Program Stingray Djazz

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. DJAZZ asked them why they wrote that special song, what was the first record they bought and what is his or her most precious musical memory. The festival portraits are beautiful reports filmed at the most special jazz festivals and concerts. They revive the memory of the festival, the music and the experience.

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.

An extraordinary collection of clips in all jazz genres from the most beautiful concerts and the most special festivals, performed by the finest jazz musicians.

Hailing from a long tradition of Malian kora players, Ballake Sissoko has worked with renowned musicians such as Toumani Diabaté and Taj Mahal. He met the French born Vincent Ségal by chance, and the two began jamming together, uncertain of what kind of music might result. As a former member of the French National Orchestra, Ségal's Western classical training does not prevent him from exploring a wide variety of extended techniques, rendering his cello a flexible partner to Sissoko's kora. A childhood spent in the Pigalle district of Paris surrounded by immigrant communities exposed Ségal to African music from an early age. As such, he possesses a natural sensitivity to Sissoko's West-African style. The concert shows a brilliant interplay between the two musicians and combines the several worlds of jazz, Malian and classical 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 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.

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.

An extraordinary collection of clips in all jazz genres from the most beautiful concerts and the most special festivals, performed by the finest jazz musicians.

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. DJAZZ asked them why they wrote that special song, what was the first record they bought and what is his or her most precious musical memory. The festival portraits are beautiful reports filmed at the most special jazz festivals and concerts. They revive the memory of the festival, the music and the experience.

American soul jazz singer and organist Jackie Davis (1920-1999) contributed greatly to the popularity of the Hammond B3 organ in jazz, preceding even the great Jimmy Smith. Seen here during an intimate solo performance in Brussels in 1967, we get to enjoy Davis’ every musical twist and lyrical turn. His infectious enthusiasm and dynamic musicianship make his audience grow increasingly excited as he performs “I Got Rhythm”, “Satin Doll”, “Yesterday”, “Smack Dab In The Middle”, and “It Ain’t Necessarily So”. Davis’ spellbinding vocals invite his audience on a musical journey. Get ready to let yourself be carried away by Jackie Davis, recorded live in Brussels!

Nordic afro jazz project 'We Are Birds' saw the light between Finland and Africa, during a 2010 jam session in which Finnish jazz pianist Tuomas A. Turunen met African drummer-percussionist and urban griot Dimitri Reverchon. The two composers set their mind to exploring this hybrid genre, and found their perfect complement in bassist Emmanuel Soulignac, who brought his pop influences to the table. Today, We Are Birds explores an accessible mix of jazz and world pop that is based on sharing, listening, understanding, paying attention to each other, and believing in unity.

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. Among the performing artists is Israeli drummer and composer Guy Salamon. He leads the award-winning, eight-piece Guy Salamon Group, whose members originate from countries around the world, such as Israel, The Netherlands, Denmark, Scotland, South Korea, Catalonia, and Portugal. Salamon's music is full of surprises, creative narratives, energy, humor, and sincerity. The players are Guy Salamon (drums), Alistair Payne (trumpet), José Soares (alto saxophone), Hristo Goleminov (tenor saxophone), Teis Semey (guitar), Youngwoo Lee (piano), and Brodie Jarvie (double bass).

The Newport Jazz Festival, first established in the North-American town of Newport, Rhode Island in the summer of 1954, has now grown to become one of the largest multi-day celebrations of jazz worldwide. It has resulted in numerous famous live albums from top-rate jazz stars, and has spawned several worldwide tours, including editions of the Newport Jazz Festival in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. In October 1972, an outstanding lineup played shoulder-to-shoulder at the 7th Newport Jazz Festival held in Rotterdam's then-recently built concert venue De Doelen. These four masterful groups consisted of alto saxophonist "Cannonball" Adderley and his quintet (Nat Adderley on cornet, George Duke on keyboards, Walter Booker on bass, and Roy McCurdy on drums), Hammond organist Jimmy Smith and his band (Art Farmer on flugelhorn, Illinois Jacquet on tenor saxophone, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Clark Terry on trumpet, and Roy Haynes on drums), pianist Dave Brubeck and his trio (Jack Six on bass, Alan Dawson on drums) with accompaniment from Paul Desmond on alto saxophone and Gerry Mulligan on baritone saxophone, and bassist Charles Mingus and his group (Joe Gardner on trumpet, Hamiet Bluiett on baritone saxophone, John Foster on piano, Roy Brooks on drums) with the great high-note trumpeter Cat Anderson as a guest.

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.

An extraordinary collection of clips in all jazz genres from the most beautiful concerts and the most special festivals, performed by the finest jazz musicians.