Italian jazz artist, composer, remixer, producer, and DJ Nicola Conte has just released his latest album called “Umoja”. The guy who presented Rosalia De Souza back in 2002 with “Garota Moderna” and who also released an album on Blue Note, the still brilliant “Other Directions” in 2004, has come up with a pretty sophisticated, both…
Berlin-born jazz singer Lisa Bassenge is back with a wonderful trio album called “Wildflowers”. Her choice of material is superb as the repertoire includes music from Bob Dylan, Dolly Parton, Depeche Mode, or Death Cab For Cutie. She opens the set with an intensely intimate and vulnerable “Till I Get It Right”, the Tammy Wynette…
Producer, composer, and keyboardist John Carroll Kirby, the man who gave us the brilliant “Septet” and other soothing and calming albums such as the piano solo “My Garden” (2020) or “Conflict” (2020) and teamed up with Eddie Chacon for his two wonderful releases “Pleasure, Joy & Happiness” and “Sundown“, will release “Blowout” tomorrow on Stones…
It is really hard to believe that 30 years have gone by since Berlin-born Meshell Ndegeocello‘s debut album “Plantation Lullabies” which quickly became something like a hymn in our circles back in the day. Who couldn’t relate to “If That’s Your Boyfriend (He Wasn’t Last Night)”. And then five years have also gone by since…
The great folks at BBE Records have unearthed a 1980 gem by Will & James Ragar, a folk/jazz duo from Louisiana who played the Southern circuit playing everything from James Taylor to Jimi Hendrix before they entered the studio for their only album. The original private press LP is currently listed for around 1.000$ on…
How do you follow up a five-paw reviewed album, an album that really caught us by surprise after so many years of being under the radar? When Eddie Chacon, one half of the duo Charles & Eddie who scored a hit in the early 90s with “Would I Lie To You”, released “Pleasure, Joy And…
UK music collective Reel People, Oli Lazarus and Mike Petto, just released their fifth record today. It’s available on vinyl too! After a short intro, soul crooner Eric Roberson starts things off with a great, shuffling boogie monster on “Save A Lil Love”. I really dig the voice of Michael Champion, featured here on a…
Trumpeter Jeremy Pelt started his recordings with New York-based HighNote Records back in 2010 with “Men Of Honor”, an album which features J.D. Allen on tenor sax, Danny Grissett on piano, Dwayne Burno on bass, and Gerald Cleaver on drums. He released four albums on MaxJazz before that and his debut on Fresh Sound New…
I have always admired the piano playing of Eric Reed. I first encountered his music with his two albums on MoJazz (“It’s All Right To Swing”, 1993, and “The Swing And I”, 1995); both records brimming with originality and an impeccably soulful approach. Both also including intense Gospel moments, whether on a beautiful version of…
Vince Mendoza is back with a new, 9-piece album featuring music for and with the Metropole Orkest. Vince has worked with countless musicians in the past, like Joni Mitchell, Chaka Khan, Al Jarreau, Melody Gardot, or Gregory Porter. He has two tracks on his latest album with two of the most precious singers around: Dianne…