Cécile has made quiet a jump in the past years: from studying in Aix-en-Provence to receiving a Grammy nomination for her album “Woman Child”. She sings in French and English and has been the voice of various Chanel ad campaigns. The last time I saw her perform live was at New York’s Lycée Francais on…
Danish Jazz singer Sinne Eeg releases her 7th album, a vocal-bass duet with Thomas Fonnesbaek on acoustic and electric bass. Her last album “Face The Music” has won the Jazz Vocal Album of the Year award from the Académie du Jazz in France. Obviously, you can’t help but compare this new effort with the master…
This is only the third album this year that receives a five-paw rating from Gina. It finds exactly the right balance between Jazz and Soul or, as drummer, producer, arranger, and composer Terri Lyne Carrington says in her liner notes, highlights the Soul in Jazz and vice versa. The album is the latest with her all-women…
It is really hard to believe that Incognito already celebrated their 35th anniversary last year. But then again, if you think about it, they have accompanied me musically ever since the early 80s so there you go… Founder and band leader Bluey assembled his group plus a few guest vocalists for a party-like concert on…
Only a few of the so-called Smooth Jazz artists have survived over the years. Most certainly those who take chances to spread out a bit or try some edgier sounds. Saxophonist Boney James comes up with a new album and even though he is among those artists whose records from 10 or 15 years ago…
Guitarist Lee Ritenour has assembled an impressive cast of musicians for his latest album “A Twist Of Rit”, which is bascially a collection of re-works of some of his older compositions. Four tracks alone are from his debut album “First Course”, recorded in 1975. “Wild Rice” gets a Funk-Rock treatment here with a cool Fender…
From Philadelphia comes a great singer and songwriter who comes very close to the great Donny Hathaway. The opening “Bleed Me Dry” from Aaron Parnell Brown‘s new album “The Tin Man” reminds me of early 70s Donny records, complete with cute, gospelly background vocals by Shayna Steele and a bluesy sax solo by Andy Snitzer….
It’s been ten years already since the release of singer Tracy Hamlin‘s first solo album “Seasons”. Before her solo debut, she was lead vocalist for Pieces Of A Dream and recorded a couple of albums with them. Now comes album number five for the Baltimore-born songstress who has a striking similarity to the great Stephanie…
How nice it is to hear new material from Jill Scott after four long years. With “Woman”, she delivers her most intimate and exposing set yet and with “Prepared”, produced by Andre “Dre” Harris, sets the pace for this varied and mixed new album. Because prepared you can’t be for this surprising journey even though…
This all-star collective first came together last year as the Larry Willis All-Stars at New York’s Smoke Jazz Club celebrating the music of McCoy Tyner. The audience reaction and the vibe among each other was so good that they decided to stay together and record an album. All four members of this Jazz supergroup have…