Schedule

The Brussels Jazz Club was filled to the brim with both musicians and audience members when the Maynard Ferguson Big Band performed there during their Winter Tour of 1980. From the first notes of the cover of Weather Report’s “Birdland” that opens the performance to the final notes of “Gonna Fly Now” that closes it, Ferguson gives his young sidemen ample time to shine. The mutual admiration shared by the leader and his sidemen makes this performance a delight to watch.

‘Identities: The Recording’ is a concert film about the recording of composer, arranger, saxophonist and band leader Kārlis Vanags’s album "Identities" with the Latvian Radio Big Band. The film shows all the album tracks as well as behind-the-scenes footage. "Identities", which was recorded directly to analog tape without editing or overdubbing, won the Latvian Music Award for Best Latvian Jazz Album in 2020. The Latvian Radio Big Band is one of the Baltic’s most legendary jazz ensembles. It has proven itself on countless high quality recordings over the years, and has brought together outstanding jazz musicians. “Identities" is made up of surprisingly honest and personal Kārlis Vanags compositions that are rooted in the big band tradition. This recording of lively, contemporary swing music is as popularly accessible as it is artistically rewarding.

The series Da Pá Virada sessions presents the best musicians of contemporary Brazilian jazz, and beyond. Filmed in São Paulo, each session offers a unique experience by giving a fresh look into Brazil's music scene. The artists for each session are selected in consultation with Stingray DJAZZ's music editor. One of the artists taking part in this series is Frederico Heliodoro. He is one of the most active bass players and composers of the new generation jazz musicians in Brazil. His engaging performances are known for their intensity, virtuosity and experimentalism, inspired by a blend of Brazilian nature, jazz, and contemporary music.

This broadcast shows a rare appearance at the 1996 Germeringer Jazztage by the legendary flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucía and his sextet. Some may question the inclusion of a flamenco guitarist within a jazz festival. However, the similarities between flamenco and blues have been well documented: both are the outlet for a poor, disenfranchised minority, with a primitive strength, boundless capabilities for improvisation and a requirement for breathtaking virtuosity - all qualities shown by Paco de Lucía in this performance. Moreover, he has long been experimenting with jazz forms (evident even from his inclusion of bass, drums, and saxophone in his sextet), while still retaining the essence of the flamenco tradition. In his own words: “What I have tried to do is have a hand holding onto tradition and the other scratching, digging in other places trying to find new things I can bring into flamenco”.

Trumpeter Jacques Kuba Séguin’s ensemble unites some of Montreal’s most expressive musicians: apart from Jacques Kuba Séguin, double bassist Frédéric Alarie, pianist Jonathan Cayer, and drummer Kevin Warren deliver subtle but strong lyrical moments, that make it hard not to be touched by the musical bond of this group. The experience of their ‘Litania Projekt’ seems to stop time for an instant. Together with his expressive musicians, Jacques presents a program that swings between modernity and tradition.

Piano and saxophone - this is an individualistic jazz duo combination. But the melodiousness and maturity of Charlie Mariano's saxophone and the freshness and feistiness of Wolfgang Dauner's piano turn the meeting of these two jazz greats into a thrilling interplay.

Guitarist, composer and director Marnix Busstra loves crossing borders. He travels the world with his jazz bands, plays guitar and bouzouki, writes jazz and theatre-songs, and co-creates and directs the exuberant theatre shows of his wife, the Dutch diva Karin Bloemen. Busstra is a constant wheel of invention, with technique expanded by his creative urge to find something new, an evolving state that adds immeasurably to his art. The Marnix Busstra Band was founded in 2011 by its namesake. Joined by piano talent Rembrandt Frerichs, the ever creative double bassist Arnold Dooyeweerd and the inspirational force of drummer Pieter Bast, Busstra introduces a unique band that will definitely help broaden the jazz horizon. Marnix’ compositions are the starting point of the band. Musically, this band is a continuation of a development started by the quartet that Marnix co-leads with the renowned vibraphonist, Mike Mainieri. The result can best be described as lyrical, multifaceted jazz that centres around the profound interplay of the four musicians.

In this recording, the Portuguese singer Maria João makes her appearance at the Bayerischer Hof Night Club during the 1999 Münchner Klaviersommer. She is accompanied by Marcio Doctor (percussion), Miroslav Tadic (guitar), and her long-standing partner, the brilliant pianist Mário Laginha. Maria is known for her vocal flexibility and improvisational skills. While normally considered a jazz artist, her music incorporates a mix of folk, ethnic music, modern jazz, avant-garde, electronica, symphonic and other genres. In this intimate venue, João's vocally and physically dynamic performance creates an electrifying atmosphere.

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.

Salif Keita’s music is a rich combination of traditional Malian music with European and American influences. We can hear this in the instrumentation of Keita’s music, which varies from traditional West-African instruments to Western European ones. The Malian singer was cast out by his family because of his albinism. In 1967 he moved to Bamako, where he started his musical career and joined Les Ambassadeurs (Internationaux). He achieved international acknowledgement with this band in the 1970s. After spending a couple of years in Ivory Coast, Salif has found his home base in Paris since 1984. During this 2010 concert, he proves to be rightfully referred to as “The Golden Voice of Africa”.

'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 1987, American pianist Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea was one of the artists appearing here. Together with Frank Gambale on guitar, Eric Marienthal on saxophone, John Patitucci on bass and Dave Weckl on drums, Corea performed jazz fusion with his Elektric Band - a jazz subgenre inspired by the rock music and electronic instruments of the day. The band was nominated for two Grammy Awards.

