Esperanza Spalding presented her alter ego Emily last night at Berlin’s UdK main hall. Her new show, called “Emily’s D+Evolution”, is part theater, part musical, and autobiographical. Emily is Esperanza’s middle name and D+Evolution refers to, according to an interview she did earlier this year with the Village Voice, “the nonsense notion that organized education is…
Matthew Halsall is a trumpeter, composer, producer, arranger and leader of the Gondwana Orchestra, based in Manchester. The vocals by Josephine Oniyama on the ethereal opening track “Only A Woman”, which has added, celestial harp courtesy of Rachael Gladwin, reminds me of the 60s recordings by Alice Coltrane. The esoteric atmosphere continues with the equally…
Yes it’s time again for “Soul Togetherness”, the brilliant indie-soul compilation which comes out once a year ever since 2000, usually in October and this year perfect for blowing the Berlin fog away. And it starts with a bang: Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis are back again with producing the latest Janet Jackson, but let’s…
The musicians on Luciana Souza‘s new album come from all parts of the world and create a fascinating melange of sounds and styles, probably best described in the opening track “At The Fair”, a joyous and playful tune with intensive conversations between harmonica player Grégoire Maret and guitarist Lionel Loueke. Her wordless vocals enhance the…
The hip hop-flavored “Sunrise In Beijing” opens the new “Stretch Music” album by trumpeter Christian Scott who is one of the most important young musicians around at the moment. Flutist Elena Pinderhughes gives this track, which lives from the drum pad backbeat of Corey Fonville, an exotic twist. Christian also plays the sirenette and reverse…
Singer Lizz Wright waited until the third song last night at Neukölln’s Heimathafen before she started to feature a song from her recently-released new album, “Freedom & Surrender”. As if she wanted to make sure that the audience recalled her signature, thick and dark and powerful vocals. So after her “Old Man” interpretation, one of the…
The themes of night/moon/blue serve as the backdrop for pianist Michael Wollny‘s new album. The much talked-about musician ranks among the most important and imaginative young musicians in Germany. The melancholy of “Questions In A World Of Blue” from “Twin Peaks” is like a common thread that reappears here more than once. But the trio with Christian…
Even on his first sides, recorded for Decca in 1956 with the Ralph Burns Orchestra, you can hear traces of the typical Mark Murphy characteristics that would define his long career: On “Fascinating Rhythm”, done at fast tempo, you can clearly hear and understand every single word; Mark has the ability to delve so deep…
FAVO is a project that was founded in 2009 by soprano saxophonist Volker Schlott as a chamber music “group” with bass clarinetist Falk Breitkreuz. They interpret music by Astor Piazzolla, the Beatles, or Puccini and easily morph from classical to jazz and back. For their latest endeavor, the two get together with one of the…
Founding member of the New York Voices, singer Kim Nazarian finally releases her first solo album, produced by her husband Jay Ashby, who is also featured on trombone throughout. “Some Morning” opens with a lively, swinging “Robbin’s Nest/Boneology” where Jay can be heard prominently and efficiently. As can be Sean Jones on trumpet. The Linda…