The prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival, which only recently revealed their spectacular, embroidered poster (created by Swiss fashion designer Kévin Germanier) for next year’s 60th edition (July 3-18), just announced the launch of their first ever African edition. The Montreux Jazz Festival Franschhoek will premiere March 27-29. Franschhoek, close to Capetown, has become known as one…
The seventh Rockit Festival last Saturday was a blast, once again. It was my third time in Groningen and the lineup was as promising as ever. I started out with a pretty intense performance by Immanuel Wilkins who was just nominated for a Grammy so this was, as he said from the stage, their Grammy…
So a very healthy looking 85-year old Gary Bartz took to the stage on Friday night in Heidelberg during this year’s Enjoy Jazz Festival, which ended on Saturday with a sold-out show by Anouar Brahem. The festival, which ran from October 2nd until November 8th this year, drew 22.000 visitors, with half of the concerts…
Makaya McCraven, the prolific drum meister from Chicago, just released four EPs last month: “PopUp Shop”, “Hidden Out!”, “The People’s Mixtape”, and “Techno Logic” are also available now on a double LP. Makaya is part of this year’s Enjoy Jazz Festival and performed at Alte Feuerwache in Mannheim last night. Together with Marquis Hill on…
There was this certain air of deep reverence when 91 year old Abdullah Ibrahim, one of the most influential and respected pianists today, took to the stage last night at Pfalzbau in Ludwigshafen, where he performed during this year’s Enjoy Jazz Festival. The South African pianist, who lives in Germany, was accompanied to the piano…
I finally made it to Enjoy Jazz, the Festival for Jazz and more which currently celebrates its 27th edition and which will run until this Saturday. The Festival started on October 2nd with various locations in Mannheim, Ludwigshafen, Heidelberg, and surrounding towns. So last night I went to Karlstorbahnhof in Heidelberg, a cultural center which…
After a couple of weeks with a bout of flu-like symptoms or whatever you want to call it, we’re looking forward to visiting the Enjoy Jazz Festival for the very first time this year. Coming up this week in Ludwigshafen, Mannheim, and Heidelberg: ganavya, Makaya McCraven, the mighty Abdullah Ibrahim, and Jazz is Dead with…
Grammy award-winning soul and jazz singer and songwriter Ledisi is currently on the second leg of her European tour and stopped in Amsterdam on Friday night. The Q Factory, located in the bubbling, lively, but less-touristy Oosterpark region in the Eastern part of the city, is one of Europe’s biggest music complexes with music studios,…
Brazilian singer, songwriter, and guitarist Leo Middea played Cologne last night. The tiny little Stereo Wonderland, a local hang-out in a bubbling neighborhood, hosted him for an intimate solo show. And Leo proved once again that he truly belongs to the top contemporary musicians from Brazil. He has released five albums so far (the first…
French Afro-European duo DjeuhDjoah & Lieutenant Nicholson made a stop in Amsterdam last night. Their unique sound, described as new school-afro-pean soul and disco, is now spread over four albums, with the latest, “Danses Divines”, coming out last May. Together with their bassist, they made the crowd scream and dance at the upstairs room of…