montréal’s Le Bleury Vinyl Bar, near the Place des Festivals, known worldwide as the venue for the Montreal International Jazz Festival.

Maria João and Aki Takase are a musical explosion all by themselves. Combine them with bassist Niels-Henning Ørsted- Pedersen and you've got an amazing jazz concert!

No early breakthrough rock & roll artist is more important to the development of the genre than Chuck Berry (1926-2017). Influenced by jazz and rhythm and blues, he was rock & roll's greatest songwriter, the main shaper of its instrumental voice, one of its greatest guitarists, and one of its greatest performers. In this 1965 Face au Public TV episode, Chuck Berry plays a string of hit songs, including his 1956 smash hit “Roll Over Beethoven”, “Promised Land” and “Johnny B. Goode”. Chuck cuts loose on guitar and the conservative crowd finally gets it.

This selection of unforgettable performances by some of the most iconic and influential male jazz and pop vocalists in history showcases these legends’ unique essence. Delight in the expressive beauty and emotional depth of Chet Baker's rendition of “Time After Time” and “You Don't Know What Love Is", recorded live in Brussels, Belgium in 1964 and in Rome, Italy in 1956 respectively. Revel in Frank Sinatra's iconic version of “I've Got You Under My Skin". Immerse yourself in Dizzy Gillespie's dynamic performance of “Let Me Outta Here”, recorded live in Denmark in 1970. Enjoy Tony Bennett's unforgettable performance of “It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)” at London’s majestic Royal Albert Hall in 1974. Let the haunting beauty of Nat King Cole's 1957 performance of “Autumn Leaves” and Louis Armstrong's performance of “Basin Street Blues” from 1959 delight you. Dean Martin’s smooth vocal stylings will enthrall you as he performs the jazz standard “Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams". Witness the electrifying energy of Sammy Davis Jr.'s performance of “Too Close For Comfort”. Join us for this unforgettable musical experience that you'll surely cherish!

Pierre Courbois has been one of Europe’s leading jazz musicians since the mid-sixties. This concert, recorded at the renowned Amsterdam jazz club Bimhuis, sees the drummer playing with his QWINTETT. On the occasion of his 75th birthday in 2015, Courbois hit the road for the Pierre Courbois 75 Years Anniversary Tour. The PC QWINTETT consists of several highly acclaimed Dutch jazz musicians with whom Courbois has worked before in his long and versatile career. Among them are pianist Nike Langenhuijsen, double bassist Egon Kracht, trumpeter Toon de Gouw, and trombonist Ilja Reijngoud. QWINTETT honours the Charles Mingus tradition of thematic and melodic ensemble jazz - but also with an unmistakable Courbois groove! Courbois, known for his own way of combining compositions with improvisations, melodically melts constructions with uneven breaks.

‘Jazz a Vienne’ is one of the world's most prestigious jazz festivals. Ever since 1981 it has attracted leading jazz artists, with many of them playing return engagements. Unsurprisingly, the festival's 2012 edition did not fall short of expectations: the lineup was filled with the biggest names in music. Among them was the legendary pianist McCoy Tyner. Tyner has become one of the most influential pianists in jazz history. During the first half of the 1960s, Tyner was part of the classic John Coltrane Quartet. As such, Tyner’s playing supported the iconic saxophonist’s ventures into his spiritual quests. Joined on stage by Coltrane’s son Ravi, with Gerald Cannon on double bass and Montez Coleman on drums, Tyner treats the festival’s audience to an impressive performance.

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. Due to COVID-19, only half of the scheduled performances of the 2021 edition were actually recorded in Bremen. Among the performing artists is South-Korean drummer Sun-Mi Hong, who leads her own quintet. With a signature sound full of rooted grooves and well-tempered outbursts, Sun-Mi Hong has positioned herself firmly at the core of the Dutch jazz scene. She approaches the moment in a somewhat meditative fashion, bringing an entirely original attitude to the band stand. She is joined by tenor saxophonist Nicolò Ricci, trumpeter Alistair Payne, pianist Chaerin Im, and double bassist Alessandro Fongaro.

