Stingray Djazz

Lex Jasper Trio: Happy Days Are Here Again - the title says is all… After an automobile accident and 15 years of revalidation, he is back! Together with his musical pals Edwin Corzilius (double bass) and Frits Landesbergen (drums), pianist and composer Lex Jasper celebrates his return to jazz club The Duke in the Dutch village of Nistelrode. Following his car accident, Lex nearly joined the leagues of Netherland's “forgotten” jazz heroes, though he is still considered one of the most important artists and composers of his generation and Dutch jazz history. Jasper played and recorded with all the greats, including Toots Thielemans, Clark Terry, Joe Pass, and Rita Reys.

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 1987, smooth jazz saxophonist and crowd-favorite Kenny G serenaded those attending the North Sea Jazz Festival in The Hague. After beginning his career in the Love Unlimited Orchestra, he now brings his own band for this hypnotic performance.

Recorded in 1971 in Paris, France, Brazilian, classically trained bossa nova guitarist Baden Powell and his quartet play Pai, Lotus (written by Baden Powell), Tristeza (by Haroldo Lobo/Niltinho), Round Midnight (by Thelonious Monk), Nega do cabelo duro (by David Nasser/Rubens Soares), and Aos pes da cruz (by Zé da Zilda/Marino Pinto). Powell is joined by Ernesto Ribeiro-Gonçalves on double bass, Helio Schiavo on drums, and Alfredo Bessa on percussion.

Dutch jazz singer Ellen Pels presents her latest release, “Love.” Recorded live at Theater Odeon in Zwolle, the Netherlands, Ellen is joined by The Red Limo String Quartet and her own nine-piece rhythm section. The singer combines her passionate love for music with her own, stirring lyrics, inspired by spiritual philosophers like Paulo Coelho, Eckhard Tolle, and Deepak Chopra. Her spiritually saturated music is challenging and theatrical, yet warm and melodic.

The Dutch Hammond organ player Rob Mostert develops, in cooperation with DJAZZ, the programme ‘Mostert Meets’. In this series, the Hammond B3 organ takes centre stage. Rob Mostert invites the world’s finest jazz musicians for a musical collaboration, in which the Hammond Organ plays a major role. The Hammond B3 is an electric organ, which generates sound by creating an electric current from rotating a metal tonewheel near an electromagnetic pickup. Initially, the Hammond B3 was at home in churches, until it entered the jazz scene in the mid-20th century. In this episode, Mostert performs with his Rob Mostert Hammond Group, of Rob Mostert (Hammond B3), Jurriaan Suring (guitar), Chris Strik (drums), Efraim Trujillo (saxophone), Michael Rorby (trombone) and Michael Simon (trumpet).

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 groups presenting themselves at jazzahead! 2023 is Paris-based trio La litanie des cimes. Violinist Clément Janinet, clarinetist Élodie Pasquier, and cellist Bruno Ducret regard improvisation as free and introspective – but not reclusive. Imagine the soundtrack of a disaster movie about the end of the world, heard from the tops of tall trees – this is how their music has been described.

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 Canadian pianist Oscar Peterson gave a stunning performance at the North Sea Jazz Festival in The Hague. With talented double bassist Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen accompanying him, Peterson demonstrated his piano skills with aplomb.

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!

Regarded as the greatest instrumental soloist of all-time, Stanley Gayetzky, famously known as Stan Getz emerged as one of the most significant musical forces in the world of jazz post World War II. With his distinctively warm and lyrical tone, Getz is fondly dubbed as ‘The Sound’ because of his singularity and musical innovations. His commitment to music is evident from his long body of work that includes over 300 pieces of musical compositions. Ranked among America’s top tenor saxophone players, Getz was a gifted saxophonist who could play just about anything on it, a quality that put him on top of the polls. He is accredited for playing some of the best jazz with some of the best jazzmen in the country. However, his personal life was a rollercoaster ride — tumultuous and loused up by abjection, alcohol, addiction and furious flare-ups. This program shows his last public performance, recorded at Munich Philharmonic Hall, Germany on July 18, 1990. Stan Getz (tenor sax) is accompanied by Kenny Barron (piano), Eddie Del Barrio and Frank Zottoli (synthesizers), Alex Blake (bass) and Terri Lyne Carrington (drums).

