Sámi-Norwegian saxophonist and composer Mette Henriette was the first artist to release a double debut album on ECM Records. Back in 2015 when “Mette Henriette” came out, she worked with her trio plus brass and string section and bandoneon. She is now back with “Drifting”, which finds her again with pianist Johan Lindvall and Judith…
Brooklyn-based fusion band Snarky Puppy is led by bassist, composer, and producer Michael League. It’s a collective of almost 40 musicians, with pianist, keyboardist and composer Bill Laurance being one of them. Michael League has recently moved to Spain where this duo album was recorded. He’s playing fretless acoustic guitar bass, fretless baritone electric guitar,…
Its José’s 45th birthday today and he’s giving us a new album as a present. José’s 7-track tribute to the great Erykah Badu just came out today on his own Rainbow Blonde label and features BIGYUKI on piano, keys, and synths, Ben Williams on bass, Jharis Yokley on drums, Ebban Dorsey on alto sax, and…
Singer, bassist and producer Adi Oasis, a French-Caribbean artist who recorded as Adeline before and released a double album in 2018, is now back with her first full-length album under that name, due out on March 3rd and called “Lotus Flow”, with the vinyl version to be released three weeks later. As a teaser, there…
My first Luxury Soul collection dates back to 2004. Thanks to Ralph Tee for coming up yet again with the definitive indie soul collection for 2023, compiling 35 tracks on three CDs. What a vast amount of quality tracks on here. I’ve always admired the Isley Brothers tune “Here We Go Again”, one of my…
Dutch singer Wouter Hamel recorded a perfect set of cleverly crafted pop songs on his 2009 album “Nobody’s Tune” and subsequently released four more highly enjoyable sets. With “Little Torch”, which came out last November, he has come up with his most intimate and satisfying album to date. He’s the most tender and gentle on…
Pioneering drummer Terri Lyne Carrington has come up with yet another groundbreaking book and accompanying album. On the lookout for women composers of the Real Book jazz charts, she couldn’t find any. And thus, created her own, “New Standards: 101 Lead Sheets By Women Composers”. The accompanying album is nominated for Grammy Awards in two…
One of my favorite singers has finally come up with an album of Latin America’s most beautiful love songs. Jackie Ryan‘s mother was Mexican and so the singer had always included at least one Spanish song in her previous records, like “La Puerta” on “Listen Here”(2012), “Solamente Una Vez” on “Doozy” (2009), or “Historia De…
Singer and guitarist Chico Lessa moved to Rio de Janeiro at the age of 17 and quickly made a lot of friends there. He recorded his first LP independently back in 1982 with a total of 36 musicians and released only two more albums, “Orifício É O Que Não Tem Parede” (1995), and “No Trem…
Released in early November, this is Caecilie moving into new terrain here since this is her first album where she explores the soul/pop side of her and writing all of the 11 songs on board and releasing them on her own, recently established label Loud Lady Music. She will continue to record for the German…