At last month’s Berlin Film Festival, the new Don Cheadle movie “Miles Ahead” where he plays the legendary trumpeter and tells the story about a few days of his life in the early 80s with a lot of flashbacks, had its world premiere (see review on these pages by using the search function). As you…
When singer, bassist and composer Esperanza Spalding brought her latest project to the stage last fall, I wrote about choreographed weirdness after seeing the Berlin concert (October 31st, UdK Hall). Esperanza has now followed her tour with the respective album, a 12-tracker just released on Concord Records. And it sounds like a Joni Mitchell record….
German saxophonist Peter Lehel has teamed up with Hungarian pianist Kálmán Oláh and bassist Mini Schulz for his “Lyrical Album”, a trio project where both Lehel and Oláh wrote and arranged all the pieces, from the chambermusic-like, almost 15 minutes long opening piece “Bartok Impressions” to the two-part “Hungarian Research” with its eerie, nocturnal sojourn….
For the 20th anniversary, this fine festival in the beautiful Pfalz region once again combines spectacular concert locations with the finest quality wines. Before each concert, there will be the Jazzkulinarium where each guest will get a sample of what the region has to offer. The festival starts on June 25th with the L’Orchestre des…
Guitarist Ed Cherry, who played in Dizzy Gillespie‘s band for 15 years and also worked with Dakota Staton, Kenny Burrell, Roy Hargrove, Ruth Brown, and Steve Coleman, among many others, has released a funky and grooving new album called “Soul Tree” with Kyle Koehler on organ and Anwar Marshall on drums. Ed starts his 10-song collection with…
“When I listened to the finished master, I knew it had to do with the movement of birds, and with watching, listening, waiting”, says Israeli pianist Anat Fort about the title of her new album “Birdwatching”, which she recorded with her trio that is Gary Wang (bass) and Roland Schneider (drums). She also added Italian…
Alto saxophonist, composer, and producer Logan Richardson has just released his Blue Note debut album called “SHIFT”. Logan played on the Next Collective’s album “Cover Art” in 2013 and also played and recorded with numerous others, like Billy Hart, Jason Moran, Joe Chambers, and Nasheet Waits. Heavily featured on the album is guitarist Pat Metheny…
Naples-born singer Letizia Gambi released her first album in 2012 with producer Lenny White and with players like Patrice Rushen, Chick Corea, Ron Carter, and Gil Goldstein. Now she is back with her sophomore album “Blue Monday”, again produced by the legendary drummer and with more high-class accompanists such as Carter, Goldstein, Helen Sung, Donald Vega,…
Singer Bajka opens this R&B- and Soul-induced new album by German Hidden Jazz Quartett with an Erykah Badu-styled, alluring “Luvlite” which also features a cool baritone sax, played by Stephan Abel. The production throughout the album is crisp and clear and, yes, raw. And British soul icon Omar graces the pretty jazzy and hip “High…
Chicago-born composer and keyboardist Bruce Torff (brother of bassist Brian Torff) follows his 2013 album “Look Again” with “Down The Line”, a highly enjoyable and versatile recording with a stellar cast of players and some well-rounded and honed compositions. The main featured instrumentalist here is Joel Frahm on sax who graces the 11 tracks with…