Innovative contemporary jazz and improvised music, the search for modernity, mind blowing sounds, rock and pop… Indeed PARADOX Tilburg goes beyond jazz, crossing musical boundaries into the unknown soundscapes of electronic music. Indie artists, blues veterans and jazz superstars all pour their hearts and souls at the Paradox. From young, local talents to top national and international artists, PARADOX Tilburg is the most intimate jazz club in the Netherlands, with a devoted audience from all across Europe. In their TV show PARADOX LIVE you get a taste of the greatest concerts and interviews with artists from all around the world. This episode of PARADOX LIVE presents the amazing Dutch jazzband BRUUT led by saxophone player Maarten Hoogenhuis!

Jazz phenomenon Trombone Shorty dishes out a mix of funk, jazz, hip-hop and soul at this concert at the French festival Jazz à Vienne. Playing with the energy of a rock star, Troy Andrews, a.k.a. ‘Trombone Shorty’, pays homage to jazz legends. With his hypnotic performance and boundless energy, Trombone Shorty puts up an unparalleled performance.

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 Stingray DJAZZ 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 special live recorded in the BIRD office with BIGYUKI and Now Vs. Now.

The Da Pá Virada Sessions series 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 bands taking part in this series is Os Capoeira. This ensemble practices the traditional Brazilian martial art from Bahia it is named after, combining elements of dance, acrobatics, and percussive music. Moreover, Os Capoeira runs a cultural center in São Paulo. Let yourself be inspired by Os Capoeira's unique take on Brazilian culture!

The Royal Conservatoire of Liège hosted a ‘Night of the Gypsies’ at the International Guitar Festival of Liège in 1995. At this occasion, the Raphaël Faÿs Trio and Quintet paid tribute to Romani-Belgian jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt. Raphaël Faÿs (solo guitar), Pierre Blanchard (violin), Daniel Manzanas (guitar), Pablo Gilabert (bass) and Miguel Sanchez (percussion) play Reinhardt’s greatest gypsy jazz hits, including ‘It Had To Be You’, ‘How High The Moon’, ‘Sweet Georgia Brown’, and ‘Minor Swing’. Enjoy Raphaël Faÿs’s fresh take on the light-fingered string sound and swinging rhythms of Django Reinhardt’s gypsy jazz!

Duke Ellington: Live in '58 features the earliest-known filmed full-length concert by one of the 20th Century's greatest songwriters and bandleaders. Filmed at Amsterdam's famed Concertgebouw, this 80-minute concert features the 16-piece Duke Ellington Orchestra two years after their stunning performance at the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival, which Duke considered his second birth. This epic performance includes legendary players Clark Terry, Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney, Paul Gonsalves, Quentin Jackson and Ray Nance performing some of the most beloved American music ever written.

Known outside jazz circles mainly for his film scores, French composer, arranger and pianist Michel Legrand has had a long and storied career in music. Interpreters of his compositions include jazz legends such as Sarah Vaughan, Stan Getz, and Bill Evans, as well as pop stars such as Barbra Streisand and Frank Sinatra. During this 1982 performance in the Belgian town of Spa, Legrand leads his orchestra through a number of original songs, including “The Summer Knows,” “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?” and “Les Moulins de mon Cœur.” Singing either in English or French, Legrand delivers a spirited performance with plenty of romantic flair that is sure to capture your heart.

These portraits of artists, concerts and festivals give a good impression of the jazz world. Both famous and less famous jazz artists will give a new insight in their life. These portraits were recorded at jazzahead! 2024 in Bremen, Germany.

Da Pá Virada sessions bring 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 bands taking part in this series is the Salomão Soares Trio, which consists of Salomão Soares on piano, Paulo Almeida on drums, and Thiago Alves on bass. Band leader Soares was a finalist of the 2017 Montreux Jazz Festival piano competition.

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. Enjoy the musical wealth of the All Star Band in this episode of Morgenland Festival. Featuring graduate of the Boston Conservatory and vocalist Dima Oshno, both songs “Dream” and “Mugam” are played by the All Star Band and express a range of moods that vary from peaceful quietude to outbursts of energy.

