Triple Play: Three North Sea Jazz Festival Blindfold Tests

  I  

At the 2018 North Sea Jazz Festival—held July 13–15 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands—DownBeat embarked upon an unparalleled, ambitious plan: Correspondent Dan Ouellette conducted onstage Blindfold Tests with three acclaimed artists during the event.

To read the Blindfold Test with vocalist Kurt Elling, click here.

To read the Blindfold Test with vocalist Jazzmeia Horn, click here.

To read the Blindfold Test with pianist Vijay Iyer, click here. DB



  • Flea_by_Gus_Van_Sant_copy.jpg

    “Cerebral and academic thought is a different way to approach music,” Flea says of his continuing dive into jazz. “I’ve always relied on emotion and intuition and physicality.”

  • 2026_Cecil_McLorin_Salvant_Sullivan_Fortner_Big_Ears.jpg

    Cécile McLorin Salvant busts out Jelly Roll Morton’s “The Murder Ballad” at Big Ears, here with pianist Sullivan Fortner.

  • JAM_posters_-_a_selection_cropped.jpg

    Each of the 25 JAMs has delivered a poster featuring a jazz legend that is sent out to schools across the nation. This year’s poster features Tony Bennett.

  • NikBaertschs_RONIN_by_Christian_Senti.jpg

    “We thought it’s important that Ronin has a new statement,” said Nik Bärtsch of his band’s latest album, Spin. “The sound is differently produced, so it reflects more of who we are.”

  • Stefano_Bollani_by_David_Morresi%3AUmbria_Jazz_copy.jpg

    Bollani demonstrates at the piano during a live Blindfold Test in Umbria, Italy, while writer Ashley Kahn, right, and translator Greg Burk look on.