Line up
North Sea
Jazz 2018
announced

Today we announce the lineup of the upcoming edition. Over 150 performances in total will take place in the weekend of July 13, 14 and 15, spread out over 15 stages.
Special attention is given this year to the British jazz scene, which flourishes in a unique way. A DIY mentality, a combination of forces and a free spirit characterize British initiatives of recent years. The first-rate music is incredibly raw, energetic and danceable, and reflects the many cultures that have come together in the United Kingdom in an exciting way. Representatives of this UK jazz scene at the festival include Moses Boyd, Nubya Garcia, Dinosaur and Sons of Kemet.

Jazz by Ed van der Elsken
Between 1955 and 1961 Ed van der Elsken visited and photographed the famous late night jazz concerts at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw by renowned artists such as Chet Baker, Thelonious Monk, Ella Fitzgerald, and Art Blakey. A selection of photographs from the collection of the Nederlands Fotomuseum will be shown at the festival.

Composition assignement
Every year the North Sea Jazz Festival commissions a promising Dutch jazz composer to write a free composition. In 2018, the honour goes to pianist and composer Philipp Rüttgers. The jury motivates its decision to award Rüttgers the Composition Assignment as follows: “We are impressed by the large wealth of ideas and composing style of Rüttgers, which is colorful, dynamically varied and also has an interesting rhytm.” Rüttgers is seen as a musical explorer who plays and writes music in an unconventional, surprising and perceptive way, continuously taking new musical paths. For the Composition Assignment Rüttgers will take the listener to revisit fairy tales by Hans Christian Andersen, giving them voice in a composition entitled HC Andersen Uncensored. Philipp Rüttgers will premiere his composition on Friday in Madeira.

Special projects
As ever, the festival presents a number of special projects and collaborations. Creative new urban jazz hero Robert Glasper compiled a super band with trumpeter Chris-tian Scott, bassist Derrick Hodge and multi talents Terrace Martin and Taylor McFerrin. The happy music performed in Amazon on Saturday is known by many under the title Jazz Loves Disney. This project, originally from France, consists of two albums released on the Verve label. Classic hits from animated movies like Lady And The Tramp and The Little Mermaid have received a big band overhaul and will be performed by Hugh Coltman, Myles Sanko, Sarah McKenzie and China Moses, among others. Trumpeter Ibrahim Maalouf will honor the Queen of Sheba symphonically with none other than singer Angélique Kidjo on Sunday.