Galaxy of stars at North Sea Jazz


                                                                                                  

Featuring Tony Bennett, Van Morrison, Lenny Kravitz and D’Angelo

 

The 37th edition of the North Sea Jazz Festival, the world’s largest indoor jazz festival with the highest concentration of concerts, is once again presenting a spectacular programme this year. It showcases performances by world-class artists including Van Morrison, Tony Bennett and Rufus Wainwright and his band. The opening night concert will star Lenny Kravitz. The festival will take place on 6, 7 and 8 July at Ahoy Rotterdam and is expected to attract between 65,000 and 70,000 visitors.


Diverse line-up
This year’s North Sea Jazz Festival is looking forward to welcoming more than a thousand artists who will together provide 150 performances. The highly diverse programme offers something for every music lover. D’Angelo is returning to the festival twelve years after his legendary debut at North Sea Jazz. Michael Kiwanuku, who won the BBC Sound of 2012 award earlier this year, will also take to the stage. The festival will furthermore boast performances by top artists such as Robert Cray, Brad Mehldau, Jill Scott, Joe Bonamassa, Hugh Laurie, George Benson and Rumer. The line-up also features performances by leading Dutch artists including Caro Emerald, Benjamin Herman and The Kyteman Orchestra. Eric Vloeimans, a Rotterdam native and popular guest performer at the festival, is entering into an extraordinary partnership this year with celebrated Syrian clarinettist Kinan Azmeh and internationally acclaimed Sri Lankan pianist Dinuk Wijeratne.

New and special projects
North Sea Jazz has also created space for a large number of special projects again this year. Nights on Earth will showcase the Metropole Orchestra conducted by Vince Mendoza with musicians from around the globe including Americans John Scofield and Joe Lovano, Vietnamese-French guitarist Lê Nguyên and Brazilian-Dutch vocalist Lilian Vieira. North Sea Jazz is once again presenting a brilliant tribute to Miles Davis under the title Miles Smiles. The band will comprise Kenny Garrett, Robben Ford, Joey DeFrancesco, Darryl Jones and Omar Hakim who each played with the legendary Miles as band members at different times. Special attention will also be paid to new developments through three special themes: Jazz in de Third Space, New Urban Jazz and Clean Feed Records. The progressive Portuguese label Clean Feed is marking its tenth anniversary. A number of artists who are signed under the label will be playing at the festival, including American pianist Angelica Sanchez and French guitarist Marc Ducret. 
 
North Sea Round Town
The entire city of Rotterdam will be filled with jazz from 22 June during the run-up to the North Sea Jazz Festival. This year will see the seventh edition of the city-wide North Sea Round Town jazz festival. Visitors to Rotterdam will have the opportunity to enjoy some two hundred free concerts that will highlight extensive young talent. The two festival weeks will also be packed with jam sessions, street performances, exhibitions, master classes, lectures and after-parties throughout the city. Rotterdam artists such as Ntjam Rosie, Eric Vloeimans, Sabrina Starke, Kim Hoorweg, and Artvark Saxophone Quartet & John Buijsman will all take to the stage. Stars such as The Impossible Gentlemen, Alain Clark, Hans Dulfer and Giovanca will also perform live. The North Sea Round Town kicks off on 22 June with the Jazz Day, it is the preeminent networking event for jazz-lovers from across the Netherlands and boasts 25 showcase concerts. A highpoint is Down Town Round Town, a swinging jazz route through downtown Rotterdam on 30 June. The Dutch Jazz Competition will take place on the same day. The North Sea Round Town festival will be held from 22 June through 8 July.
 

Tickets and more information
Click here for more information about the North Sea Jazz Festival and an impression of last year’s event. Day tickets for the North Sea Jazz Festival cost € 79.00 (excluding fees and charges) and 3-day tickets cost €189.00 (excluding fees and charges). For more information and tickets sales, please visit www.northseajazz.com. Please go to www.northseajazzhotels.com for hotel reservations. For additional information about travel, accommodation and tourism in Rotterdam, please visit Rotterdam Marketing at www.rotterdam.info.

Note for the editors, not for publication:

Rotterdam Marketing can, free of charge, be of service by sending you information and copyright-free pictures or devise a tailor-made programme. We can establish contacts with relevant parties in Rotterdam, arrange access and/or interviews, hotel accommodation or organise personal guided tours.

If you require further information, please contact Kim Heinen, press officer Rotterdam Marketing.
T: +31 (0) 10 205 15 00, E: k.heinen@rotterdam-marketing.nl W: www.rotterdam.info

Contact // Press

Feel free to contact the Rotterdam Marketing press office

Judith Boer (press officer)
Kim Heinen (international press coordinator)
T:  +31 10 - 790 01 40
E: pers@rotterdam-marketing.nl

 

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