I went to the Haus der Berliner Festspiele on Friday. New artistic director Richard Williams talked to the press and the public about his first edition. But before he did, pianist Julia Kadel performed three outstanding solo pieces. The young German musician who was born in Berlin, released her first Blue Note Records album “Im…
Just shortly after the release of their new album “For Individuals Facing The Terror Of Cosmic Loneliness”, Stein Urheim and Mari Kvien Brunvoll played a cute “living room” concert at Lieschen Müller in Prenzlauer Berg. The café is not only known for its delicious tartes and cakes, but also for its weekly live music. And…
Ever since the release of the 2008 album “I Learned The Hard Way” by Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, vocalists Saundra Williams and Starr Duncan Lowe remained in the background. During the ensuing years, the two singers were featured as opening acts to Jones shows and now, earlier this year, their debut album “Look Closer”…
For us, everyday is a Dog Day of course. But today, Gina is celebrating with some extra paunch, dried beef lung, salmon oil and vegetables. Who knows, maybe she’ll catch another mouse or rat when we’re walking her to the green market or to the garden later. But anyway, it seems that she has accustomed…
There is clearly no shortage of good jazz festivals the world over – Germany for example has dozens of high-quality events in all parts of the country; from January to December, you can tour the country and find a lot of worthy live jazz events. But I think it is always worth a mention when…
Alto saxophonist Phil Woods died on Tuesday in Pennsylvania from emphysema. He was 83. The winner of the 1956 Downbeat International new star division, the Springfield, Massachusetts born Woods spent many years in Paris where he played at the Cameleon club in April, 1968 with George Gruntz, Henri Texier, and Daniel Humair: Phil Woods and…
The third Soulfood Festival Bremerhaven will bring some of the big stars of the 80s soul scene to town: On November 7th, Bremerhaven’s Stadthalle will host the SOS Band and James “D-Train” Williams as the two headlining acts. The SOS Band had several hits in the 80s like “Take Your Time (Do It Right)”, High…
Berlin’s newest jazz club, the Zig Zag Club in Schöneberg, opened in 2012 and had a major renovation last year. The club draws people from all age groups and all kinds of backgrounds and features the vast Berlin jazz landscape with all of its forms: Be Bop, Free, Latin, African, Balkan, Soul, Funk, Blues etc…
Hot on the heels of the release of her latest album “Perfect Animal”, Becca Stevens and her band are on a short tour in Germany and stopped by Berlin’s Privatclub yesterday. To describe her latest offering as a singer/songwriter album with some folk elements would be an understatement. Becca is at home and at ease…
Gina is heartily enjoying the warm, late-summer period here in Berlin. She had a lot to celebrate in recent weeks and now prepares for the next garden party which will take place on Sunday in beautiful Rosenthal in Northern Berlin. She also slowly but surely changes her fur these days and helps reaping all remaining…