Pianist Aaron Parks, who released his latest Blue Note Records album “By All Means” at the beginning of November, played a short set on Thursday afternoon at the Jazz Social, the pop up venue which offers live performances, interviews, live radio, a record shop, and more during this year’s EFG London Jazz Festival. The record…
Singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Sam Wills had his first headline show last night at Kreuzberg’s Privatclub. Sam, who just recently released his second album called “Speak”, nonchalantly walked on stage, dressed in a plain plaid shirt and black jeans, opened his set with the first tune off that album. After the brief “Hallway”, he breezed…
“Songbook” is the very first Kenny Barron album with vocals. Can you imagine? There have been individual vocal tracks here and there on past albums, but this is actually the first all-vocal album. And it’s out on double vinyl too! And it features a great crew of contemporary vocalists, both established and at the start…
And so now it’s official: summer is over. Al Sunny, singer/songwriter from Nimes in France, released his third album “Summer End” last month. The album is available on vinyl too on the credible and trustworthy Légère Recordings. One of the most striking features of the album is its immensely lush and sophisticated production work. The…
If “Pretty Close” would have been released towards the end of the 70s, it would have been a hit immediately. Today, the songs and production almost sound like an outré attempt of keeping this golden age in music alive. And it works perfectly. Singer, songwriter, arranger and multi-instrumentalist Ethel Lindsey completely wrote, composed, and performed…
It’s been four years since his five-paw rated debut album “Breathe”. UK singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sam Wills returns with his sophomore LP “Speak” with 11 new tracks plus a semi-dramatic intro opening called “Hallway”. Four singles have been released between May and September, with the wonderful smooth ballad “We Both Know” leading the pack…
After her successful tribute to Nina Simone (“Ledisi Sings Nina”, 2021), singer Ledisi returns with a nod to the great Dinah Washington. Produced by Christian McBride and her longtime production partner Rex Rideout, she has come up with eight pieces more or less associated with the singer from Alabama. And she opens her set with…
Nala Sinephro, the London based Caribbean-Belgian producer, composer, and musician, has recorded her debut film soundtrack. It is for the movie “The Smashing Machine” which features Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson. The Benny Safdie-directed movie tells the story of the successful UFC wrestler Mark Kerr. It premiered last month at the Venice Film Festival and…
Gary Bartz, the legendary alto saxophonist who turns 85 today, releases his first studio album in a dozen years. On “Damage Control”, the sax maestro and his group NTU Troop start a trilogy called “The Eternal Tenure Of Sound” where they cover ten songs from the vast songbook of soul, pop, and Black American music….
It’s been four long years since the release of “Private Space”, the brilliant, five-paw rated LP by Durand Jones & The Indications. Singer and drummer Aaron Frazer also released his second solo album during this period, the wonderful “Into The Blue”, in 2024. And so here are the “Flowers”, ten new tracks plus a short…