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.

Since 1994, World Music Expo (WOMEX) has been attracting musicians, agents, a great number of press agencies, as well as media companies from all over the world. Its main exposition event has been held in various locations throughout Europe, including Berlin, Brussels, Marseille, Stockholm, Seville, Cardiff, and Budapest. In 2018, WOMEX was held in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria. One of its showcase participants, Lucibela, comes from the island of São Nicolau. Her assured, warm voice is shaped by years of assimilation to the sounds of morna and coladeira.

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. Due to COVID-19, only half of the scheduled performances of the 2021 edition were actually recorded in Bremen. The other performances were captured by the artists themselves on various locations of their own choosing. Among the performing artists is American jazz pianist, composer and Steinway artist Connie Han. She has been compared to legendary jazz pianists McCoy Tyner and Hank Jones, although her musical direction is associated with the 'Young Lions'-revolution of the late 1980s, which was spearheaded by the likes of the Marsalis Brothers, keyboardist Kenny Kirkland, and drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts. She plays a solo recital for jazzahead! 2021.

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 is Canadian singer and bandleader Dominique Fils-Aimé. Her ethereal yet powerful vocals are paired with a tight-knit band to deliver a fresh take on jazz and blues with hints of R&B and free improvisation. Her single “Feeling Like a Plant” serves as a sign of great things to come.

Rotterdam’s BIRD is a club, café, and restaurant with a live music program that's deeply rooted in jazz, soul, funk, hip-hop, and electronic. Its name BIRD refers to the nickname of legendary New York jazz saxophonist, bebop co-founder Charlie Parker. BIRD serves Neapolitan pizzas, fine 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 programs: BIRD.tv, allowing you to experience the best BIRD concerts and interviews as from a first-row seat! Discover an irresistible live act; STUFF is full of unflagging energy. The Belgian band was founded in 2012 when drummer Lander Gyselinck was asked to play live music between DJ sets at a local bar. He gathered a bunch of friends, who also were musicians. The band could be considered an avant-garde jazz band who play a mix of funk, hip-hop, and electro. Andrew Claes (saxophone), Dries Laheye (bass guitar), Lander Gyselinck (drums), Mixmonster Menno (samples), and Joris Caluwaerts (keyboards) share an exceptional connection in music. They take over every stage and melt the hearts of music lovers.

American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader Dizzy Gillespie (1917-1993) was one of the seminal figures of the bebop movement. He fuses all musical forms rooted in African culture, such as music from Cuba, Latin America and the Caribbean, into his music. On November 4, 1970 he played a concert in Denmark with the Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band, performing Con Alma, Brother K, Now Hear My Meanin’, Manteca, Let Me Outta Here, and Things Are Here.

Misha Mengelberg, the forgetting has begun. He is waiting for a taxi he didn’t call to go to a performance that won’t take place. Dutch composer/pianist and grand duke of jazz Misha Mengelberg (1935) has been submerged in the shadow of dementia, ending his life as a musician. At the London jazz club Vortex in 2013 he impressively says his goodbyes to the international stage. It’s also his last major performance with his band, the Instant Composers Pool Orchestra. The musicians find it hard to let him go, but Misha’s decline is constant, and he slowly fades away from their midst. A film about exceptional loyalty, dilemmas, respect and dedication. And about music, the music of Misha Mengelberg.

Dutch band Seven Eleven is a mix of funk, jazz and hip hop. Founded in 1987, Seven Eleven is one of the first Dutch bands to perform with rappers, having collaborated with hip hop crew Dope Posse in 1990. Adding a superb horn section to the original line-up, they were awarded the 1993 Camelpop Award. Over the years, Seven Eleven released eight albums and played countless festivals, including three appearances at the prestigious North Sea Jazz Festival. Collaborations with legendary American funk artists such as Fred Wesley, Dawn Silva, Jeanette Washington and Louis Johnson followed. Guitarist Rob Manzoli of pop group Right Said Fred produced Seven Eleven’s 2015 album Back to the Source in London. Today’s broadcast presents the funkiest moments from Seven Eleven’s Back to the Source tour.

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 a compilation with music of Betty Carter, Anita O'Day & Sathima Bea Benjamin.

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.