Brazilian artist Gilberto Gil returns to Jazz à Vienne in France with a new round of singing that is inspired by his latest album ‘Fé na Festa’: a mixture of celebration, tradition and even some rock now and then. Gilberto Gil, worldwide known for as musician and the Brazilian minister of Culture, was one of the pioneers of the cultural movement ‘tropicalismo’. This movement, with a strong character of social protest, combines elements of traditional Brazilian culture with modern art forms. Gilberto Gil's new sound clearly has its roots in Brazilian culture, yet it is always inspired by jazz.

Double bassist Avishai Cohen’s trio with Noam David (drums) and Omri Mor (pianist) joined forces with the international Symphony Orchestra ‘INSO-Lviv’, conducted by Christian Schumann. On June 24, 2017 they brought Avishai Cohen’s signature blend of influences from Eastern Europe, American jazz and the Middle East to the Alfa Jazz Festival in Lviv, Ukraine. Cohen, who also supplies vocalizations in the Judeo-Spanish dialect Ladino, came to prominence internationally in the 1990s when jazz great Chick Corea offered him a place in his trio and a recording deal. Thirty years later, Cohen has become a house-hold name himself, leaving his Ukrainian audience enthralled and connected through the universal language of music.

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. One of the artists appearing at jazzahead! 2022 is Berlin drummer and producer Magro. Known for his collaborations with guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel, RnB singer Leona Berlin, and US rapper TwizzMatic, Margo creates an unusual fusion of acoustically played jazz and produced hip hop and RnB. His current project, in which he works with Rapturous (vocals), Igor Osypov (guitar), Martin Lüdicke (piano), and Francesco Beccaro (bass), combines musical influences such as Herbie Hancock, Flying Lotus and Chris Dave.

Mizikopéyi is the first West Indian and Caribbean group to perform contemporary music from Martinique and Guadeloupe - zouk, beguine, mazurka and kompa - with big band arrangements. Together with Martinique artist Tony Chasseur, the big band offers a musical journey through a rich cultural heritage, mixing traditional and popular Antilles and Afro-Caribbean melodies with the harmonies of brass instruments as seen in the great tradition of New Orleans. The talented musicians who form MizikOpéyi focus on the quality of the musical creation and emotion from Martinique, from yesterday to today, in this particular exercise of the big band arrangement.

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.

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.

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.

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 1988, acclaimed Brazilian singer and pianist Tania Maria performed with bassist Leonard Traversa and drummer Kim Plainfield at the North Sea Jazz Festival in The Hague. Maria is known for her energetic personality and unique style of singing that draws from a variety of jazz, Latin and pop traditions.

Jazz fans in television land have come to the right place for their dose of first-rate world jazz: TorTube! Jazz club De Tor in Enschede is one of Europe’s most authentic jazz venues, with an absolutely unique ambiance. Some of the best musicians from Holland and the rest of the world find their way to De Tor to perform for an appreciative audience of jazz fans. La Waltz 2, 3 and More is an episode of TorTube that pulls you into the world of De Tor. Veteran vocalist Humphrey Campbell shares the stage with chromatic harmonica player Hermine Deurloo for a unique mix of spectacular music.

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 audience at the Montreal Jazz Festival in Canada was in for a treat on July 3, 1982, as a true musical innovator hit the stage: Jaco Pastorius, who transformed the electric bass into a formidable solo instrument. Combining intricate harmonics, fluid melodies, and unparalleled technical skill, Pastorius left a lasting impact on the music world. In this concert, he is accompanied by Peter Erskine (drums), Don Alias (percussion), Othello Molineaux (steel drums), Bob Mintzer (tenor sax and bass clarinet), and Randy Brecker (trumpet and electronics). They perform “Chicken”, “Donna Lee”, “Mr. Phone Bone”, and “Fannie Mae”. Don't miss this extraordinary opportunity to experience Jaco Pastorius’s electrifying performance at the Montreal Jazz Festival 1982!

Far from being strictly a jazz bassist or a flamboyant improviser, Eberhard Weber is nonetheless one of Europe's finest musicians. Neither bluesy nor animated and energetic, what you see is what you get. Weber's influences are primarily European, notably contemporary classical and new music. His technique using contrasting ostinato patterns in different voices was inspired by composer Steve Reich. An innovator, Weber added an extra top string to his electric bass in the early 1970s. In this concert, he appears with three of his “brothers in music”: Rainer Brüninghaus on piano, Clarence “Herb” Robertson on flugelhorn and David Bargeron on tuba. The result is a virtuoso concert full of power, concentration and inner harmony.

Since his first appearance at Jazz in Ramatuelle in 2010, saxophonist Émile Parisien has made his mark among the most talented musicians of his generation. On the soprano saxophone, his favorite instrument, he invented a unique lyrical style. As part of his participation in the 2016 edition of Jazz à Ramatuelle, Parisien invited two European jazz legends to join his ensemble: the German pianist Joachim Kühn (*1944) and the legendary multi-instrumentalist Michel Portal (*1935). Over 80 years old, the latter is an incomparable saxophonist, clarinetist and bandoneonist, a musical adventurer who skilfully combines jazz, classical music and film music. Guitarist Manu Codjia, bassist Simon Tailleu and drummer Mario Costa complete the sextet conducted by Parisien, who delivers a memorable performance at Jazz in Ramatuelle.

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.