So this is your last chance to experience the biggest indoor jazz festival in the world where 60,000 people turn up to pack the Netherlands Congress Centre's 15 stages and 235 concerts. Nothing is really comparable. Due to it's size, duration and standing amongst musician and fans, it really does justice to all styles of jazz on offer, be it African, big band, contemporary, modern, be bop, experimental, avant-garde, soul jazz, fusion, hot club, free-improvised, Latin, mainstream, New Orleans, trad, vocal, world, dixieland, funk and many more.

In a small way, just to prove the point, check out the some of the performances filmed at the festival last year; Amp Fiddler looks as amazing as when he was at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival (see below link).

This year Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock, Jack DeJohnette trio will be performing a special 30th Anniversary Concert on Wednesday 6th July as a warm up to the main event. The usual high quality big names will be in attendance. Many have featured on FLY. If I was going I would try and see Roisin Murphy, Matthew Herbert, Maceo Parker, the Super Session George Duke Band, Billy Cobham, Roy Hargrove, Silhouette Brown, Dwight Trible, The Mars Volta, Moodymann, Andrew Hill Big Band and the Dutch Jazz Orchestra. And if I did, have a look for yourself what I'd also be missing. It is nothing less than awesome.

Due to its high profile, some artists seem to come back on an annual pilgrimage whilst others can wait many years before they return. Truly international line-ups have meant that musicians and bands that have appeared read as an 'A to Z' of jazz and jazz-related music. If I may indulge in a few personal highlights of my past visits, for example, the Richie Cole and Hank Crawford Quintet, JTQ, Airto and Philip Catherine, Larry Coryell, Bobby McFerrin in the large outdoor tent, Gig for Kids (1997), Angie Stone, St. Germain, Gilles Peterson's all-dayer in the basement, Benji B, Wibutee, Beady Belle, Bugge Wesseltoft, Michael Franti, Andy Bey. Half the fun is in happening upon the countless other musicians that you hear walking around all the halls and even regretting not seeing other great musicians that clash with the gig you are actually watching. It all adds to the jazz hedonism vibe.

So it is with regret the festival organizers bid farewell to the Congresgebouw, Den Haag and it's off to the multi-purpose Ahoy Complex in Rotterdam for the new location in 2006. Hopefully, there with be equally good cultural 'finds' in Rotterdam as the Panorama Mesdag in addition to some excellent jazz. I'll let the dust settle and plan to turn up in 2007 on my own personal pilgrimage. I can't wait until then but if you're going this year, I'll be (enviously) thinking of you. Lets have a report.

Links:
North Sea Jazz Festival 2005
Amp Fiddler and other performances in the Paulus Potterhall and the Mondriaan Hall 2004
North Sea Jazz History
Panorama Mesdag