North Sea Jazz Festival 2026
This was the second year running that I have attended the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam. It so blew me away when I visited it for the first time last year that I just had to go again, especially with it being the event’s 50th anniversary.
Held in the impressive Rotterdam Ahoy! complex, it is the largest indoor music festival in the world with between 85,000 and 90,000 jazz lovers normally attending. It is also in my opinion one of the most civilised. I know of no other festival (jazz or otherwise) quite like it. There is no standing in a muddy field being pelted by rain or baking in the sun with no shelter. The North Sea Jazz Festival is housed across 15 indoor stages, ranging from its four huge concert hall-style stages (Amazon, Nile, Maas and Hudson) to smaller stages more reminiscent of an intimate jazz club.
And the entire complex is air-conditioned, making my visit there in the midst of the heatwave that was raging this year pleasant and relaxing. It also has a wide variety of places to eat offering anything from Flammkuchen to Thai curries, and numerous places to enjoy a great, local Texels beer or non-alcoholic beverage.
A nice touch is that CDs and LPs of all the acts playing there can be bought in the Central Park merchandising area, filed by the day they were playing. Brilliant.
Over its 50-year history, the show has evolved to embrace the many different directions in which jazz has developed. That was reflected in this year’s line-up, with traditional, fusion, free improvisation and even hip-hop-influenced jazz on offer, with around 150 individual performances across its three days, plus lots of local avant-garde Dutch artists. Since 1976, it has hosted legendary names in the jazz world from Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie and Stan Getz to Lee Ritenour and Herbie Hancock.
This year. there were also some interesting interviews with artists in the Central Park area, where I listened briefly to an interview with Marcus Miller and the rest of the Miles Davis Band from the eighties that I went to see later that day.
I allotted two full days to sample this year’s festival. No one could ever see all of the acts playing on a given day, as there can be as many as 10 playing at any one time on different stages. What is great is that as you buy a ‘day ticket’, you are free to wander between gigs as the whim takes you. So what follows is a report on the acts I dropped in to listen to during my visit.
Jalen N’Gonda
My first day got off to a flying start with US artist Jalen N’Gonda (above) playing to a packed house in the huge Nile arena. He is a relative newcomer to the jazz scene and released his debut album Come Around and Love Me in 2023. I have been hearing him a lot on the radio and was keen to see him live. I was not disappointed. His polished, soulful voice has a Motown feel to it and he mainly focused on songs from his latest Doctrine of Love album. He kicked off with a rousing uptempo ballad and wowed the crowds with his powerful, yet smooth, falsetto style that had real soul but with jazzy undertones. His band was also tight and the gig went from one great song to another, all impeccably performed, and it seemed to end all too soon. N’Gonda proved himself a top class act and he made sure I started the festival in style.
Snarky Puppy
Next up for me on the Friday was Snarky Puppy (top image credit Gerard van Duykeren) who were backed for their gig by the Dutch Metropole Orkest. The US group was formed in 2004 and released their first album in 2015, it earned the first of three Grammy awards. I have to say that I expected some kind of hip-hop band, but that is far from the truth as they do a mix of jazz, soul, funk and world music. The 10-piece line-up showed their amazing skills on a variety of horns, guitar, keyboards, violin, drums and percussion and from the first few bars I was mesmerised by their accomplished play and unique sound, which was sensitively backed by the Metropole Orkest. Their programme was varied, from lavish full-on romps to more soulful, slow ballads, all delivered with superb skill and energy. I will certainly be exploring more of their music in the future.
Steve Coleman & Five Elements
The Isley Brothers had been on my list to see but sadly they cancelled at the last minute to be replaced in the Nile arena by the hip-hop-oriented De La Soul. They were not my cup of tea, so I took the opportunity instead to catch a band I did not know, Steve Coleman & Five Elements, on one of the smaller stages. This four-piece band of alto sax (Coleman), trumpet, bass and drums shifted the mood back to a more traditional, free-form style with some stunning interplay between Coleman on alto sax and Jonathan Finlayson on trumpet. I found them thoroughly engaging and enjoyed watching their interplay and flights of fancy. A nice and unexpected departure from that day’s pre-planned schedule.
