Schedule

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.

To celebrate the release of Django, the Parisian New Morning Club pays tribute to the legendary guitarist Django Reinhardt. The program showcases the magic of Reinhardt’s compositions, as well as the virtuosity of one of his most famous heirs: Stochelo Rosenberg. With unbridled passion and enthusiasm, Rosenberg interprets the music that marked French musical heritage: gypsy jazz. Rosenberg cultivates an exceptional technique with a unique vibrato and sets an example for guitarists and other instrumentalists who aim to keep music alive. On stage at New Morning Club, Rosenberg is supported by Hono Winterstein (guitar), Mathias Levy (violin), Rocky Gresset (guitar), and Xavier Nikqi (double bass).

Recorded at the Amsterdam Arena during the Amsterdam South East Jazz Festival, Michiel Borstlap tickles the ivories of his Steinway in performances of all his favourite songs on his solo albums ‘Blue’, ‘Reflective’, and ‘Frames’. An unprecedented event: a solo piano concert at the home base of football club Ajax Amsterdam! During the concert, the sound of a seagull or an aeroplane might mingle with the gentle touch of the Dutch master pianist. A must-see concert for all fans of piano music, with a wonderful encore: a performance of Thelonious Monk’s famous standard ‘Round Midnight’.

Teus Nobel is a Dutch trumpet and flugelhorn player. As a little boy, he was inspired by ‘power’ trumpeters such as Maynard Ferguson and Bill Chase. While studying at the conservatory, he played both as jazz player and as a commercial session musician at musicals. After his time at the conservatory, he started playing in the Royal Netherlands Air Force Orchestra, playing march music influenced by pop and jazz. Today’s broadcast was recorded at the Amsterdam BIMhuis. Teus dedicates his compositions to his all-time heroes Jarmo Hoogendijk, Woody Shaw, Christian Scott, Roy Hargrove and Eric Vloeimans. This performance is based on his second album ‘Legacy’.

In this DJAZZ Belgium Sessions performance, which was recorded at AED Studios in Lint, Belgium, we witness Europe’s finest jazz musicians at work. A wide variety of international jazz musicians give a creative, up-close and inside insight into their art of playing jazz music. Young talent and established jazz musicians play to their heart’s content: take for instance this unusual performance by the trio Massot/Florizoone/Horbaczewski. This adventurous threesome pushes the boundaries of jazz, folk and classical music. There is a certain commonality between the instruments they play: accordion, tuba and cello share a richness of sound, as well as a broad register and a photogenic appearance. When improvising, the trio produces the weirdest and wackiest, but also most moving sounds.

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.

The Netherlands Chamber Orchestra commissioned violinist Tim Kliphuis, internationally known for his genre-crossing approach to music, to write a new version of Antonio Vivaldi's ‘Four Seasons’. Kliphuis choose to take improvisation as his starting point; at the same time, he intended to leave the best-known Vivaldi themes and chords in, as they give the piece its wonderful energy. The result is a fresh and exciting interpretation that never loses sight of the original. Each season has a different character: the freshness of spring is reflected by the use of Irish and Norwegian traditional music; the summer heat can be heard in the American jazz and funk rhythms; the autumn includes a galloping safari hunt in South-Africa and the ice-cold winter warms up with the energy of Russian gypsy music. For each movement, Kliphuis has a metropole in mind which he visited on his previous concert tours. You’re about to witness a truly genre-crossing spectacle!

Since 2005, the Morgenland Festival of 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. The Morgenland Chamber Orchestra has been an integral part of the Morgenland Festival since 2009. This ensemble of musicians from Germany and various guest countries performs as part of the festival's opening concert. This episode includes performances sometimes energetic, sometimes soft and soothing.

