John Legend — North Sea Jazz Festival, 2015

Full concert by John Legend at the North Sea Jazz Festival, recorded at Rotterdam Ahoy on 11 July 2015, from the festival’s official archive. An American singer, pianist and songwriter, John Legend is one of the great soul and R&B voices of his generation, a self-professed heir to the tradition of socially conscious singers like Curtis Mayfield and Marvin Gaye. This full concert comes in the wake of the worldwide triumph of All of Me and the Academy Award won for Glory, co-written with rapper Common. Backed by a full band — brass section, backing vocals, guitar, keyboards, bass and drums — Legend runs through a repertoire mixing intimate ballads and livelier numbers, carried by a voice of remarkable range and refined piano playing. For fans of soul and R&B, this live filmed concert at one of Europe’s most prestigious jazz festivals offers a brilliant testimony to the talent of a complete artist, captured in excellent audio and visual conditions, at the height of his international acclaim.