Considered one of the most technically brilliant players in the history of the trumpet, jazz musician Wynton Marsalis is also a master of classical music and a fine composer. Marsalis takes the cameras with him around New York, to his home town of New Orleans, and to his rehearsal studios where he and his assembled band of musicians are seen putting together the album Blood on the Fields. He also talks about his music and his way of working.

'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 1990, American flautist Herbert Jay Solomon, better known by his stage name Herbie Mann, was one of the artists appearing here. Together with Marc Cohen on piano, Romero Lubambo on guitar, Paul Socolow on bass, and both Ricky Sebastian and Cyro Baptista on percussion, Herbie Mann performs his infectious take on Brazilian-inspired music in this concert titled 'Jasil Brazz'.

Jazzed Out proves that a jazz session can take place anywhere. Unusual locations, such as garage buildings, multi-storey car parks, street corners, subway trains, and parks, in several of the world’s metropoles, provide the setting for brief jazz performances. The sheer rawness of the metropoles merge with the musical creations of various artists in search of the perfect ‘urban stage’. In this episode, Berlin serves as a backdrop for sets by pianist Wolfert Brederode, guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel, and Hyperactive Kid.

The Flying Pickets are a British vocal group that was formed in 1982, transferring the art of a cappella to the pop music scene. These five gentlemen scored a number one hit in 1983 in the UK Singles Chart with their version of 'Only You'. Performing live in Stuttgart, vocalists Hereward Kaye, Gary Howard, Michael Henry, Nick Godfrey and Ricky Payne have many surprises in store for their appreciative audience.

Despite his advanced age, the legendary jazz pianist Earl Hines was at the top of his game when he performed in the Belgian town of Spa in 1977. With a band consisting of Rudy Rutherford (reeds), Jimmy Leary (bass), and Eddie Graham (drums), Hines livens up the room with his interpretations of “I Can’t Believe That You’re In Love With Me” and “The Man I Love.” Marva Josie joins the group for soulful renditions of “A Sunday Kind of Love” and the well-known classic “Kansas City” before the set comes to a close with “Caravan,” which features a lengthy drum solo by Graham.

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.

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 "Free & Afro Jazz," this episode hosted by Eddy King features unique performances by artists playing together for the first time, and interviews with Fantazio, Eddy Lopez, Banoit Savard, and many others.

Although its music might sound like the soundtrack of any 1970s American car chase movie, the band Sven Hammond Soul is from the Netherlands. This steaming soul machine is headed by Sven Figee, who prefers to attack rather than play his Hammond organ. In April 2012, the band was augmented with vocalist Jenny Lane. Today’s recordings were made at a steaming live performance at Utrecht’s Tivoli in 2012.

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. This episode is all about the Habanera Duo, which sprung from a meeting of minds between flutist Marc Grauwels and accordion player Christophe Delporte, around their shared passion for the Argentine tango and the music of Ástor Piazzolla. After hearing how well their instruments blended, these two musicians founded the Habanera Duo. The duo offers the audience an eclectic repertoire that is simultaneously refined and audacious. Expect a beautiful hodgepodge of classical music and jazz, inspired by composers ranging from Piazzolla to Gioacchino Rossini.

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.

Unlike many of his fellow jazz cats, vocalist Gregory Porter transcends the jazz bubble. After sustaining a shoulder injury, this former American football player turned to jazz singing. He was discovered in a Californian jazz club by pianist, saxophonist and composer Kamau Kenyatta. Porter lent his vocal skills to gospel choirs across the country and a string of successful musicals before turning his talent to his own compositions. His rise since then has been meteoric. Porter’s magnificent, burnished baritone can sink into a lyric with luxurious ease, the melody gently sculpted into new shapes at every turn, with the rhythm tugging subtly back and forth across the bar line. This live performance at the Olympia showcases this man's worth, and is a truly amazing experience!

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.