Robert Glasper Acoustic Trio
Very much a planned stop was the Robert Glasper Acoustic Trio. He came to prominence with his 2005 Blue Note album Canvas, but I discovered him only relatively recently, but knew he was an act I had to see. He did not disappoint. Despite the hip-hop style sampling interventions from the keys guy, Glasper’s easy, skilful, fluid and melodic play on piano was a breath of fresh air and his trio were very tight and perfectly complemented his delivery and melodic, yet improvisational, style. The drummer was excellent too, skilled, agile, powerful and yet with a delicate touch when needed. This was a superb set and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Diana Krall
His gig ended at 9pm but Friday was not over by a long chalk. After grabbing a quick bite, it was on to the next treat. And that was the unique Diana Krall. This Canadian singer/pianist has released nine albums since her 1993 debut with Stepping Out and has won two Grammy awards. Playing to a packed hall, her set was absolutely wonderful. Accompanied by a drummer and bass player, she added her skilful piano play to the mix. Her sultry, smoky, sensual vocal style really did recreate the atmosphere of an intimate jazz club in a large hall. She kicked off with a great uptempo version of It’s Almost Like Being in Love and went on to charm the crowd with beautiful versions of Sunny Side of the Street and I’ve Got You Under My Skin. I found her set enthralling, charming and intimate and was utterly captivated by her unprepossessing vocal style. You should have been there!
Joshua Redman Quartet
The last gig on Friday was one I was particularly looking forward to, namely the Joshua Redman Quartet. Redman launched his career as a sax player in 1991 and debuted at the North Sea Jazz Festival a year later. He moved to the Blue Note label in 2023 when he released Where We Are. I knew he was going to be good, but I was not prepared for the sheer skill, spectacular soaring sax play and sheer exuberance of his performance. His towering sax and energetic, deeply skilful play absolutely blew my mind. He coaxed a range of sounds and textures from his tenor sax that I had never heard before. His power and energy was mind-boggling, but by contrast he showed he could be delicate and soulful, such as on a slower Jobim/Getz number where he started with a Stan Getz vibe, morphed into his own style and feel and then returned to a Getz sound to finish. His set was a thrill and one I will long remember.
Ed Verhoeff 4Tet
Could Saturday outdo the thrill of Friday? Well, I’d be seeing fewer gigs, but among them was one I had been looking forward to immensely, namely Marcus Miller. But with time to kill before that, I decided to drop in on a set from a Dutch guitarist I did not know at all, playing as the Ed Verhoeff 4Tet (above). And was I glad I did, I walked in with no expectations and this gig delivered in spades. Verhoeff has played with other bands on 20 albums, but in 2025 he released his fifth album, Dear Fathers, songs from which made up most of this set. His easy, accomplished style of play immediately brought a smile to my face and I was really impressed by the quality of his compositions. His band was tight and skilful and they all played superbly together. As well as some great smooth jazz sounds, he also played a number with a bluesier feel, where he adapted his guitar style to match. This was a most enjoyable gig, Verhoeff and the band were superb and his is a name I am not going to forget.
Marcus Miller
Next up was the gig I’d most been looking forward to from legendary bassist Marcus Miller, whose theme for this set was ‘We Want Miles!’ to honour the trumpeter’s 100th anniversary year. Miller has played with too many jazz greats to mention, including Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis and even Luther Vandross on the soul side, and has won Grammies as a composer and producer. For this gig, he brought back together the members of the Miles Davis Band from the eighties – namely Bill Evans on sax, Mike Stern on guitar and Mino Cinelu on percussion, supplemented by Russell Gunn on trumpet, Brett Williams on keys and Anwar Marshall on drums.
