North Sea Jazz Festival

The North Sea Jazz Festival was created by Dutch Jazz promoter Paul Acket, who in 1976 started what would become the most prestigious Jazz festival in the world. From an initial audience of about 9000, the festival has grown into an international spectacle, with 16 stages presenting 220 acts over a period of three days and over 100,000 people in attendance.

Held in the Hague, on the North Sea in Holland, the annual event was pronounced "The World's Best Jazz Festival" by JazzTimes magazine in 1990 and in '92, the International Organization of Festival Organizers awarded the yearly celebration their prestigious "Fidof Dipolma." Over the past 30 years, participation has continued to grow with literally tens of thousands of musicians and hundreds of thousands of fans coming from around the globe. In 2006 the festival was relocated to Ahoy' Rotterdam.

The North Sea Jazz Festival has become world-renowned for the many musical genres which it offers each year, ranging from traditional New Orleans Jazz, Swing, Bop, Free Jazz, European House, Fusion, Avant Garde and electronic Jazz to Blues, Gospel, Funk, Soul, Grove, HipHop, R&B, World Beat and Latin.

Among the 2010 performing artists are McCoy Tyner Trio, Joe Lovano, Earth Wind and Fire, Diana Krall, Corinne Bailey Rae, Pat Metheny Group, Joss Stone, Sonny Rollins, Norah Jones, Ryan "It gets better" Shaw, Caro Emerald, Eric Vloeimans Fugimundi, the Roots, Jools Holland Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, Waylon, Caetano Veloso, Joshua Redman, David Sanborn, Joey DeFrancesco, Steve Gadd, Sharon Jones and her Dap Kings, Ron Carter Trio, Russell Malone, Mulgrew Miller, Rapper Nas and Damian Marley with more to be announced at a later date.

The 2010 event is held July 9 to 11.

Related Links:
• North Sea Jazz Festival - Official website of the event, products.
• Other Jazz Festivals - AP4J Festival Guide