Ever since my regular trips to New York City, which started in the mid 90s, almost all visits included walking down to Christopher Street in the West Village and taking the steps down at number 55. The tiny little music bar immediately gave you the feeling of being on stage with the musicians and you…
Amazing debut album from the Los Angeles-based singer Marley Munroe who records and performs under the name Lady Blackbird. With her single “Blackbird”, the 1963 Nina Simone anthem of the Civil Rights Movement, her recording tragically has become the 2020/21 version of the current race and class oppressions. Her voice is exceptionally full of wisdom,…
The Belgian-Caribbean pedal harpist, synth player, and composer Nala Sinephro, part of London’s burgeoning and bubbling jazz scene, has come up with a deeply healing debut album. She has played with south London collective Steam Down and won early praises from the likes of Gilles Peterson. With the London Contemporary Orchestra, she played at King’s…
Retro soul and disco in perfect harmony. “Witchoo” is late 70s disco transported to 2021. An irresistible track with a Chic-like beat and great vocals by Durand and drummer Aaron Frazer. The dreamy vocals of Aaron, already cherished on his solo album, are the pitch-perfect backdrop for the soul ballad and title track “Private Space”,…
It looks like this fall will be pretty full of interesting new music, with a lot of album announcements coming in almost on a daily basis. Nightmares On Wax will come up with a new album called “Shout Out! To Freedom…” on October 29th. The album features guest artists like Shabaka Hutchings, Haile Supreme, Wolfgang…
New York’s wonderful Le Poisson Rouge club has an exciting show coming up this month. Five-paw-rated producer, keyboardist, and composer John Carroll Kirby (latest release “Septet“) and singer Eddie Chacon, who the club describes as the “subversive R&B crooner”, will join forces on September 13th for an intimate evening in the round, on stage in…
The first Bitches Brew Festival in Berlin will take place from September 9th to 12th at House of Music @ R.A.W., Revaler Str. 99. Some of the most imaginative and exciting female band leaders and musicians will be on stage over the course of four days. But it’s not all about female musicians if you…
Deep House DJ and producer Miguel Migs from San Francisco has recently released his fifth full-length album, seven years after “Dim Division”. The double 12″ is available from Soulfuric Deep Recordings out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Miguel has been on several Naked Music productions in the past, a label also known for its quality house…
I remember when keyboardist Kiefer’s “Superbloom” EP came out back in 2019, I was immediately hooked on those quasi-simple melodies which had that special spirituality about them, and then turned out to be far more than just that. The jazzy background (Kiefer Shackleford studied with Kenny Burrell) seemed to dive in almost subconsciously, with notes…
Harpist Brandee Younger releases her first major label album “Somewhere Different” on the Impulse! label. After “Wax & Wane” (2016), “Soul Awakening” (2019), and her work with Dezron Douglas, “Force Majeure” (2020), this is her fourth release overall. It’s out on vinyl too! And even though the harp is not really your prevalent instrument in…