Legendary Cuban pianist Chucho Valdés brought his band ‘Jazz Batá 2’ to the Malta Jazz Festival on July 19, 2019. The air was thick with anticipation as Valdés took to the stage, revisiting the small-group concept of his mythical 1972 Cuban album ‘Jazz Batá’. The batá repertoire – the deep classical music of West Africa – permeates Valdés’ piano solos throughout the concert. Valdés’s band consists of Dreiser Durruthy (Batas and vocals), Yaroldy Abreu (percussions and vocals), Abraham Mansfarroll (percussion), Ramón Vazquez Martirena-Bajo (bass guitar). They delivered a performance that reverberated through the historic island.

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.

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 representing France in the festival's RE:CONNECT showcase is the Teranga Band, led by Senegalese-French guitarist and vocalist Hervé Samb. Their performance features "Jazz Sabar," a unique style that views traditional Senegalese rhythms through the prism of contemporary jazz, born from a rediscovery of his roots. The band features Cheikh Diallo Ouza (keys and vocals), Ndiaw Macodou (drums), Mor Junior Ndiaye (Sabar percussion), Samba Laobe Ndiaye (bass), and Hervé Samb (guitar and vocals).

Well-known for his exuberant style and intimate familiarity with a vast range of jazz and Latin idioms, Michel Camilo has always had a sixth sense for musical adventure. Camilo was one of the most stimulating jazz pianists to emerge in the mid- to late '80s. His powerful two-handed attack (full of impressive technical skills), his knowledge of both jazz and Afro-Cuban music, and his willingness to constantly take chances turn each of his solos into an adventure. This broadcast was taped during the 1999 Münchner Klaviersommer, when Camilo made one of his rare solo appearances. Improvising on a Steinway D grand piano, he drew an astonishing palette of musical colours from his instrument: rich orchestral sounds as well as and a tender lyricism.

The Hugo Fernandez Quintet appeared at the renowned Greve Studio in Berlin in October 2022. Fortunately for those who could not attend the event, it was captured on video. The ensemble's unique blend of contemporary jazz infused with the vibrant sounds of New Orleans will transport you to the heart of the Crescent City. Mexican guitarist and arranger Hugo Fernandez, who is known for his full-bodied, rich sound, is joined by Thomas Hähnlein on tenor and soprano saxophones, Marleen Dahms on trombone, Max Leiß on double bass, and Mathias Ruppnig on drums. You won’t want to miss this exciting musical journey!

Erroll Garner: Live in '63 & '64 presents two beautifully filmed concerts featuring his classic trio of bassist Eddie Calhoun and drummer Kelly Martin. Erroll Garner was one of jazz’s true original players and this showcases his improvisational brilliance on a parade of his most classic numbers, such as “Fly Me To The Moon” and “I Get A Kick Out Of You”, as well as originals “Erroll’s Theme,” “Mambo Erroll”, and his best-known composition, “Misty”.

In 1959, Jacques Loussier hit upon the idea that was to make his international reputation, by combining his interest in jazz with his love of J.S. Bach. Only a pianist with such an exceptional classical technique and deft improvisatory skill could have nurtured such a vision. He founded the Play Bach Trio, which used Bach's compositions as the basis for jazz improvisation. The trio immediately caught the public imagination. In their live appearances, tours and concerts, plus a succession of recordings built on the cornerstone of four albums made between 1960 and 1963, Loussier's group achieved the breakthrough to popular commercial success enjoyed by only a select few jazz musicians. In fifteen years, the trio sold over six million albums! On July 28th 2004, the day of Bach's 254th anniversary of death, the Jacques Loussier Trio perform a special concert at the famous St. Thomas Church of Leipzig - the city where Bach composed many of his most famous works.

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.

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!

Al Green is known for the hit song "Let's Stay Together," and for leaving his musical career at its height in the 1970s to become a reverend at his own church.

GOSPEL ACCORDING TO AL GREEN looks at Green's transition from hugely successful soul singer to gospel artist and fundamentalist preacher. Filmed in concert in Washington, D.C., in rehearsal in his recording studio, in a service at his Memphis church, and in an extended interview, Green reveals himself to be an electrifying performer, whether singing love songs to women or spiritual ones to God.

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 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.