Hip-hop soul queen, MARY J BLIGE, has confirmed that she’ll be appearing at July’s North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam. Other late additions include the incomparbale GRACE JONES and New Orleans jazz sensation, TROMBONE SHORTY.
Rotterdam’s North Sea Jazz Festival, now in its 41st year, plays host to another star-studded line-up from the worlds of jazz, blues, soul and R&B this summer. The three-day festival kicks off on Friday 7th July and goes through to Sunday 9th July with over sixty acts scheduled to perform.
The exciting, mouth-watering array of talent includes big names as well as rising talents. Veteran soul singers Gladys Knight, Mavis Staples and Celtic troubadour, Van Morrison, will be appearing alongside the likes of R&B big hitters, Erykah Badu, Usher, Laura Mvula, Jamiroquai, the Roots and Solange. The jazz line-up is no less impressive, ranging from Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and George Benson (who describes the festival as “one of the greatest events in music..in the world”) to Dianne Reeves, Robert Glasper, Norah Jones, Kamasi Washington and McCoy Tyner.
Here’s the weekend line-up so far:
Friday 7 July: Usher & The Roots, Grace Jones, Emeli Sandé, Jamie Lidell And The Royal Pharaohs, Cory Henry & The Funk Apostles, Steve Winwood, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Avishai Cohen (Trumpet) Quartet, Lee Ritenour & Dave Grusin, Wayne Shorter Quartet with Casco Philharmonic, Dhafer Youssef – Diwan of Beauty and Odd, Makaya McCraven, Yussef Kamaal, John Beasley presents MONK’estra, Atmosphères: Hamasyan-Henriksen-Aarset-Bang, Bill Laurance, Tiggs Da Author, Jeangu Macrooy, Typhoon & Jef Neve.
Saturday 8 July: Gladys Knight, Mary J Blige, De La Soul, Solange, Norah Jones, George Benson, Herbie Hancock, Laura Mvula, Becca Stevens, Dianne Reeves, Shabaka & The Ancestors, Ala.ni, Richard Bona Mandekan Cubano, Sampha, Noname, Mick Jenkins, Eric Vloeimans & Marine Band of the Royal Netherlands Navy, Christian McBride’s New Jawn, Tomasz Stanko / Enrico Rava Quintet, Miles Mosley and the West Coast Get Down, John Beasley presents MONK’estra, Bokanté, and Xenia Rubinos.
Sunday 9 July: Jamiroquai, Erykah Badu, Maceo Parker, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, Van Morrison, Madeleine Peyroux, Mavis Staples, Metropole Orkest with Cory Henry & Jacob Collier, Ambrose Akinmusire, Echoes With A Friend: McCoy Tyner Trio with special guests Craig Taborn & Geri Allen, Kamasi Washington and The Next Step, Robert Glasper Experiment, The Cinematic Orchestra, Taj Mo: The Taj Mahal & Keb Mo Band, Steve Lehman Sélébéyone, Wolfgang Muthspiel Quintet, Steve Coleman, The New Power Generation Celebrating Prince.
For more info go to: http://www.northseajazz.com/nl/
Read last year’s interview with the festival director, Jan Willem Luyken: http://www.soulandjazzandfunk.com/interviews/3952-behind-the-north-sea-jazz-festival-its-director-jan-willem-luyen-talks-to-sjf-about-this-years-exciting-line-up.html
