It really came as a surprise when I found out that singer Karrin Allyson would choose the songs of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein as the theme for her first Motéma Music album. At the end of the day, hasn’t the Rodgers & Hammerstein songbook been recorded already with the definitive versions? Wasn’t Karrin more…
Bassist Lorin Cohen, born and raised in Chicago and currently living in New York, has toured extensively with the great Monty Alexander. And so it is only natural that the Caribbean also finds its way onto this diverse and exciting album. Lorin wanted to use mallet instruments for his eight compositions and he got an…
Husband and wife duo, singer Caecilie Norby and bassist Lars Danielsson, have finally recorded a record with just the two of them. A couple of tracks have been in Caecilie’s live repertoire for several years (“Both Sides Now” by Joni Mitchell, “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen, and “Wholly Earth” by Abbey Lincoln) and have now found…
This is Ola Onabulé‘s eighth studio album. He recently had tremendous success in the UK with a remix of “Soul Town” from his 2004 album “In Emergency, Break Silence”. The British Nigerian soul singer and songwriter who sounds like a mix between Frankie Beverly and Michael McDonald, recorded his latest 12-song set in London with…
Swedish pianist Martin Tingvall traveled to Iceland to collect ideas and get inspiration for his new album “Distance”. He wanted to find a distance from the speedy everyday life and “a little break, some distance, calm and time for new perspectives”. And so his 12 compositions are, again, a reminder of the great Chick Corea‘s…
The 27-year old singer, songwriter and pianist Sarah McKenzie‘s new album was produced by Brian Bacchus in New York. 11 songs, partly American Songbook, partly originals plus Abbey Lincoln and Betty Carter frame her new album. Brian gave her a lot to listen to, according to a Skype interview I was able to make with…
Here is an album for the upcoming fall/winter season: the Lithuanian pianist Egidijus Buozis has recorded a beautiful, almost engrossed album of three Lithuanian folksongs, one Danish folksong, and originals by producers Caecilie Norby and Lars Danielsson. “I Went Out on A Summer Day” starts off in a somber and melancholic mood as a piano…
Omnipresent bassist Christian McBride brought his trio to the legendary Village Vanguard in New York last December and the sessions were recorded live during the three days of December 12th to 14th. The album starts impressively with Wes Montgomery‘s 1963 classic “Fried Pies” from his Boss Guitar LP. Both Christian Sands on piano and the…
Singer Amy London has not only assembled a group of new vocalese singers, but also invited five of the legendary artists of that genre, probably the last five still alive. What Lambert, Hendricks & Ross started in the 50s, is what Amy London, Darmon Meader (of the New York Voices), Dylan Pramuk, and Holli Ross…
Lizz Wright originally wanted to do an album of covers only. In the end, she decided not to do so and so on her new record, there are (thankfully) only two covers: Nick Drake‘s “River Man” and “To Love Somebody” by The Bee Gees. Produced by Joni Mitchell producer Larry Klein, Lizz returns after five…