Favored Nations Presents: NPS -> Output: Jazz, World and Beyond

Official NPS Output Site

Upcoming NPS Events

Official Favored Nations Site

NPS Output is a company that produces concerts and musical collaborations between artists and the 50-Piece Metropole Orchestra in Holland. The performances are masterfully recorded and then aired on National Public Radio in the Netherlands. Favored Nations has teamed up with NPS to bring you some of the most breathtaking Jazz and World music being made today.

The NPS is one of the larger public broadcasting organizations in the Netherlands. Its reason for existence, however, sets it apart. The NPS started broadcasting in 1995, following the Dutch government's decision to transfer a large number of program activities of the NOS (Netherlands Broadcasting Corporation) to a new, independent broadcasting company. These activities are related to areas such as art, culture, youth, and minorities. The amount of attention that the NPS must pay to these areas has been legally quantified: 40 percent of broadcasting time must be allocated to culture, half of which to art. And 20 percent of the programs must be somehow linked to the multicultural society.

Quality and daring are trademarks of the NPS. This results in programs and websites that are appreciated by the viewers as well as by the public opinion. This appreciation is evident in the many awards that the NPS has won at film and television festivals all over the world, including two Oscars for Best Foreign Film, and Prix Italia Awards for various radio and TV programs.

Mike Keneally Record Release Party - Click here to see pictures from the Mike Keneally record release party. For more information on the CD, please click here.

Steve Vai - Aching Hunger - On May 22nd, 23rd, and 24th, Steve Vai performed with the Metropole Orchestra in Holland. Click Here to visit Vai.com for an extensive set of pictures of the event. The performance will also be broadcast in two parts on 4FM Radio (see below for schedule).

9/6/04
4FM Radio Show - Live Internet Broadcast! More Info

4FM started out as a Saturday night show on Radio 4, the music channel in The Netherlands. On an overall classical station, 4FM covers a wide range of subjects: from cross-over, worldmusic, experimental pop to jazz, ethnic music, completed with up-to-date news from the scene. Also, 4FM is the home of the World Music Charts Europe in The Netherlands. During the last few years 4FM has produced impressive musical projects with artists like Terry Bozzio, George Duke, Brian Eno, Mike Keneally, Adrian Sherwood, Steve Vai and Frank Zappa.

4FM will be on air every night from 10:30pm until 1am and can be heard through the NPS website. The first half hour is reserved for the World Music Charts Europe, The following hour will focus on non-western music, live concert recordings (from all of Europe), new releases, interviews Ð you name it, we have it. The last hour, after midnight, is a true jazz hour, with big bands and large ensembles, new releases, own recordings from festivals like the North Sea Jazz Festival and the German International New Jazz Festival Moers, and the kind of new jazz that makes you wonder if it's really jazz Ð or not.

Wherever you are: tune in, enjoy the show, enjoy the music. Here is the upcoming special show schedule:

September 8:
In concert: Steve Vai and The Metropole Orchestra Part One

September 10:
Spotlight on Steve Vai: Steve and Co de Kloet talk about the Aching Hunger.

September 15:
In concert: Steve Vai and The Metropole Orchestra Part Two
Due to the amount of music Steve Vai has written for The Aching Hunger we have decided to start part three of the series based on Vai's orchestral extravaganza EARLIER THAN ANNOUNCED PREVIOUSLY: THE SHOW STARTS AT 22.45 Dutch Time!!!

October 11:
The Universe Will Provide On CD! Mike Keneally and Co de Kloet discuss TUWP.

October 18:
Chamber Works: The Radio premiere of the studio version of Chamber Works, by Terry Bozzio and The Metropole Orchestra

October 22:
Spotlight on Chris Opperman. Opperman and De Kloet discuss and play Oppy Music, including material only heard on this show.

October 28:
Exclusive acoustic studio session with Mike Keneally and Bryan Beller

October 29:
Spotlight on Bryan Beller: Beller and De Kloet talk about "View".

9/7/04
Mike Keneally & The Metropole Orkest - The Universe Will Provide More Info

Mike Keneally's initial foray into orchestral composition, The Universe Will Provide is Mike's stunningly beautiful imaginary collaboration with himself at age eight. Commissioned by NPS Output and recorded during a sunny, dreamlike week in Holland, TUWP features the talents of the 52-piece Metropole Orchestra supporting Mike, who plays guitar and keyboards. You have never heard music like The Universe Will Provide.

Upcoming
Terry Bozzio & The Metropole Orkest - Chamber Works