I remember Roy Kral picking me up in Montclair, New Jersey with his old, golden Mercedes and taking me to his and his wife’s home. Jackie Cain greeted me as if we hadn’t seen each other for a long time whereas it was our first encounter. What was supposed to be a 45-minute interview with…
One of the most prestigious and popular festivals in Germany, the Jazzfest Berlin, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Martin Luther King’s visit to Berlin in 1964 and the fall of the Berlin Wall will be topics among this year’s program. „Freedom Songs“ is the title of a specially designed evening which will feature…
So many classic recordings feature his signature keyboard and piano playing. His robust Fender Rhodes has graced the music of Joni Mitchell, Marvin Gaye, Steely Dan, Barbra Streisand, Michale Franks, or B.B. King. But of course, his roots were planted in the early 60s when he founded the Jazz Crusaders with Wilton Felder, Wayne Henderson,…
Five years after his critically acclaimed album „Time Flies“, the legendary singer and songwriter offers an album with 11 of his hits recorded with a stellar cast of guest singers. Eight of the 11 tracks were originally recorded in the 60s with his group The Miracles. Mr. Robinson still has his signature high and at…
New jazz festivals have been founded aplenty over the years, but Philadelphia now has a unique one: America’s First Queer Jazz Festival called OutBeat. The Festival is set to take place from Thursday, September 18th to Sunday, September 21st. Starting the festival is renowned pianist Fred Hersch who will be interviewed by music critic Nate…
The National Jazz Museum in Harlem opens a new exhibition of Bebo Valdés. The life and times of Bebo Valdés, the innovative and influential pianist/composer/bandleader and father of legendary Chucho Valdés opens on September 16th on East 104 125th Street. The great Cuban pianist, bandleader and arranger who set several styles, among them the big-band…
Fischer has completed a new jazz documentary called „They Died Before 40“, a film which explores the lives and deaths of eight jazz artists who died before they reached 40. Four of them even died before 30. The film can not be completed until the music and photograph licenses have been obtained. And that is…
It doesn’t happen very often that a German jazz musician is offered a deal with the prestigious Blue Note label, even if that famous name was started by two Germans 75 years ago. But when the new label head Don Was heard Julia Kadel, he was excited and called her a fantastic musician. Now, with…