Schedule

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. The Crusaders, an American jazz fusion group that was popular in the '70s employed a two-manned front-line horn section. The group’s sound was rooted in hard bop, with an emphasis on R&B and soul. Their performance at Estival is beyond soulful and an amazing show to watch.

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.

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.

2006 closed with a spectacular festival of Argentinean music broadcast live from Buenos Aires. At the height of the Argentinean summer, the Orquesta Filarmónica del Teatro Colon under Daniel Barenboim (conductor & soloist) join bandoneon virtuoso Leopoldo Federico and his Orquesta Tipica for an extraordinary New Year’s Eve show with popular tangos and Latin American orchestra classics. The old master of tango, José Carli, created enchanting new arrangements of works by Argentinean artists Astor Piazzolla, Carlos Gardel, Julio de Caro, Alberto Ginastera and Horacio Salgán. Performances by leading tango dancers Mora Godoy and Junior Cervilla from Buenos Aires add atmosphere and round off the night.

The veritable tombak virtuosos of Trio Chemirani, consisting of Chemirani Senior and Juniors, enrapture the Festival de Saintes. The tombak is a Persian percussion instrument, but its rhythms are universal. The Trio Chemirani’s music is accessible to all and will certainly resound with each listener. The members of the trio, Djamchid Chemirani (born in Teheran in 1942) and his two sons and pupils Keyvan and Bijan, are living in France. Their concert performances bring them all over the world, as they explore the endless potential of their Persian percussion instruments. The trio finds also inspiration in Mediterranean modal music and jazz. These three musicians, who might well be thought of as poets, are in search of a common language that connects several cultures.

Jazz in Duketown is the largest free outdoor jazz festival in the Netherlands. It's a real gathering for jazz addicts, inviting internationally renowned artists. The talented American singer Michelle David performs pop and gospel music that feeds the heart and soothes the soul. Having grown up with the church, she started singing at the age of four. A year later she joined her first band, The Mission of Love. In 1980 she enrolled at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York City, known from the film 'Fame'. During this time, she appeared as an extra in the legendary comedy film 'Ghostbusters'. Musicals and tours with the bands of Diana Ross and Michael Bolton followed.

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 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.

Visions of Music - World Jazz invites the viewer on a journey to the roots of music, introducing the enormous impact that traditional music from around the world has had on contemporary jazz. This program features legendary musicians such as BB King, Dino Saluzzi, Tito Puente, Carlos Santana, Zawinul Joe, Manu Dibango, Abdullah Ibrahim, as well as new generation representatives such as Nicholas Payton, Cyro Baptista, and Don Byron. This episode of the Visions of Music series is about trumpet player Nicholas Payton, a dynamic performer who plays acoustic jazz and post-bop and enjoys going beyond the boundaries of traditional jazz. Considered by many to be one of the greatest artists of our time, Payton believes that the term "jazz" is old-fashioned and prefers to call it "Black American Music" (BAM). BAM combines spirituals, gospel, blues, jazz, and soul.

World-renowned American blues singer and guitarist Magic Slim performed an electrifying set at the French festival Jazz à Vienne 2012. With bandmates John McDonald (guitar & vocals), Andre Howard (bass), and Brian Jones (drums), the blues giant played a string of classic Chicago blues hits. Ever energetic, the veritable blues veteran put on a dynamic show for an enthusiastic audience in the atmospheric ancient Roman theatre of Vienne.

Seun Anikulapo Kuti possesses the grace, energy and fury of his father, the legendary artist Fela Kuti. With the musicians of Fela Kuti’s legendary band Egypt 80, Seaun Kuti brings the most original incarnation of Afrobeat to life. Digging deep into different African traditions, Seun has brought his own touch to the music by reflecting the difficulties and cultures of the continent. Three-quarters of Egypt 80's current line-up is composed of musicians who didn’t only play with Fela Kuti, but often were arrested and harassed alongside the founder of the Afrobeat.

The UK based band Metronomy started out as a bedroom project by Joseph Mount, who during its early stages was the sole contributor to the band's repertoire. After the debut release, Mount started expanding the band's personnel: first by adding two members, and later increasing it by one more. Metronomy's critical acclaim comes from frenetically hybrid indie pop style knitted together with trademark electronic sounds inspired by Mount's favorite acts, namely Autechre and Funkstorung. Here Metronomy performs at Beck's Festival Bar, in Sydney, Australia, on January 15, 2009.

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!

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 2025, about forty international jazz acts performed over three days, with a special focus on the RE:CONNECT theme, celebrating the vibrant jazz scenes of returning partner countries Spain, France, and Switzerland. Among the bands presenting themselves at jazzahead! 2025 is the quartet of Turkish saxophonist, composer, and vocalist Korhan Futaci. Their concert offers an immersive and ritualistic experience, translating the bustling chaos of the bandleader's hometown Istanbul into explosive, electro-acoustic music. The quartet features Korhan Futaci (alto and tenor saxophone, vocals, effects) and Barış Ertürk (baritone saxophone, effects); Esat Ekincioglu (double bass); and Erdem Göymen (drums).

Every year since 1970, the German city of Burghausen has been hosting one of the largest jazz festivals in the world. During Burghausen International Jazz Week, Burghausen becomes a 'Bavarian jazz mecca': guests from all over the world join the Burghausers to enjoy the most wonderful jazz performances as the colorful hustle and bustle of spectators and musicians shake up the city. One of the artists performing here in 2019 is Etienne Mbappé. This talented Cameroonian bassist and singer songwriter Etienne Mbappé surrounds himself with upcoming jazz talent from Paris in his band The Prophets. Their extremely melodic music is full of soulful, spirited grooves.

Pianist Peter Beets and the Henk Meutgeert New Jazz Orchestra performed at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam on April 22, 2019. French singer Camille Bertault made a special guest appearance. In 2018, the New Jazz Orchestra was founded by two veterans of Dutch jazz: pianist Peter Beets and arranger Henk Meutgeert. This new big band consists of top tier young jazz talents from the Netherlands. French jazz vocalist Camille Bertault came into the public eye after she penned French lyrics to saxophonist John Coltrane’s famous song Giant Steps, and, most impressively, sang Coltrane’s solo by heart in a YouTube video. A feat of extraordinary technical ability and serious improvisational skill!

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 are vocalist Tamara Mózes and keyboardist Zsolt Kaltenecker. After meeting in 2017, they began working on their very own repertoire for keyboards and vocals. "We are basically a jazz chamber music ensemble," says Kaltenecker. "Even the improvised parts are more of a collaborative composition, happening live."

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 the DJAZZ series ‘Belgium Sessions’. In these sessions, some of Europe’s finest musicians perform their own, original music. This episode features energetic, unpolished jazz with a touch of humour: the young Antwerp band ‘Hamster Axis of the one-click Panther’. The quintet showcases its unique sound: smooth yet sometimes deafening jazz with rock influences from their vocalist. The music of ‘Hamster Axis of the one-click Panther’ is wild, unpredictable, swinging, and infectious: in all, the band is everything a good band should be.