Billie Holiday at 100
Listening to Billie Holiday today and forever. April 7th, 1915 – July 17th, 1959.
17th jazznojazz Festival in Zurich
More and more Jazz festivals are releasing their schedules for the season and beyond. There is a nice and sympathetic festival in Zurich at the end of October which will stage its 17th edition this year. The jazznojazz festival will take place October 28th to 31st at the Gessnerallee and the ZKB Club at the…
Artist in Residence for Detroit Jazz Festival: Pat Metheny
This year’s Detroit Jazz Festival, the world’s largest free Jazz Festival, will take place September 4th-7th on four stages and with more than 100 performances. Just recently the artist in residence for the 36th edition has been announced: Pat Metheny can be seen in different collaborations. As the festival’s ambassador, he will headline the second…
Soul Togetherness presents Soul Life
Two of the best indie soul compilations each year are the Luxury Soul and the Soul Togetherness collections. Now, the team around Ralph Tee has come up with a new one: Soul Life compiles 16 quality soul tracks starting with the Tom Browne classic “Brighter Tomorrow”, recorded here in a brand new version by the…
Cassandra Wilson – Coming Forth By Day
Billie Holiday would have been 100 years old this month (April 7th), so it is only natural that we get several tributes this year. Young British singer Rebecca Ferguson and José James both have contributed already and here comes Cassandra Wilson with her new album. Produced by longtime Nick Cave mastermind Nick Launay, the album…
David Sanborn – Time And The River
David Sanborn’s latest 9-song collection was produced by Marcus Miller and features two of the alto saxophonist’s own compositions: With “Drift”, he wanted to show respect for the work of D’Angelo whose output he admires. The result is a lush, soulful number with great 70s keyboard sounds by Roy Assaf and the lyrical wailing of…
Get Well Joni Mitchell
The 71-year old singer is in ICU in a Los Angeles hospital after being unconscious at her Bel Air home. Her Twitter account from this morning says this: “Joni is currently in intensive care in an LA area hospital but is awake and in good spirits. More updates to come as we hear them.” According…
Eliane Elias Invites Take 6 and Strings on “Made In Brazil”
Her new album was actually recorded in Sao Paulo and is the first one she recorded in her home country ever since she came to the US in 1981. But does it make any difference? The album was, again, produced by her, her husband Marc Johnson who also plays bass on the record, and Steve…
Herb Alpert at 80
Over 72 million records sold, 28 albums making the Billboard charts, co-founder with Jerry Moss of A&M Records, nine Grammy Awards, a new album last fall (“In The Mood”), and a recent 12-day run at New York’s Café Carlyle – Herb Alpert celebrates his 80th birthday today. The last time I saw him perform live…
Russell Malone – Love Looks Good On You
“As I’ve gotten older, I’m more interested in the overall feeling of the record.” That’s how guitarist Russell Malone sums up the essence of his new HighNote Records album “Love Looks Good On You”. He once met fellow guitarist Mundell Lowe who explained to him: “Kid, it’s just living. After you’ve lived for a while,…