I think we have to thank Donald Byrd, the trumpet master, for encouraging the young Otis Brown III to pursue a career in playing music instead of music education. And sax ace Joe Lovano for taking him out on tour with his band. Finally, here’s his debut album on Blue Note which, thank heaven, is…
She grew up in the middle of nowhere in the heart of Sweden, learned her craft in New York and now the singer is back with her sixth album on the Munich-based ACT Music label. She is on a new path with “When You Make Me Smile”, since this is her first album with a…
She has a throat and bladder infection and is currently on medication. She sleeps a lot, but is still chasing dirty doves on the street. Get well soon, Gina!
I thought it was very brave to start with Joni Mitchell’s “Woodstock”. But Laila Biali delivered an entertaining and convincing first set last night at Berlin’s A-Trane as part of her first German tour. The Canadian singer and pianist, who also writes her own songs, is a 2011 JUNO nominee for “Best Vocal Jazz album…
At first I thought oh no not another version of “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” and “Amazing Grace”. But then after I listened to the first few bars of the opener “Truth In Blue”, she already had me convinced. Alicia Olatuja’s strong, robust and yet crystal clear voice had changed my mind. Her debut album “Timeless”…
Pianist Jerry Léonide is from Mauritius, a place not necessarily associated with Jazz. But there has always been a pretty active and lively music scene and yet, the young Léonide decided to move to Paris at age 17. Léonide says of his home turf: “Mauritius is a country of many different ethnic influences and that’s…
Esther Phillips was one of the first female superstars of R&B. She had seven Top 10 hits on the R&B charts in 1950 alone. In 1972, Creed Taylor took her to his newly created Kudu Records label, a subsidiary of his main CTI Records. On Kudu, Grover Washington, Jr. recorded his first highly acclaimed albums….
Recently, while walking with a friend in the beautiful park of the Schloss Charlottenburg, Gina spotted a squirrel which ran up a big tree. Within seconds, Gina was up the tree as well. It didn’t take long until we had a bunch of people watching this scenario taking photos and videos while shaking their heads…
Bert Noglik, the artistic director for the Berlin Jazzfest, now in his third year, loves irritations, as he said last night during the press conference where the anniversary edition was presented. And so, there actually are a lot of irritating moments, at least on paper, but I’m sure on stage as well, when you look…
Did you make your plans for 2015 yet? If not, maybe these two calendars will help you make at least some of them. Sven Thielmann produced two beautiful calendars with pictures of pianists and saxophonists he has made over the years. “Jazz Saxophonisten 2015” is not only a beautiful work of art for jazz enthusiasts, but…