The set showcased many classic Miles songs, such as Fat Time, My Man’s Gone Now (originally from Porgy and Bess) and the great In A Silent Way. All of the band were exceptional. Gunn played his heart out on trumpet skilfully recreating and honouring the Miles sound, displaying great delicacy and gentleness as well as sheer power and soaring climaxes. Evans was fantastic on tenor and soprano saxes, Stern played brilliantly on guitar and as for Marcus Miller – well, what can I say!
On slower numbers he had a delicacy of touch that fitted the mood well, but when things really started jumping his fingers were a blur on the strings and his signature slapping-and-popping bass style sent tingles down my spine. He really let rip and at times took my breath away. I have never heard him play better. I savoured every moment of this one and wild horses could not have dragged me out of it until the last note had been played.
It should have been guitarist Bill Frisell next but the queues were a mile long and in the end they turned people away. A great shame. (I was fortunate enough to catch him at Love Supreme the week before the North Sea Jazz Festival and was very happy that I did, with his regular rhythm section and a horn player his was the finest act at that fine event, Ed.)
Pat Metheny
Still on a high after Marcus Miller, the vibe and mood for guitarist Pat Metheny’s set was very different. To celebrate the North Sea Jazz Festival’s 50th year, he decided to ‘reimagine’ his debut Bright Size Life album from 50 years ago. And he gave Holland’s Tijn Wybenga’s Brainteaser Orchestra free rein to provide the backing. The set was beautifully executed with sensitive and interesting reworking of the originals. Metheny was mellow, pensive and lyrical and I am pleased to say the orchestra did not overwhelm the mood. It was a stark contrast to the hard-hitting, funkiness and stunning virtuosity of Marcus Miller, but made a most enjoyable interlude before the final gig of the day. I would have liked to stay to hear more, but the one final act beckoned.
Christian McBride, Kenny Barron & Julian Lage
And that was a collaboration between acoustic bass ace Christian McBride, piano legend Kenny Barron and guitarist Julian Lage. And what a way it was to finish my festival experience. This trio brings together top class musicians from three generations, McBride has been a composer, band leader and bassist and has released 20 albums, appearing on 400 recordings and winning 11 Grammies in his 30-year career. Kenny Barron, now 83, has been playing since the fifties and has worked with the likes of Lee Morgan, James Moody and Dizzie Gillespie. The youngest of the trio is guitarist Julian Lage who has released 11 albums and been recognised as one of today’s great guitarists.
McBride kicked off the set with the 1930s Irving Berlin classic How Deep is the Ocean, famously covered by Charlie Parker. Barron delights with his easy, fluid yet authoritative play, Lage joins in with some beautiful, lyrical guitar and then McBride wows with his eloquent, nimble-fingered acoustic bass. They mixed it up with slow and uptempo numbers and their virtuosity and skill impressed technically but never lacked soul. At times, I marvelled at the fast fingers of McBride as he really makes the instrument sing, while his interplay with Barron, whom he admits he has long admired and always dreamed of working with, never failed to delight and surprise. Lage too was not found lacking and his electric guitar was easy, eloquent, beautifully voiced and perfectly complemented the other members of this trio. Each number was greeted by rapturous applause from the audience and at the end of the gig, I was left thinking that we had just witnessed and revelled in what is probably the perfect definition of a jazz trio. I could not have asked for a better way to end my my time at the North Sea Jazz Festival.
All of the above gigs were packed out, with standing room only, and it was good to see young and old in equal numbers. Words cannot fully convey the wonderful experience of being at the North Sea Jazz Festival. The music and musicians are of the highest calibre and it is a privilege to hear them live where they are freed from the restrictions of a recording session and can fully explore their instruments, music and jam with their fellow musicians.
Add to perfect music, a perfect venue with every facility you could hope for and where you can enjoy yourself in air-conditioned comfort, and you have what is probably one of the finest jazz festivals in the world. It may only have been my second year at the festival, but it will not be my last. If you are a jazz fan, you really must check it out.
The North Sea Jazz Festival 2027 will take place at Ahoy! Rotterdam from Friday, July 9 to Sunday, July 11.