The Japanese pianist Aki Takase is a veritable typhoon of power and clarity. Her playing shows what can happen when the European rules of melody, harmony and rhythm come face to face with a distinctly Asian way of thinking!

The two musicians Terje Rypdal and Miroslav Vitous recently found a kindred spirit in the Indian percussionist Trilok Gurtu, who manages to play drums and percussion simultaneously on the drum set he designed himself.

Three of the world's leading jazz guitarists - Charlie Byrd, Barney Kessel and Herb Ellis, tour Europe following their successful Carnegie Hall concert.

The form, rhythm and tone of Rabih Abou-Khalil's music usually follow the pattern of Arabian instrumental music, but for his amazingly cosmopolitan sound Abou-Khalil has created a synthesis of Arabian music with Western classical and jazz idioms.

Live from Paris 1977

ESP 2 is the true legacy of the music of Miles Davis, kept alive by his former sidemen who are now bandleaders in their own right. Together they honor the heritage of the legendary trumpet master.

A programme featuring the children of three celebrated musicians making a name for themselves. With a solid, tongue-in- cheek style, this ensemble knows how to entertain an audience.

"Jazz en clave" is a septet especially put together by Chucho Valdés for the Jazz Open Stuttgart 1999, and features artists like Giovanni Hidalgo, Claudio Roditi and Juan Pablo Torres who together with Michel Camilo belong to the best Latin Jazz…

This programme is based upon the folk music of the South coast fishermen and their reminiscences.

In this performance, Pharoah Sanders, one of the innovators of the saxophone, explores the possibilities of the instrument. This programme includes moments of sounds exploding with rhythmic intensity, plus pieces full of silent excitement.