Happy Birthday José James! Returning from his indie-rock infused fifth album “While You Were Sleeping” to Jazz for his next Blue Note album, the singer with the sexy baritone pays tribute to the legendary Billie Holiday on his “Yesterday I Had The Blues” project coming out next month. In a trailer for the album, José…
“Imaginary Cities” is the first release of Chris Potter‘s Underground Orchestra, a new project taking his Undergound Quartet a step further. It starts with a haunting melody by violinists Mark Feldman and Joyce Hammann, viola player Lois Martin, and cellist David Eggar before the tenor saxophone of Potter comes in slowly and erupting in something…
From Friday to Sunday of next week, Berlin’s hip Neukölln will stage its annual Jazzfest at Kulturstall Schloss Britz. Part of the line-up are student musicians from the Paul Hindemith music school and lecturers plus music professors of the Jazzinstitut Berlin. The Duo Elégance, consisting of internationally renowned David Friedman (vibes) and Peter Weniger (sax)…
The singer from Newark has just released her 23rd album “I Give Up, I’m In Love”, another fine collection of standards and rare tunes. She’s accompanied by Warren Vaché, Harry Allen, Mike Renzi, David Finck, among others and the Glenn Franke Big Band is heard on three tracks. Says Johnny Mandel: “Marlene is truly an…
Life magazine has called it “the country’s very best music festival”. The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell, first held in 1970, continues to “celebrate the culture of Louisiana with the combined fervor of a gospel hymn and the joy of a jazz parade”, according to the website. Just announced: the lineup…
If there is one singer whose voice is reminiscent of the late great Luther Vandross, it has to be Marc Staggers. The Washington, D.C. singer has just released his fourth album “Dream Catcher”. After many years in the Gospel music world, Staggers turned to Soul with his 2009 R&B debut album “Then And Now” and…
To record the music of Abbey Lincoln is a very brave undertaking and not many musicians have taken on the dramatic, often political statements and witty lyricism of this timeless artist. In 2013, her former pianist Marc Cary released a beautiful solo homage called “For The Love Of Abbey”. And now comes German singer Esther…
I must admit that “Joanna” is not really my favorite Kool & The Gang song, but it does have a lasting trombone solo courtesy of Clifford Adams who died of liver cancer on Monday morning at the young age of 62. According to NJ.com, the Trenton, N.J., native “had no health insurance to cover medical…
Trumpet and flugelhorn artist Matt Lavelle studied with Ornette Coleman back in 2005 and subsequently took on the alto clarinet as well. The avant-garde musician who also has his own blog, teams up with John Pietaro, the vibraphonist and percussionist for an album of the music of Thelonious Monk. Both are known for their more…
Pianist David Hazeltine is Number 1 on the year’s first JazzWeek chart with his tribute album “I Remember Cedar” dedicated to Cedar Walton. The album also features David Williams and Joe Farnsworth. The duo album “The Art Of Conversation” by Kenny Barron and Dave Holland remains at Number 2 and the new HighNote release from…