Swamp Dogg · North Sea Jazz Festival · 2010
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Live video · Soul · 2010s
Swamp Dogg — North Sea Jazz, 2010
Why this recording
Premiered in August 2026, sixteen years after the event, this North Sea Jazz archive shows Swamp Dogg on the Congo stage at Ahoy on 10 July 2010, in a slot billed from 9:15 to 10:30 pm, of which the video keeps 57 minutes. Setlist.fm lists a Bee Gees cover that night, “I've Gotta Get a Message to You”, along with “Total Destruction to Your Mind” and “The World Beyond”. Swamp Dogg himself shared an excerpt from the concert, “I Was Born Blue”, on his Facebook page.
Simon Janvier, live-sound professional and editor of the catalogue
A full concert filmed on July 10, 2010 at the North Sea Jazz Festival, at Ahoy Rotterdam, this live capture stages Swamp Dogg, a cult and singular figure of American soul. Born Jerry Williams Jr. in 1942 in Virginia, a singer, keyboardist, songwriter and producer, he adopted the Swamp Dogg alias in 1970 with the album Total Destruction to Your Mind, known for its outspoken lyrics on racism and social hypocrisy. On the festival stage, he is surrounded by a full band: backing vocalist Vera Cross, a horn section (Mike Hendrix, Bart Lust, Dirk Beets), guitarist “Lucky” Lloyd Wright, keyboardist Michael Murphy, bassist Steve “Stoney” Dixon and drummer Craig Kimbrough. This full concert offers a rare document of an artist both marginal and essential, whose political, off-kilter soul continues to inspire hip-hop producers. A reference live capture, to watch online, to discover a little-known corner of American soul. This full concert, filmed at Ahoy Rotterdam in 2010, can be watched online from start to finish.
Personnel & credits
- Swamp Dogg — vocals, keyboards
- Vera Cross — vocals
- Patty Gaddum — backing vocals
- Rebekka Ling — backing vocals
- Mike Hendrix — horns
- Bart Lust — horns
- Dirk Beets — horns
- 'Lucky' Lloyd Wright — guitar
- Michael Murphy — keyboards
- Steve 'Stoney' Dixon — bass
- Craig Kimbrough — drums
What to watch next
Same place: North Sea Jazz Festival
2016 The Roots
The Roots — North Sea Jazz Festival, 2016
2023 Buddy Guy
Buddy Guy — North Sea Jazz Festival, Rotterdam, 2023
1992 Latin American All Stars
Latin American All Stars — North Sea Jazz Festival, The Hague, 1992
1995 Arturo Sandoval & The Latin Train
Arturo Sandoval & The Latin Train — North Sea Jazz, 1995
Same ground: Soul, the 2010s
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