00:00
Duets: Carla Bley and Steve Swallow in 1988
If any two musicians share a special bond when they perform, it’s pianist Carla Bley and bassist Steve Swallow. The two have performed in the same bands since the 1960s and have been romantic partners for more than two decades. Watching them perform is the definition of musical telepathy. A glance or a smile seems to change the feel of the music. In 1988, Swallow and Bley began performing duet concerts in Europe, United States, South America and Japan. This performance of Duets, their album of songs arranged for piano and bass, was released that same year. The performance showcases their approach to traditional jazz, folk and classical music, as well as their poignant musical story.
00:33
Mondriaan Jazz 2017: FORQ
Forq is an instrumental quartet with an aggressive sound and a penchant for sonic exploration. Originally founded by keyboardist Henry Hey (David Bowie, Empire of the Sun, and Jeff "Tain" Watts) and bassist Michael League (Grammy-winning founder of Snarky Puppy), Forq is joined by guitarist Chris McQueen and drummer Jason "JT" Thomas. Their group sound draws from various musical paths of its members, whether it’s Jason’s swampy grooves and shuffles, Chris’ singular sonic approach to guitar, Henry’s zeal for unique keyboard sounds and twisted ear candy, or Michael’s driving world-influenced grooves. The band pushes further down the sonic rabbit hole with their stunning music. This concert was filmed during Mondriaan Jazz Festival 2017, The Hague.
01:44
Wouter Hamel Live in Paradiso
What Jamie Cullum is to England, Wouter Hamel is to the Netherlands: a performer who knows the difference between jazz and pop! Hamel is backed by big band Sven Happel (double bass), Jasper van Hulten (drums), Gijs Anders van Straalen (percussion), Rory Ronde (guitar), Benjamin Herman (saxophone), and a string ensemble. Hamel plays the guitar, piano, sings, and writes many of his own songs. He made his debut in 2007 with the eponymous album Hamel on Dox Records; it was a hit on the Dutch albums chart, remained on the Top 20 for over a year, and spawned the hit "As Long as We're in Love”. The show was recorded at the legendary venue Paradiso, a former church considered the "pop temple" of the Netherlands. Hamel's performance of "One More Time on the Merry-Go-Round" perfectly connects the beautiful venue in the heart of Amsterdam and the enthousiastic audience.
03:06
Benny Goodman Septet - North Sea Jazz Part II
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, legendary swing band leader jazz clarinettist Benny Goodman performed two sets with his septet at the North Sea Jazz Festival in The Hague. True to form, with his concert the 'King of Swing' revisited the atmosphere of the swing era – the 1930s – when jazz enjoyed tremendous popularity. Goodman's septet includes Scott Hamilton (tenor saxophone), John Bunch (piano), Phil Flanigan (double bass), Mel Lewis (drums), Warren Vaché (trumpet), and Chris Flory (guitar). Here is the second of two sets recorded at the festival in 1982.
04:12
Kurhaus Scheveningen: Beets & Rosenwinkel
The Dutch world-class jazz pianist Peter Beets has shared the stage with jazz greats like Chick Corea, Wynton Marsalis, “Toots” Thielemans, Elvin Jones, George Coleman, Johnny Griffin, Benny Golson and John Clayton. From birth, Beets was surrounded by music: he heard classical music from his mother, who is a music pedagogue, and he heard jazz from his father, who has a great fan of Oscar Peterson and Art Blakey. Although Beets’ parents originally did not associate the word “musician” with the word “career”, music is definitely in the family’s blood. At this concert at the Kurhaus in Scheveningen, the Netherlands, Peter Beets teams up with the world-famous guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel. With a career spanning almost twenty-five years and including collaborating with dynamic peers like Brad Mehldau, Brian Blade, Mark Turner, Joshua Redman, Chris Potter, as well as esteemed jazz legends like Joe Henderson, Paul Motian and Gary Burton, Rosenwinkel’s indelible mark in music is the consummation of being steeped in the rich and deep traditions of jazz, springing off of the shoulders of such vital underpinnings to elevate his own art to new heights, evolving the language in a way no other guitarist has since his arrival. This collaboration between Beets and Rosenwinkel guarantees brilliant music.
05:31
John Coltrane
Explore the music of one of the most influential and innovative saxophonists in jazz history: John Coltrane! Immerse yourself in this collection of remarkable performances from the early 1960s that showcase Coltrane's unparalleled artistry and unique sound during a transformative period in the artist’s career. Recorded in various European cities, Coltrane is seen playing the songs “Autumn Leaves”, “Hackensack”, “My Favorite Things”, “I Want To Talk About You”, “Vigil”, and “Naima”. Tune in and experience why the music of John Coltrane has touched the lives of so many!
06:20
Sabrina Starke - InJazz 2019
Jazz festival slash conference inJazz brings together the supply and demand sides of the Dutch jazz scene, helping artists share knowledge and experiences and stimulating the development of international relationships. The conference program includes inspiring panel discussions, workshops, networking sessions and presentations. During the night, promising Dutch jazz acts as well as more seasoned groups hit the stage to show what they’re capable of. One of the artists performing at inJazz is Sabrina Starke, a self-made, award-winning singer-songwriter, producer and self-empowerment ambassador. She has won an impressive number of prestigious awards for her soul-soothing music.
06:54
Kenny Barron, Blue Waters
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.
07:00
Sarah Vaughan Live in '58 & 64: The Divine One
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 soaring on 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.
08:09
George Shearing Duo feat. Neil Swainson
British pianist George Shearing enjoyed an international reputation as an instrumentalist, arranger, and composer. Equally at home on the classical concert stage as in jazz clubs, he was recognized for his inventive, orchestrated jazz. In this live recording from the Munich Philharmonie, Shearing played in a duo format with Canadian double bassist Neil Swainson. The repertoire consisted of a selection of compositions by Shearing himself, among them ‘Lullaby Of Birdland’, which is a standard in jazz repertoire.
09:09
Dionne Warwick live at the 27 Club
Dionne Warwick’s vocal artistry ranges from voluminous deep register to soft, fragile high notes. She masters the entire range with almost unnerving ease. But more than her strong, warm voice, Dionne’s magic is in the silky elegance and the secure delivery with which she tells a story. That’s how her, along with composer Burt Bacharach and lyricist Hal David become pioneers of the brand of pop music called “Middle of the Road”, meaning pop that is grippingly simple, but never trite. Sixty of her hits made it into the American charts and sold over 100 million albums worldwide. This amazing 1964 recording from the 27 Club in Knokke, Belgium showcases the 23-year-old star vocalist at the start of her career.