I had a lot of admiration and good things to say when Macy Gray released her 2016 album “Stripped”. And I still go back to her debut album “On How Life Is”, which came out in 1999. Macy is currently on a big tour celebrating 25 years since her debut. But yesterday, some things went…
There is an immense amount of beauty on “Heartstrings”, the new album by UK duo Snowpoet, Lauren Kinsella and Chris Hyson. The whole album was recorded and written in the studio, with the band improvising in real time. The result is a stunning collection of ten songs, starting off with the ethereal and easily flowing…
This year’s German Jazz Prize will be staged in Cologne again. On June 13th, 22 acts will receive their awards, among them singer extraordinaire Uschi Brüning, who will be celebrated for her Lifetime Achievement. Among the jury members are Gilles Peterson, Danilo Pérez, Nicole Mitchell, and Matana Roberts. Live acts performing during the ceremony are…
Melbourne-born and London based multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer Gordon Li, better known as Don Glori, has just released his third LP after “Welcome” (2022) and “Don’t Forget To Have Fun” (2024). “Paper Can’t Wrap Fire” is his first for Mr. Bongo Records. His brilliant mix of Fusion Jazz à la George Duke, Brazilian music, and…
Black Loops is Italian Riccardo Paffetti who has finally released his debut full-length album “Always Moving” on Freerange Records, out since May 9th on double vinyl. The house producer who lives in Berlin has stretched and varied his sound which includes some gut-wrenching soul, funk and disco in addition to his warm and breezy house…
Singer and pianist Olivia Trummer was on the bill last night at Bonn’s Collegium Leoninum. It was 10 years ago at Berlin’s XJazz Festival when I last saw her perform. She is now about to release her new album “Like Water” on June 6th. Produced by the legendary Russ Titelman, expect a review right here…
Part of the so-called museum mile in Bonn, yesterday’s venue at this year’s Jazzfest, the Bundeskunsthalle, hosted two very different artists who both live in Paris. Camille Bertault, who burst onto the scene back in 2016 with her debut album “En Vie” after she had uploaded a video on Youtube of her crazy version of…
This year’s Jazzfest Bonn, which started out in early May, is at the beginning of its third block with two acts playing at the inner city Kreuzkirche last night. The venue participated for the first time. And even though it is always difficult to stage concerts in churches, both shows came across pretty well. Starting…
Multi-instrumentalist and multi-talented singer and composer Jordan Lee has finally released his debut album. Known as the co-writer and singer of French 80s funk and boogie sensation Dabeull, (his “Analog Love” LP was recorded on the same console as “Thriller”), Jordan impressed us two years ago with the sensational “Easy”. On “Fighter For Love”, his…
One of our early 80s heroes, the one and only Howard Johnson, just announced two shows in the UK this October, with more shows possibly in the can. Howard was the co-founder of the group Niteflyte, which recorded two albums in 1979 and 1981 before he went solo with his still totally impeccable “Keepin’ Love…