“I don’t listen to my music but I would put this on”, said a good-humored Joni Mitchell in an interview last week with talk show host Tavis Smiley. She was referring to her monumental 4-CD Box set “Love Has Many Faces: A Quartet, A Ballet, Waiting To Be Danced”. It took her two years to…
For many years, Rodney Kendrick was the musical director and pianist for Abbey Lincoln. The 54 year old pianist and keyboarder wanted to express, as he states in the liner notes of his new trio album “The Colors Of Rhythm” (Impulse), “the sweet and the sour, the dark and the light, the bad and the…
At this year’s JazzConnect Conference in New York, I was asked to participate on a panel which was supposed to put a spotlight on Jazz in Germany. When the question came which artists I thought are the most important musicians deserving wider attention, my immediate response was Michael Wollny. The critics of the British Jazzwise…
The 71 year old released his first album back in 1964: “Samba Demais”. And it was as early as the mid 60s that he had his first hits like “Samba De Verao”, also known as “Summer Samba”. His international career in the ensuing decades incorporated Jazz, Pop, Electronic, Soul and Reggae and his songs were…
While Gina is watching over the turkey for our annual Thanksgiving dinner, we are listening to newly released Christmas records from Michael Feinstein, Anthony Hamilton, Maysa, Earth, Wind & Fire, a Mack Avenue compilation, Shakatak, Nils Landgren, and Dave Koz and also putting on our favorite holiday music. Happy Thanksgiving weekend!
This year, the number of releases of biographical or autobiographical books is pretty strong. I only want to focus on four of them which more or less came out in the last couple of months and which I’m planning to read during the winter season. “Is That All There Is? The Strange Life Of Peggy…
She just started her European tour which will also bring her to various German cities (see also my Events Calendar). Now, Legacy Recordings just announced that they’ve signed a new deal with Cassandra Wilson. “Coming Forthy By Day” is going to be a musical homage to Billie Holiday whose 100th birthday would be on April…
She has a French father and a Dominican mother so it is no surprise really that singer Cyrille Aimée‘s songs include some Gypsy Jazz as well as hints of World Music and Latin. Her child-like voice and instant joy she conveys is evident once more on her new album “It’s A Good Day”. She sometimes…
In 2000, trumpeter Roy Hargrove toured and recorded with Neo Soul singer D’Angelo. The result was the groundbreaking “Voodoo” album, the second album after his debut “Brown Sugar” which had been released five years earlier. Roy Hargrove is in Berlin with his Quintet, performing three nights from Sunday to Tuesday. Justin Robinson accompanies him on…
It is going to be a change of directions in more ways than one for singer Sachal Vasandani. Not only has he officially dropped his second name, he has changed record companies and has more or less re-invented his sound and approach. And it was a good move to do so. His three records on…