Copenhagen Jazz Festival

The Copenhagen Jazz Festival is an annual Jazz event, taking place in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, each July. Copenhagen Jazz Festival was established as a festival in 1979, but already from 1964 Tivoli Gardens presented a series of concerts under the name Copenhagen Jazz Festival with Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis and many others.

The founding of Copenhagen Jazz Festival in 1979 is closely linked to the jazz scene that evolved in Copenhagen in the 1960s, when the city served as a European home for American jazz musicians like Dexter Gordon, Ben Webster and Kenny Drew. An inspired music scene attracted even more American musicians and educated and inspired the whole Danish scene as well.

Through the 70s jazz music expanded in terms of genres and audiences, and reaching 1978 lawyer and project manager Poul Bjørnholt (from Københavns City Center) took the initiative to Copenhagen Jazz Festival, when realizing how local jazz clubs, public spaces, theaters and large venues could contribute to this collabarative event.

From 1979 and until the 90s the festival grew at a steady pace - making room for both international artists and local bands. According to reports, the total attendance during the 2004 festival was 240,000 people. In 2006 the number of concerts increased to 850 and today Copenhagen Jazz Festival numbers more than 100 venues, 1100 concerts and approximately 260,000 guests, making it one of Copenhagen's most important public festivals and one of the largest music events in Europe.

Musicians who have performed at the Copenhagen Jazz Festival include Sonny Rollins, Oscar Peterson, Ray Charles, Michel Petrucciani, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Keith Jarrett, Wayne Shorter, Dizzy Gillespie, John Scofield, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Michel Camilo, Ornette Coleman, Annette Peacock, Svend Asmussen Quartet, Richard Bona, Tony Allen, Chick Corea and Daniel Puente Encina.

Venues : Copenhagen Jazzhouse, Jazzhus Montmartre, Tivoli Gardens, Statens Museum for Kunst, Royal Danish Theatre & Copenhagen Opera House

Line Ups (headliners)

1979 - Benny Waters, Bob Brookmeyer / Jim Hall, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald / Joe Pass, Horace Parlan / Doug Raney Quartet & Oscar Peterson - Stephane Grapelli - Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Ron Carter Quartet, Weather Report & Sonny Rollins Quintet

1980 - Art Farmer Quartet, Brecker Brothers, Dizzy Gillespie Quartet, Freddie Hubbard Quintet, George Adams /Don Pullen Quartet, John Lee Hooker, Ray Charles, Stan Getz Quintet & Jan Garbareks Orkester

1981 - Art Pepper Quartet, Bennie Wallace Trio, Chick Corea Quartet, Chico Freeman, Gil Evans Orchestra, Brecker Brothers w. Janne Schaffer a.o. & Herbie Hancock Quartet

1982 - Bennie Carter Group, Jack Walrath Group, Joe Pass /NHØP Duo, Kenny Drew solo piano, Palle Mikkelborg's Entrance & Benny Carter

1983 - Art Blakey and His Jazz Messengers, Bobby McFerrin Solo and Baden Powell Solo, Charles Lloyd Quartet, Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Jordan Solo Piano, Jan Garbarek Group & Kenny Drew Solo Piano

1984 - Gilberto Gil Brazilian Group, Kenny Drew's Trio, Mose Allison Trio, NHØP Trio, Randy Brecker Band, Randy Brecker /Eliane Elias Group, Duke Jordan / Jesper Lundgaard Duo, Stanley Clarke / Miroslav Vitous Duo & Johnny Griffin / Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis Group

1985 - Baltimore Peabody Ragtime Ensemble, Bob Moses Group, Count Basie Orchestra, Gilberto Gil Group - Support Frontline, Jack DeJohnette Special Edition & Jamaaladeen Tacuma Group, Jimmy Witherspoon / Dee Dee Bridgewater Group, Joe Pass / NHØP Duo, McCoy Tyner Trio & Etta Cameron Jazzgroup

1986 - Carla Bley Band, David Sanborn Group, Gil Evans Orchestra, John Scofield Group, Wayne Shorter Quartet, Betty Carter Trio & John Tchicai Quartet

1987 - Airto Moreira / Flora Purim Duo, Chick Corea, Gary Burton Group, Gato Barbieri Group w. Bernard Purdie, John Scofield Group, Ornette Coleman & His Prime Time Band w. special guest Don Cherry, Stan Getz Quartet, Kenny Drew / Jesper Lundgård & Manhattan Transfer

1988 - Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Horace Silver Quintet, Michel Petrucciani / Gary Peacock / Roy Hanes, Lee Konitz / Joe Pass duo & Dizzy Gillespie Big Band

1989 - Allegro (USSR), Betty Carter and her trio, Denny Christianson Big Band (CA), Michael Brecker Band, Monty Alexander & his Ivory and Steel Jamboree, New Music Orchestra 1989, Roy Rogers and the Delta Rhythm Kings & Super Diamono de Dakár (Senegal)

1990 - Dizzy Gillespie + United Nation Orchestra, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Michael Brecker Band, Palle Mikkelborg 'Journey to…', Gary Burton Quintet & Wayne Shorter Group

1991 - Enrico Pieranunzi Trio, David Sanborn Band feat. Kenny Kirkland, Tom Barney, Al Foster, Don Alias, Kip Hanrahan w. Jack Bruce, Michel Camilo Quintet, Yellow Jackets & Michael Franks, Bob Berg, Mike Stern Quartet (USA), Robert Cray Band feat. Memphis Horns, Kip Hanrahan (USA) & Jack Bruce (GB), Abdullah Ibrahim (South Africa) & Joe Lovano/Jim Hall 'Grand Slam'

