One of the most highly anticipated records is finally out. Jordan Rakei had already released four singles off “The Loop”, clearly his best album to date. “Flowers” and “Friend Or Foe” had the stakes high and we’re still raving about “Learning” and “Freedom”. We finally have all 13 tracks now on double vinyl by the…
Pakistani singer, composer, and producer Arooj Aftab has just released her second single from her upcoming Verve album “Night Reign”, which will be released on May 31st. On the wistful, harp-induced “Whiskey” and most of the other tracks on the album, she explores themes of the night and dedicates the whole album to it. I…
Multi-instrumentalist Aaron Frazer is back on June 28th with his new album “Into The Blue” on Dead Oceans Records, three years after his well-received “Introducing…Aaron Frazer”. The album will also be available on vinyl. Aaron’s unmistakable falsetto is one of the backdrops of the album, as is the theme of “heading into the unknown”. His…
So the four guys from Amsterdam-based RADIOHOP just released their debut album “All We Do”. Coming from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, the biggest and most diverse conservatory in the Netherlands, the group has this great mixture of jazz, hiphop, soul, and fusion and is pretty beat-oriented which makes them one of the hottest new groups…
Sy Smith, who released her latest brilliant five-paw rated album “Until We Meet Again” in late January, is currently on tour in Europe with trumpeter Chris Botti. Botti himself released his Blue Note debut “Volume 1” last October. Chris is guesting on Sy’s album on the beautiful midtempo swayer “Remember How To Fly”. Sy is…
Hamburg’s brilliant ELBJAZZ Festival has just completed its programme for this year. It’s been a while since my last visit back in 2015! The festival will take place on June 7th and 8th at the impressive Hamburg harbor, with additional shows at Elbphilharmonie. There will also be a workshop for families with kids aged 6…
Based in Edinburgh, the duo Edy Forey debuted with “Culture Today” earlier this month. Their very sultry version of “Nature Boy” was included in Gina’s weekly playlist on 02/02. Vocalist Edy Szewy, born in Poland, and keyboardist Guilhem Forey, born in France, met while Edy was fronting her own neo-soul band. And they clicked, as…
So we already announced the new album by Brazilian multi-instrumentalist and singer Lucas Arruda in early February. And here it is. “Ominira”, his fourth LP (yes, it’s out on vinyl too), has just been released by Favorite Recordings, the French label specializing in soul, jazz and funk from the 60s, 70s and 80s and also…
Paris-based Roche Musique is around since 2012 and was founded by Jean Janin. Early on, they signed such unique artsts as FKJ and Darius and Wayne Snow and in 2014, added Dabeull to its roster. After numerous singles, he released a 12-song compilation album in 2017 called “Indastudio” which was followed by a five-track EP…
One of the finest jazz festivals in Europe, Berlin’s XJazz! Festival, returns in early May. From May 6th to 12th, well-established and lesser-known acts will grace the stages in Kreuzberg, with all venues within walking distance. Starting on May 6th, Nala Sinephro and her meditative fusion of jazz, folk and field recordings get things moving…