Berliner Jazztage

One of Europe's most enduring and influential jazz festivals is now available.

The Berliner Jazztage was one of Europe's most enduring and influential jazz festivals. Founded in 1964 in West Berlin during the Cold War, it was envisioned as a cultural bridge between East and West, showcasing jazz as a symbol of freedom and artistic expression.
Hosting the inaugural festival at the newly completed Berliner Philharmonie, designed by Hans Scharoun, underscored the festival's commitment to innovation and excellence in jazz music. Dr. Martin Luther King contributed a foreword in which he emphasized the power of jazz as a source of strength for the American Civil Rights Movement, “Jazz speaks for life (…) This is triumphant music”.
Famous US-jazz celebrities, such as Duke Ellington, Lionel Hampton, and Gil Evans, set the tone during the first decades. The 1960s and 1970s played a pivotal role in the development of music history and reflect the evolution of the festival’s curation during socio-political developments: By featuring African American jazz musicians, the festival helped introduce these artists to mainstream audiences, fostering greater acceptance and appreciation of their work, and therefore breaking down racial barriers. The Berliner Jazztage became a “Window to the World”.

The first seven programmes have now been upscaled to HD and are ready for delivery. More episodes featuring artists such as Fela Anikulapo Kuti and Africa 70, Joanne Brackeen Trio, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Pat Metheny, Carla Bley will be released in 2026.

Genre Jazz
Recording location Philharmonie Berlin
Duration 44'-56'
Video format HD
Production Company Sender Freies Berlin
TV Director Reiner Bertram, Sigrid Schröder, Dieter Krause, Oskar Krüger
Distribution TV EuroArts Music International
English series title DUKE ELLINGTON AND HIS FAMOUS ORCHESTRA (1969)
English series title DIZZY GILLESPIE QUARTET (1974)
English series title STAN GETZ QUARTET (1974)
English series title GIL EVANS & MCCOY TYNER SEXTET (1976)
English series title FREDDIE HUBBARD QUINTET (1977)
English series title LIONEL HAMPTON ALL STAR BIG BAND (1979)
English series title OREGON (1980)