The Latvian Radio Big Band will be celebrating the lifetime achievement of the great jazz pianist Oscar Peterson! This is reflected in the approximately 200 albums he has recorded in a wide range of creative collaborations with Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Nat “King” Cole, and other greats. Peterson’s mastery has been recognised with a UNESCO Prize for Music and eight Grammy Awards. "The Maharajah of the keyboard" – that's how his colleague Duke Ellington described him. The concert is supported by the Embassy of Canada in Latvia and a special guest of the programme is Canadian bass player Andrew Downing.
"American Jazz Night” at the Spīķeri Concert Hall – a concert series focusing on the birthplace of jazz, the USA, highlighting the legends of jazz music, especially big band music.

The concert pays tribute to the great Duke Ellington — legendary jazz composer, pianist, and big band leader — who, alongside Louis Armstrong and Charlie Parker, is considered one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time. Ellington himself preferred to call his music “American music” rather than jazz.
Listeners will have the opportunity to hear instrumental works such as Such Sweet Thunder, Caravan, and Sophisticated Lady, as well as pieces like In a Mellow Tone, In a Sentimental Mood, and I Like the Sunrise, performed by Jānis Strazdiņš and the Latvian Radio Choir Ensemble.
The Latvian Radio Big Band and the Latvian Radio Choir do not often perform together, making this a unique opportunity to hear both ensembles in a program created especially for this combination. A further unifying element is Juris Kļava, an outstanding Latvian jazz pianist, composer, and arranger — and the father of Sigvards Kļava, the longtime conductor of the Latvian Radio Choir.
The program includes several Duke Ellington compositions arranged by Juris Kļava for trio and quartet, with big band instrumentation arranged by Kārlis Vanags, the musical director of the Latvian Radio Big Band. For this concert, Kārlis Vanags has also created an entirely new composition titled Duke’s Point of View.

Vocalist Ralfs Eilands and the Latvian Radio Big Band will share the stage once again! The concert programme will include songs and compositions from the "Cits Pauls" (“Another Pauls”) programme, which presents the works of maestro Raimonds Pauls in new arrangements. Music lovers will also have the opportunity to hear original music by Ralfs Eilands and compositions by funk and soul music coryphées. Ralfs Eilands is one of the best-known vocalists in Latvia. “A musical prodigy” – that's what music reviewer Uldis Rudaks calls Ralfs.
Once a month, the Spīķeri Concert Hall transforms into a world-class jazz club, and guests enjoy a relaxed atmosphere at tables where they are served snacks specially prepared by chef Lauris Aleksejevs. The Radio SWH Jazz Club, along with the musicians of the Latvian Radio Big Band, welcomes world-class stars such as American trombonist Marshall Gilkes, Grammy Award-winning jazz pianist John Beasley, as well as Latvian jazz legends including Maestro Raimonds Pauls and guitarist Aivars Hermanis. Vinyl DJ Mareks Ameriks is in charge of the concert venue's musical atmosphere; additionally, Jersika Records runs a record stand. During the events, visitors can purchase additional refreshments of their choice at the café.

Georgia Cécile holds the awards as UK Jazz Act Of The Year and Jazz FM Vocalist of the Year 2022. "She is currently one of the main figures among the new wave of British crossover artists. She has the rare ability to move audiences wherever she performs with her unique vocal timbre and the emotional depth of her singing," says Jazz FM. "Georgia is the current leader of the London jazz talent scene," reports EQUATEMAGAZINE.
Special guest: singer Edgars Ošleja! The opera singer is distinguished by his wide vocal range and emotional performance, and made his debut on the Latvian National Opera stage in 2015. Edgars Ošleja received the country's most important music award – the Great Music Award – in 2021 in the category “Young Artist of the Year”.
Georgia will return to Riga to join the Latvian Radio Big Band and Edgars Ošlejs on stage to sing her originals as well as legendary holiday tunes.