First wave of artists for NN North Sea Jazz Festival’s 50th anniversary
On 10, 11, and 12 July, we'll be celebrating our 50th anniversary with acts like Charlie Puth, Jalen Ngonda, John Legend, Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Marcus Miller presents We Want Miles!, The Isley Brothers, and Frenna & The Gang. The Roots will also be playing at Rotterdam Ahoy, featuring special guests Bilal and Jon Batiste, who will each be performing, as will drummer Questlove. Single-day tickets go on sale this Saturday, January 31, at 10:00 AM.
On 16 July, it will be exactly 50 years since North Sea Jazz first opened its doors, back then in The Hague. The festival began with six halls, three hundred musicians, and around nine thousand visitors. That first year, legends like Sarah Vaughan, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, and Stan Getz took the stage. Since then, North Sea Jazz has grown into a leading international event and an icon of jazz music. Today, with 17 stages, around 1,300 artists, and 90,000 visitors from all corners of the world, the festival offers a broad spectrum of jazz and related genres.
We celebrate our anniversary by embracing the present, looking ahead, and also reflecting on the past. Current names include esperanza spalding, Snarky Puppy with the Metropole Orchestra, Diana Krall, Joshua Redman, Amaro Freitas, James Brandon Lewis Quartet, and Asaf Avidan. Artists like Alex Isley, Carrtoons, Sienna Spiro, Patricia Brennan, SML, and Mei Semones represent the sound of tomorrow. From the very beginning, the festival has made space for major innovators. This year in Rotterdam, artists such as Pat Metheny, Steve Coleman, Cassandra Wilson, Nils Petter Molvær Khmer, and Sun Ra Arkestra, who also performed at the very first edition 50 years ago.
The complete first list of performing artists is as follows:
Friday, July 10:Asaf Avidan • Bilal • Diana Krall • esperanza spalding • Grace Bowers • Jalen Ngonda • James Brandon Lewis Quartet • Jon Batiste • Joshua Redman Quartet • Patricia Brennan Septet • Questlove & Friends • Sienna Spiro • Snarky Puppy & Metropole Orchestra conducted by Jules Buckley • Steve Coleman & Five Elements • The Isley Brothers • The Roots with special guests Bilal and Jon Batiste • Vincen Garcia
Saturday, July 11:Alain Pérez y la Orquesta • Adekunle Gold • Alex Isley • Amaro Freitas Trio • Anouar Brahem 'After the Last Sky' with Django Bates, Anja Lechner and Mats Eilertsen • Bill Frisell Trio & Greg Tardy • Cassandra Wilson • Charlie Puth • Estrella Morente • Incognito • Joy Crookes • Kiefer • Marcus Miller presents We Want Miles! with Mike Stern, Bill Evans, Mino Cinelu, Russell Gunn, Brett Williams, and Anwar Marshall • NILS PETTER MOLVÆR - KHMER • Riley Mulherkar Quartet • Selah Sue and The Gallands • Sun Ra Arkestra
Sunday, July 12:Adrian Younge • Annie & The Caldwells • Carrtoons • Charles Lloyd Quartet • Fred Hersch Trio • Frenna & The Gang • Hiromi's Sonic Wonder • John Legend • Kris Davis Trio • KWN • Mari Froes • Mei Semones • Nate Smith • Nile Rodgers & CHIC • Pat Metheny Side-Eye III+ • RYMDEN - Bugge Wesseltoft, Dan Berglund, Magnus Öström • SML
More names will be announced at a later date.
