Researching the essence of the blues for his master’s degree, tenor saxophonist Efraïm Trujillo made some spectacular discoveries: ‘facts’ that had been assumed and passed on as truths by musicologists for decades turned out to be untenable. For example, the oft-mentioned ‘blue note’ is not an essential characteristic of the blues as has always been […]
gospel
Henri and Rachel
Eli Degibri named the title of his ninth album after his parents. The Israeli composer, saxophonist and bandleader portrays on Henri and Rachel his demented mother, his deceased father and his wife Noa. Degibri wrote beautiful new melodies in well-crafted arrangements. Thanks to his tightly playing accompanists they sound exciting. The other musicans are pianist […]
Interview on NPO Radio 1 about Eva Cassidy
Patrick Lodiers talked with Johan Bakker about Eva Cassidy who died 25 years ago on 2 November 1996. Today it is exactly 25 years ago that Eva Cassidy died, the singer who sadly only became famous after her death. Joining me in the studio is her biographer, music journalist Johan Bakker. Eva Cassidy performed mainly […]
We remember Lucky Peterson (1964 – 2020)
10 July 1998, soul singer Mavis Staples paid tribute to gospel pioneer Mahalia Jackson at the North Sea Jazz Festival in the Hague. Mavis Staples had brought Hammond B-3 organist and pianist Lucky Peterson and they transformed the audience in the Congo tent into a steaming Baptist congregation, clapping hands and jubilating. This performance made […]
The most memorable moments of North Sea Jazz part 2
We continue our list of the most memorable moments of North Sea Jazz. E.S.T. 13 July 2007, Congo, 8:15 – 9:30 PM At the beginning of the first night of North Sea Jazz 2007 the Swedish group E.S.T. set the tone by flowing their beautifully lyrical jazz music seamlessly into exciting, hallucinating sounds. Magnus Öström […]