Nikki Yanofsky
Genre: VOCAL JAZZ/POP
Ella Fitzgerald is the idol of twenty-year-old Canadian singer Nikki Yanofsky. At a very early age she was able to sing the old jazz diva’s songs down to the smallest detail; an art that took on a serious form when the beautiful tribute album Ella… Of Thee I Swing was released in 2008. Since then, Yanofsky has been standing more and more on her own two feet. She has worked with famous names like Elton John and Wyclef Jean, in 2010 she sang in her own country at the opening of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver and now she is ready, under the wing of her mentor Quincy Jones, to take the next step in the direction of world fame. It looks like that will be a giant step: on her second album Little Secret Yanofksy successfully constructs a bridge between jazz and pop as only the greatest talents have done before.
Alfredo Rodriguez and The Invasion Parade
Genre: LATIN JAZZ
On the intercession of music icon Quincy Jones, the young, classically trained pianist Alfredo Rodriguez is coming to North Sea Jazz once again. In 2009, Rodriguez, who is in his twenties, left Cuba for the US where he sought political asylum. In 2014, he explored his roots in his abandoned homeland on his album The Invasion Parade, produced by Quincy Jones. The son of a famous Cuban television celebrity, Rodriguez shows on the album just how varied Cuban music culture is; the album brings together influences from genres like country and Afro-Cuban music. He is a virtuoso who plays the piano elegantly. Rodriguez also performed at the North Sea Jazz Festival in 2010, but this time he is bringing along the quintet with whom he recorded his latest album. And he is ready for a large stage!
Andreas Varady
Genre: Bebop/Fusion
Slovakian-Irish guitarist Andreas Varady is a mere sixteen years old but his mentor Quincy Jones calls him one of the most talented musicians on the planet. Jones is bringing his protégé to the North Sea Jazz Festival this summer so that the teenager can introduce Dutch audiences to his gifted playing. The guitarist in jeans and sneakers was born in Slovakia in 1997 and later moved with his Romany family to Ireland where he made a name for himself on the streets of Cork and Limerick as a seven year-old child. His star has risen rapidly since then. Varady, who is often compared to George Benson, has played with well-known guitarists like Lee Ritenour and Frank Vignola and has performed at prestigious festivals like the Montreux Jazz Festival. Young Varady is a talent to keep an eye on.
