Concert information
| Festival | North Sea Jazz Festival |
| Date | 07/11/2026 (also see 07/10/2026 and 07/12/2026) |
| Venue | Ahoy |
| City | Rotterdam |
| Country | The Netherlands |
| Line-up (witnessed) | Song Yi Jeon Quartet & Samulnori Newdot, Joe Bonamassa & Metropole Orkest, MRCY, Boogie Monster, Lee Ritenour And Friends, Seu Jorge, Jonathan Jeremiah, Open Stage (vol.4), Maxwell, Ghost-Note, Celeste, BLK ODYSSY, Steam Down |
Rating
Day 2 of my favourite festival.
Oud player Anouar Brahem was beautiful and, at times, deeply moving, but just a little too restrained for my taste. Cheick Lô, on the other hand, was exactly what I needed. Wonderful music with a deeply African soul, I’m so happy I finally had the chance to see him perform! Fatoumata Diawara was a late addition to the programme, but the African singer’s music too often felt rather generic. A pity, because she has a beautiful voice and the charisma to keep an audience fully engaged.
After catching Turkish saxophonist Mete Erker, whose jazz was just a bit too challenging for me (although the musicians themselves seemed thoroughly pleased with their performance), it was time for Thundercat. In a single word: wow! The opening was absolutely overwhelming. Thunderous drums, played by an otherworldly drummer, who soon launched into a Hot For Teacher-style shuffle. Thundercat soloed like a maniac over the relentless beat. Beautiful and exhilarating. However, a large part of the audience was completely taken aback and headed straight for the exits. Thundercat, though, spent the entire concert doing exactly what he came to do: playing the music he wanted to play, the music he loved, and the music he wanted to share with the audience. A truly wonderful experience!
After a brief visit to Adekunle Gold (great fun!), I headed to Flea, who seems to have embarked on an entirely new career. His trumpet playing may not be at the very highest level, but it is full of emotion and feeling. It’s admirable that he has taken this step and dared to pursue it, even if he can’t completely let go of his bass guitar, which in this setting proves to add less than it does as part of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
After seeing Alex Isley, who delivered a solid performance and possesses an absolutely stunning voice, I made my way to the colourful and eclectic Sun Ra Arkestra. Musically, they no longer resemble the original and have evolved into something of a big-band swing orchestra—but what an orchestra! An immensely enjoyable show that was also surprisingly intimate and full of emotion. A wonderful way to end the day.
Just like yesterday, I skipped a number of performances today because I had already seen the artists before (at North Sea Jazz), including Marcus Miller and Selah Sue. I wasn’t interested in seeing Charlie Puth (whose hit We Don’t Talk Anymore always takes me back to my youngest son’s childhood, he absolutely loved that song) or Burna Boy.
| Artist | Seen whole show? | Rating |
| Anouar Brahem | Nee | |
| Cheikh Lô | Nee |  |
| Fatoumata Diawara | Nee |  |
| Mete Erker Trio +1 | Nee |  |
| Thundercat | Ja |  |
| Adekunle Gold | Nee | |
| Flea and the Honora Band | Nee | |
| Alex Isley | Nee | |
| Sun Ra Arkestra | Nee | |
Setlist
Thundercat
Children Of The Baked Potato / Candlelight / No More Lies / Uh Uh / Funny Friends / I Wish I Didn’t Waste Your Time / A.D.D. Through The Roof / Anakin Learns His Fate / Walking On The Moon / Funny Thing / Them Changes
Flea and the Honora Band
Imagine / Good Night Darius / Traffic Lights / Shred Of Hope / Wichita Lineman / Frailed / Golden Wingship / A Plea / Morning Cry / Free As I Want To Be / Thinkin Bout You / Maggot Brain
Sun Ra Arkestra
(incomplete) Springtime Again / Door Of The Cosmos / Way Down Yonder In New Orleans / Love In Outer Space / Yesterdays / Nuclear War / They Plan To Leave / We Travel The Spaceways
Concert ticket
North Sea Jazz Poster Competition 2026
North Sea Jazz Festival 2026 Poster Competition 1st-Prize
