It is one of the better documentaries about a celebrated figure with a more than difficult life. Nina Simone, who started out wanting to be the first black female classical pianist to play at New York’s Carnegie Hall and who became one of the leading forces of the civil rights movement, is the topic of…
So Sam Smith is the big winner at this year’s Grammy Awards. Congratulations go out to all the winners, especially those who were not seen in the big telecast. I have collected the more important categories here. And didn’t Gloria Gaynor look amazing? The Jazz announcements were preceded by a top performance of Joe Lovano,…
The 65th Berlin Film Festival is in full gear and offers over 400 movies over a period of 11 days. One of the movies which runs in the Panorama documentary section, is a recapture of Nina Simone‘s life called “What Happened, Miss Simone?” The film, directed by Liz Garbus, will have its Berlin premiere tonight….
Stevie Wonder is a big fan of Tony’s. He especially likes his version of “Golden Lady”. No wonder that it was one of the real showstoppers last night during Tony’s two brilliant sets at Berlin’s A-Trane. He also squeezed in a little bit of “Isn’t She Lovely”. Tony Momrelle is the lead singer of British…
It’s Natalie Cole‘s birthday today. The nine-time Grammy Award winner was also nominated three times for her current CD, “Natalie Cole En Espanol”. Natalie has several performances coming up and she also has an exclusive gig in Germany in April which seems to be her only appearance in Europe so far this year. Natalie plays…
The incomparable Randy Crawford is back on the road for seven stops in Germany this spring. The singer was last heard and seen with the late great Joe Sample who died last year. She will have a new trio backing her for her shows which start on April 28th at the Jazzfest Gronau. Crawford, who…
Melody Gardot, who celebrates her 30th birthday today, is among the first few artists confirmed for this year’s Northsea Jazz Festival. One of the biggest indoor jazz festivals worldwide, the organisers of the 40th edition, to be held again in Rotterdam’s Ahoy venue, recently came up with the first names for the weekend of July…
February 1st is the birthday of several great musicians, like saxophonist Sadao Watanabe from Japan who turns 82 today. Another saxophonist, but from another generation, is Joshua Redman who celebrates his 46th birthday today. And then there are two artists who are no longer with us but who keep on fascinating us with their timeless…
The German pianist and his latest album “Weltentraum” is the most successful for the Munich-based ACT Music label for the past year. But that’s not all. In a press release, the label yesterday announced that Michael Wollny was voted European Jazz Musician Of The Year by the French Académie Du Jazz which gives away this…
At yesterday’s press conference to Berlin’s next XJazz Festival in early May, artistic director Sebastian Studnitzky (pictured at right) introduced some of the bands and the clubs and this year’s focus country which happens to be Israel, partly because there seem to be so many musicians from Israel playing the Berlin clubs and off scene….