1992 - Albert King, Return of the Brecker Brothers, The New Music Orchestra, Eliane Elias Group, Fajabefa Nordic Tour '92 feat. Charlie Haden, Jack DeJohnette, NHØP Trio, Steve Coleman Five elements, Chick Corea & Mario Bauza

1993 - Fourmost feat. Jimmy Smith, Herman Riley, Kenny Burrel, Grady Tate, Sonny Rollins, The Wynton Marsalis Septet, Roy Hargrove Quintet, Bill Frisell Band, Dino Saluzzi 'Mojotoro Project', Arturo Sandoval & His Band, Maceo Parker & Roots Revisited (USA), Palle Mikkelborg & Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen Trio, New Orleans Original Brass Band (USA)

1994 - Buddy DeFranco & Terry Gibbs Quintet, Lionel Hampton and His Golden Men of Jazz, Oscar Peterson Trio, Thomas Clausen Trio feat. Gary Burton, Gateway, Abercrombie, Holland, DeJohnette & Mike Stern Group feat. Dave Weckl

1995 - Art Farmer - Benny Golson Jazztet, B.B.King, Blachman Thomas meets Al Agami and Remee, Wynton Marsalis & Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Django Bates & Delightful Precipice, Eddie Harris Jazzfunk Explosion

1996 - Horace Silver Septet, Jan Garbarek Group, Marilyn Mazur's Future Song, Michel Petrucciani, NHØP, m. Renée Røsnes, Ulf Wakenius, Jonas Johansen og Radiopigekoret, Svend Asmussen Quartet, Wayne Shorter Group, Chick Corea, Wallace Roney, Joshua Redman, Chr. McBride & Roy Haynes (US), Abdullah Ibrahim (South Africa) & Joe Lovano/Jim Hall 'Grand Slam'

1997 - Etta Cameron & The Voices of Joy, Arne Domnerus Trio, Herbie Hancock, Svend Asmussen Quartet, James Hardway Group, Joe Lovano Quartet & Maceo Parker

1998 - Barbara Best Singers, Cassandra Wilson, Charles Lloyd Quartet, Joe Louis Walker & The Bosstalkers, Mingus Big Band, NHØP solo & Mats Gustafsson & Keith Rowe

1999 - Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock, Jack DeJohnette, Thomas Franck Quartet, Chick Corea & Origin w. Gary Burton, Ed Thigpen Trio, NHØP Trio, Palle Mikkelborg & Dianne Reeves

2000 - Roy Haynes, Toots Thielemans, Michael Brecker, Pat Metheney & Natalie Cole

2001 - Peter Brötzmann, Marilyn Mazur, Wayne Shorter, Terence Blanchard, Mike Stern, Ray Charles, Richard Bona & Bill Frisell

2002 - Palle Mikkelborg, Ed Thigpen, Finn Ziegler, Maceo Parker, Randy Crawford, Django Bates & Joe Lovano

2003 - Dianne Reeves, Tony Bennett, Tomasz Stanko, Herbie Hancock, Dee Dee Bridgewater & Svend Asmussen

2004 - Danilo Perez, Gilberto Gil, Tomasz Stanko, NHØP & John Scofield

2005 - Chick Corea, Madeleine Peyroux, Curtis Stigers, Pierre Dørge & New Jungle Orchestra & Yusuf Lateef

2006 - Herbie Hancock, Svend Asmussen Quartet, Salif Keita, Tony Allen, Gotan Project, Pat Metheny, Michel Camilo, Richard Bona, Sergio Mendes, Brad Mehldau & Dianne Reeves

2007 - Joshua Redman Trio, Kenny Garret Quartet, Jan Garbarek Group, McCoy Tyner & The Zawinul Syndicate

2008 - Ornette Coleman, Wayne Shorter, Cassandra Wilson, Annette Peacock, Denmark's New Jungle Orchestra, Joe Lovano, Ravi Coltrane, Dave Liebman, Brad Mehldau Trio, Angelique Kidjo, David Murray, Maceo Parker Black Saint Quartet, Jason Moran, Charles Loyd Quartet & The Zawinul Syndicate

2009 - Chick Corea, Blind Boys of Alabama, Dianne Reeves, Lizz Wright, Angelique Kidjo, Simone, Palle Mikkelborg, Bajofondo & Spanish Harlem Orchestra

2010 - Herbie Hancock, Martha Wainwright, Joe Lovano, Caetano Veloso, Marcus Miller & Esperanza Spalding

2011N- Sonny Rollins, Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock & Jack DeJohnette, Bobby McFerrin

2012 - Brad Mehldau Trio, Anoushka Shankar, Miles Smiles & Wayne Shorter Quartet, Choir of Young Believers, Caroline Henderson, The John Scofield Hollowbody Band & Girls in Airports

2013 - Marcus Miller & Richard Bona, Cassandra Wilson, Dianne Reeves, Macy Gray & David Murray Infinity Quartet, Cæcilie Norby, Medeski, Martin & Wood + Becca Stevens

2014 - Gregory Porter, Chick Corea & Stanley Clarke, The John Scofield Überjam Band, Joey DeFrancesco Trio, Tinariwen, Concha Buika, Daniel Puente Encina, Thurston Moore & Mats Gustafsson, Christian McBride Trio, Hiromi, Cæcilie Norby

2015 - Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga, Herbie Hancock & Chick Corea, Caetano Veloso & Gilberto Gil, Brad Mehldau Trio, Dr. John, Rhiannon Giddens, Savage Rose, Michel Camilo, Salif Keita, Jamie Cullum, Dianne Reeves, Al Jarreau

2016 - Burt Bacharach, Gregory Porter, Pat Metheny, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Richard Bona & Mandekan Cubano, Branford Marsalis Quartet ft. Kurt Elling