Gina is not feeling well this week
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!
Laila Biali – Canadian Jazz pianist and vocalist in Berlin
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…
Alicia Olatuja and her Timeless Voice
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”…
Jazz from Mauritius is “The Key”
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 and the Capricorn Princess
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….
Gina hunting a squirrel
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…
Jazzfest Berlin turns 50 and has important things to celebrate
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…
Jazz Calendars for 2015
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…
Hamburg getting ready for Überjazz
For the fifth year, Hamburg will have its Überjazz Festival in late October this year. The weekend of October 24th to 26th, Hamburg’s Kampnagel will have four stages under one roof with a very diverse program me which I’m sure will attract a lot of out-of-towners as well. Blue Note Records is celebrating its 75th…
Diana Krall postpones her Wallflower
The release of the new Diana Krall album, “Wallflower”, has been postponed worldwide to February 2015. Krall has recorded her newest CD with producer and Verve chief David Foster. The album features songs from the 60s and 70s like “California Dreamin’”, the Eagles’ “I Can’t Tell You Why” and “Desperado”, “Sorry Seems To Be The…