Schedule

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 1979, legendary big band leader and pianist Count Basie brought his famous big band to the North Sea Jazz Festival in The Hague to perform two sets. Basie, whose minimalist pianism and blues-oriented swing style had cemented his popularity as early as the 1930s, was in the midst of a European tour and had recorded his live album On the Road the previous night in Montreux, Switzerland. Here is the first of two sets recorded at the festival in 1979.

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, the Superstar Quintet, which consists of the otherworldly American trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, saxophonist Joe Henderson, drummer Tony Williams, bassist Ron Carter, and pianist Kenny Baron performed at the North Sea Jazz Festival in The Hague. The star-studded fivesome put on a concert of cosmic proportions.

From the polyglot border region of Ticino in Switzerland – well-known for its beautiful Lake Maggiore and the International Film Festival in Locarno – comes ‘Final Step’, guitarist Matteo Finali’s seven-piece band. 'Live @ Il Magazzino' is the band’s third album since its formation in 2003. The diverse musical backgrounds of the various band members shine through on the album: it is a fusion of jazz, rock, funk, blues and ethnic music. The rousing electric guitar solos by band frontman Matteo Finali are perfectly placed highlights in an excellent ensemble full of natural showmanship, for which he leaves plenty of room for creativity. The result is an intense piece of jazz, with influences just as diverse, original and surprising as Ticino.

‘Harmolodics’, the musical philosophy of jazz saxophonist Ornette Coleman, is associated primarily with avant-garde jazz and the free jazz movement, although its implications extend beyond these limits. Coleman defined ‘harmolodics’ as “the use of the physical and the mental of one's own logic made into an expression of sound to bring about the musical sensation of unison executed by a single person or with a group”. Applied to the particulars of music, this means that harmony, melody, speed, rhythm, time and phrases all have equal position in the results that come from the placing and spacing of ideas - as evidenced in this broadcast of a performance by the Ornette Coleman Sextet.

The American gospel group The Jackson Singers, founded by Bob Jackson in 1980, found a warm welcome in Europe, where they have toured for decades. Embraced for their powerful spirituals and gospel music, they have become a celebrated presence in churches, cathedrals, and jazz festivals across the continent. In this concert recording from the Ascona New Orleans Jazz Festival, held in late June and early July 1998 at picturesque Lake Maggiore in Ascona, Switzerland, The Jackson Singers deliver a breathtaking performance that brings the entire audience to its feet.

Antonio Faraò features prominently in the rich group of talented Italian pianists. He is the winner of the 1998 prestigious Concours Martial Solal, awarded by Herbie Hancock, and he has made his mark as a player of elegance and lyricism. This has allowed him to collaborate with the best European and American musicians. In his album ‘Evan’, recorded in the USA, he leads an all-star band, notably starring Joe Lovano on tenor. In this particular recording at Jazz à Ramatuelle, he appears at the Theatre de Verdure in the company of another sax legend - Dave Liebman, a musician of unfailing generosity and himself the repository of more than 40 years of modern jazz history. With refined ballads and feline groove, this meeting sparkles, perhaps even lighting up some new stars in the night above Ramatuelle.

This selection of unforgettable performances by some of the most iconic and influential jazz guitarists in history showcases these legends’ unique essence. Revel in Wes Montgomery’s virtuosity as he performs the captivating “Nica's Dream” in Holland in 1965, and delight in the expressive beauty of his rendition of “Here's That Rainy Day”, recorded in London in that same year. Experience the timeless appeal of Joe Pass's “You Stepped Out of a Dream” and “You Turned The Tables on Me”, recorded live in Hanover in 1975. The interplay between Jim Hall and Atilla Zoller borders on the impossible as they perform “Extensions” in Hanover in 1973. Enjoy Jim Hall's lyrical solo performance of “I'm Getting Sentimental Over You” from 1964. Witness Sonny Sharrock’s avant-garde fusion of jazz and rock in an exhilarating performance of “Peanut", recorded live in France in 1970. Sharrock is joined by flutist Herbie Mann in a soulful performance of “Memphis Underground” from 1969. Immerse yourself in the magic of jazz guitar!

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.

The Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam is a world-renowned concert hall, known for its first-rate acoustics. It has attracted many famous performers over the years and is one of the Netherlands' most treasured musical institutions. On May 28, 1967, American singer and actor Sammy Davis Jr. appeared at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam for a live, nationwide TV broadcast. Supported by his band conducted by George Rhodes, Davis Jr. combined his singing talent and infectious sense of humor as he covered songs from a variety of genres.

Formed in 1952 from the rhythm section of Dizzy Gillespie's big band, the Modern Jazz Quartet took its inspiration from classical chamber music as well as jazz's blues roots. The group enjoyed a decades-long career with multiple critically acclaimed albums, cementing their place in the history of the genre. Following concerts in Rotterdam and Amsterdam the days before, the Modern Jazz Quartet performed at Singer Concertzaal in Laren for Dutch TV on March 31, 1969. Composed of Milt Jackson on vibraphone, John Lewis on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Connie Kay on drums, the foursome plays with elegance and style.

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 the first row! This episode is a fantastic registration of the after party of the North Sea Jazz Festival: Boogieball. This mega jam session is a great coming together of, amongst others, bassist Bootsy Collins, guitarist Flávio Silva, and drummer/vocalist Sheila E.

Sarah Vaughan: Live in '58 & 64 features the Divine One in her prime, wrapping her sultry voice around jazz standards such as “Lover Man”, “Misty”, and “I Got Rhythm” and popular showtunes such as “Over The Rainbow” and “Maria”. One of the greatest voices of the 20th Century, her renditions of songs by Harold Arlen, Leonard Bernstein, Johnny Burke, the Gershwins, and Stephen Sondheim are pure diva magic. These three performances demonstrate why Sarah Vaughan is invariably mentioned in the same breath as Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday.