Trijntje Oosterhuis Sings Burt Bacharach with the Metropole Orchestra and Conductor - Vince Mendoza

This is a Dutch singer. Hence the name, all those consonants and just two vowels in the first name. I know it may seem strange but hold on.


Judith Katrijntje Oosterhuis was born on February 5, 1973 in Amsterdam. She is currently the leading vocalist in The Netherlands.

The short story is that she started out and became a major success in Holland working with her brother in a pop band called Total Touch. As their bio notes: they sold “more than a million records over a four-year period (1996-1999) – in a small country where 80.000 is already considered platinum.” Total Touch was all the rage until Trijntje decided that was not the way she wanted to go with her career.

The short story is t all the rage until Trijntje decided that was not the way she wanted to go with her career.

So she did some solo outings in her transition from the fame/fortune of Total Touch to her next plateau. Another platinum seller was her live album of Stevie Wonder songs. And then record companies showered her with offers. She ended up on EMI/Blue Note.

She produced two albums that had a contemporary urban pop sound. Representative of that direction I’ve included one cut, “All Around The World” from her 2003 self titled album, Trijntje Oosterhuis.

She could have easily gone that way except she was more interested in two other genres: soul and jazz.

Trijntje did a jazz album that focused on the music of Billie Holiday and George Gershwin, big band arrangements with strings. The music was buffed to a radio-friendly sheen and again enjoyed great success.

The cut “Man I Love” is from her 2004 Strange Fruit album which, despite the title, had a romantic and optimistic sound. The album went double-platinum. Then another adult pop album. Back and forth, all commercially successful.

For me this music is one (medium) step removed from expensive wallpaper, by which I mean there is a certain attractiveness to it as background but I don’t find it particularly engaging for serious listening. Nevertheless, I am clearly in the minority of those who have been exposed to these recordings. I suspect my hard jazz heart just doesn’t respond to this direction, which sounds suspiciously like a kissing cousin of smooth jazz.

Next came a major development an album of Burt Bacharach songs—they even got Bacharach to play piano on a couple of cuts. That was both safe and dangerous for a female singer to undertake—safe because so many Bacharach songs had been hits, dangerous because so many of them are indelibly associated with Dionne Warwick.

The gamble paid off big time with a major selling album, 2007’s Look of Love: Burt Bacharach Songbook. “The Look of Love,” “Alfie” and “Anyone Who Had A Heart (Live)” are all from that album. The live version of “Anyone” is a bonus cut on the second edition of Look of Love. FM radio loves this stuff and, to be fair, the production is first rate: real strings, professional arrangements, there is nary a miscue or mistake.

Listen to the intro of “Alfie.” With an eye toward international sales, Trijntje Oosterhuis is now billed as “Traincha.” This is music for baby boomers and the challenge is how does one keep this stuff fresh, especially as its designed to stay on the shelf for years with a long period of appealing to folks in their late forties to early sixties who remember these songs as the music of their youth.

The live cut, “Anyone Who Had A Heart” has a bit more bite to it and as such is more to my taste. Sales were so brisk that Blue Note did what most majors do when they have a winner: they double down and try to cash in. In Trijntje’s case they produced a second album of Bacharach songs, Who’ll Speak For Love (2008).

Enjoy 1 hour of good jazz concert from the no.1 jazz singer of Netherlands and beautiful arrangements of Vince Mendoza. Vince has been notably known from some of the best jazz artists he has been with. Like Herbie Hancock, Joni Mitchell, Joe Zawinul and so on....

Cassandra Wilson - Jazz Festival de Jazz Vitoria, Gazteiz - SPAIN - 2008

Cassandra Wilson is often described as not only an accomplished jazz vocalist and composer but also as a lyricist, producer, musical director, guitarist and pianist. Born in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1955, Cassandra Wilson has been singing and performing since she sang at her brother’s kindergarten graduation at the age of five. The youngest of three children, Wilson began playing the piano and guitar at the age of nine. Cassandra attributes her interest in music to her parents. Her mother, who is a retired elementary school teacher, and father, who is a bass guitarist, often sang to her as a small child. Her father introduced her to jazz . Jazz was not a very popular form of music during the 1960’s, but Cassandra loved it so much that she wanted to share it with others .

A former classmate, Dr. Phillip Nelson, recalls a time when she shared her newfound love for jazz with the entire student body at a Jackson's Powell Junior High School talent show. “You have to remember that at that time the only thing we listened to was R&B, and she got on stage with a guitar and played a type of music no one had really heard before. It was much like a ballad, and although she didn’t get a lot of attention (there was a lot of talking going on), she didn’t get booed off stage either. I was impressed by the courage she demonstrated to sing an alternative selection. She sang well. She had great stage presence, and although she didn’t play anything popular, she was good enough to have people stand there and listen to her, and that’s when I realized that she had broader experiences, at least musically, than most people at that age. She sang that song because she loved it, and she didn’t care if you liked that song or not, and I respected her for that” .

When Cassandra was in the ninth grade, the schools were desegregated in Mississippi. Her ninth and tenth grade years were difficult as Cassandra recalls but were better for the remainder of her high school years. Despite the racial tensions that were present at her new school setting, she eventually adjusted to her environment. In the eleventh grade she got the leading role as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. “ For all the negative aspects, experiencing things that were different from what I knew was also exciting,” says Cassandra in an interview for The Oxford American in it’s 1997 music issue . Obtaining the star role in the high school musical was not the first time Cassandra stepped over the color lines and made a mark for herself and others. During her last years in high school, Wilson formed a musical group with two young men who were both white. “She had difficulty (with classmates) because of the relationship she chose to have, but you had to respect the choice she made.” Wilson saw her interracial music group as a growing period for her life as well as for others. “Music was the way we (blacks and whites) came together. We traded albums at school. I remember hearing James Taylor and then really getting into Joni Mitchell. I turned some of my friends on to jazz they hadn’t heard before” .

After obtaining a degree from Jackson State University in mass communication, Wilson moved from Mississippi to New Orleans and worked as an assistant in Public Affairs at a local television station. In 1982, Wilson moved to New York. She began recording widely in the 80’s initially with Steve Coleman and Henry Threadgill’s New Air group. She became the main vocalist with their M/Base collection. During her first decade in New York, she released seven records on the JMT/Verve label while she also sang on other innovative projects for other singers (Woodworth 31). By 1993 she had sung on ten albums produced by JMT records with a wide variety of New York musicians, including Mulgrew Miller and Greg Osby .

Cassandra music is a bit off-beat jazz with a little twist of Joni Mitchell's style. Her progress in the jazz world has improved a lot and has become one of the best jazz singers today. Her performances here in this concert simply displays her outmost best in jazz singing. Playing along with her most innovataive jazzband. Singing mostly standard jazz and some familiar tunes from her past albums. 1 hour of full entertainment.

Stephane Grappelli Trio - Warsaw Jazz - 1991

Stephane Grappelli was born on January 26, 1908 in Paris, France. After learning to play keyboard instruments, Grappelli took up the violin, later studying it formally. In the mid-20s he played in dance bands in Paris, gradually turning more to jazz. In the early 30s he met Django Reinhardt and with him formed the Quintette du Hot Club de France.

Until this point in his career Grappelli had been playing piano and violin, but now concentrated on the latter instrument. Performances and especially records by the QHCF alerted the jazz world to the arrival of both an intriguing new sound and, in Reinhardt, the first authentic non-American genius of jazz. In these years Grappelli was still learning, and his early popularity was largely as a result of that of his collaborator.

Shortly before the outbreak of World War II Grappelli settled in London, where he played with George Shearing. In the post-war years he worked briefly with Reinhardt again but spent the late 40s and 50s playing to diminishing audiences across Europe. In the 60s he enjoyed a revival of popularity, making records with other violinists such as Stuff Smith and Joe Venuti.

In the early 70s he appeared on UK television performing duets with classical violinist Yehudi Menuhin, and the records they made together sold well. However, Grappelli's real breakthrough to the big time had come when, at the urging of Diz Disley, he made appearances at the 1973 UK Cambridge Folk Festival (accompanied by Disley and Denny Wright). Grappelli was a sensation. For the rest of the decade, throughout the 80s and into the early 90s he was on a non-stop tour of the world, playing the most prestigious venues in the UK, Europe, the USA and the Far East.

In January 1994, he celebrated his 86th birthday in concert with Stanley Black at London's Barbican Hall. He made records with several backing groups, played duets with Gary Burton, Earl Hines, Martial Solal, Jean-Luc Pony and many other leading jazzmen. He also ventured into other areas of music and, in addition to the duets with Menuhin, he has recorded with the western swing fiddler, Vassar Clements.

At ease with a repertoire based upon his early career successes, Grappelli's flowing style steadily matured over the years and the occasional uncertainties of his early work with Reinhardt are long forgotten. Perhaps at odd moments in his later years he seemed to be coasting, yet some of his recorded performances are very good while several of those from the mid- and late 70s are amongst the most distinguished in the history of jazz violin.

Of particular merit are Parisian Thoroughfare, recorded with the rhythm section of Roland Hanna, George Mraz and Mel Lewis, and a set recorded at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London in 1973 when he was backed by Disley and Len Skeat. Grappelli's late flowering much to prompt appreciation of the old tradition of jazz violin playing. His death on December 1, 1997 left a gap in music that is unlikely to ever be filled, and certainly never to be bettered.

In this concert in Warsaw, he was gladly playing all his favorite tunes. Very cool and relaxed, expressing all his effortless jazz playing. The audience loved him. 1 hour of full jazz delight.

RICHARD GALLIANO QUINTET - Live Jazzaldia, Donostia, San Sebastian - Spain 2007

Accordionist Richard Galliano did for European folk -- specifically, the early-20th-century French ballroom dance form known as musette -- what his mentor Astor Piazzolla did for the Argentinean tango. Galliano re-imagined and revitalized a musical tradition, expanding its emotional range to reflect modern sensibilities, and opening it up to improvisation learned through American jazz. In fact, Galliano was more of a jazz musician than a folk one, although he blurred the lines so much that distinctions were often difficult to make. Born in France of Italian stock, Galliano began playing accordion (as his father did) at a young age. He later picked up the trombone, and studied composition at the Academy in Nice; he also fell in love with jazz as a teenager, particularly cool-era Miles Davis and Clifford Brown, and made it his primary focus by the late '60s. Making a living as a jazz accordionist naturally proved difficult; fortunately, after moving to Paris in 1973, he landed a position as conductor, arranger, and composer for Claude Nougaro's orchestra. He remained there until 1976, and went on to work with numerous American and European jazz luminaries, including Chet Baker, Joe Zawinul, Toots Thielemans, Ron Carter, Michel Petrucciani, and Jan Garbarek. After meeting Astor Piazzolla, Galliano refocused on his European heritage, and set about reviving and updating musette, widely considered antiquated at the time. He signed with Dreyfus in 1993, and the label gave him enough exposure to cause a stir first in his home country, then among international jazz and world music fans. Regular recordings followed, some with clarinetist/soprano saxophonist Michel Portal, some with guitarist Jean Marie Ecay, some with his favorite rhythm section of bassist Jean-François Jenny-Clark and drummer Daniel Humair (after Jenny-Clark's untimely death, Rémi Vignolo took his place). In 2001, Dreyfus released Gallianissimo, a compilation drawing from his seven albums for the label.

Watching this live dvd concert held in Spain is magnificently brilliant. Astonishly clever! Richard Galliano's stagerring flawless style will surely amaze everybody. 1 hour of mainstream jazz...

Patti Austin Trio - AVO Session - Live at Basel, Switzerland - 2007

It takes an immense amount of courage to pay tribute to a legend, universally acknowledged as one of the greatest vocalists in contemporary music. And when we’re talking jazz and the singer is the late and much-loved Ella Fitzgerald, it takes a special kind of artist, one who has the instinct, the timing and the talent. Patti Austin has this…and so much more. A milestone in a career filled with accomplishment and achievement, Patti’s superb testament to the first lady of song – is even more amazing in that it was recorded live. No studio tricks or gimmicks but rather in the tradition of Ella herself, a complete performance in front of a live audience. Patti spent two months listening intently to Ella’s catalog and was instantly reminded of the singer’s sheer artistry.

Given her early foundation – as the goddaughter of musical legends Quincy Jones and Dinah Washington – it’s no surprise that Patti has been able to explore almost every genre of music through a career that spans over three decades. The New York-born singer first hit the stage with Washington at the tender age of four, debuting at the world-famous Apollo Theater in Harlem and she vividly recalls seeing Ella and other legendary performers such as Sarah Vaughan and Lena Horne at the famous venue.

A recording artist in her teens, Patti recorded for labels like Decca/Coral, RCA and United Artists and her hard-to-find recordings remain much revered by soul music collectors, particularly in Europe and Japan. After numerous television appearances, more solo recordings and a three-year international tour as a headlining club singer, Patti returned to New York and began applying her vocal skills to the lucrative studio world by doing background vocal sessions and jingles. It wasn’t long before Patti became known as the undisputed “queen” of the New York jingle and session scene. Her voice has been heard on literally hundreds of commercials, behind everyone from Paul Simon, Cat Stevens and Joe Cocker to Bette Midler, Roberta Flack, Luther Vandross and Diana Ross.

With this live DVD performances in AVO Session , Patti Austin can look at her latest accomplishment with much justifiable pride – it is a remarkable achievement, a landmark in an incredible career, a further testament to Patti’s status as a member of that rare breed: a true artist whose creativity knows no limits. An hour of standard jazz music from her latest Trio.

Electric Proms Presents - BURT BACHARACH - 22nd of October 2008 - The Roundhouse, London, England

Burt Bacharach is quite simply, one of the most accomplished popular composers of the 20th Century. In the 1960s and 70s, he was a dominant figure in popular music, writing more than fifty Top 40 hits. In terms of compositional sophistication, his songs stood apart from much of the pop music of the era. Bacharach songs typically boasted memorable melodies, unconventional time signatures and striking chord changes and combined elements of jazz, bossa nova, traditional pop and rock into a sound that was undeniably contemporary.

Bacharach's primary collaborator Hal David provided his music with Tin Pan Alley craft and melodrama. David's unsentimental, bittersweet lyrics offered a striking contrast to Bacharach's soaring melodies. While Bacharach's name in the 1970s became synonymous with elevator music, due in large part to the sheer familiarity of it, a closer listening suggests that his meticulously crafted, technically sophisticated music is anything but easy listening.

Whether or not Hal David and Burt Bacharach will ever collaborate again, the contribution they have already made to popular music cannot be underestimated. Their work was rooted in the tradition of great songwriting teams like Rodgers and Hart, as well as contemporaries like Goffin and King. Yet they took that tradition and carried it forward, their songs charting numerous times in the '60s and continuing to be covered in the '70s, '80s and '90s.

The current interest in their work far transcends any Easy Listening revival and that term seems an inappropriate categorisation for most of the Bacharach/David catalogue. The reason for the enduring success of their material is that they are great songs, both simple and sophisticated, from basic love songs to thoughtful philosophical reflections, pushing the boundaries of pop music while remaining commercial.


You should not miss to watch this DVD concert of Burt Bacharach. Singing all his popular hits during the 60's,70's and the 80's. Almost 1 hour of Bacharach's beautiful love medleys...