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Darren English – Imagine Nation
South African trumpeter Darren English has released “Imagine Nation”, his 10-track debut that features four of his original compositions, five standards, and a Dizzy Gillespie piece. His tempo, harmony and structure on the title track, a self-written romp through modern jazz heaven, immediately show his skills and characteristics not only as a top-notch trumpet player,…
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Montreux Jazz Festival Celebrates 50th Anniversary
It’s been a while since my last visit to beautiful Montreux in Switzerland. For about 15 years, this prestigious festival had been on my calendar. I have met so many artists over there and saw outstanding and unique concerts, not to forget the numerous get-togethers at the chalet of founder and director Claude Nobs r.i.p….
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Songs In The Key Of Life Comes To London
Stevie Wonder has been playing everyone’s favorite album (including mine), “Songs In The Key Of Life” from 1976, in its entirety on a successful, sold-out US tour. He is now bringing the three-hour show to Europe and will play London’s Hyde Park on July 10th. The tour has run for 18 months in the US…
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Al Green At 70
There are soul singers, soul preachers, soul crooners, and then there is Al Green. The wonder that is “Let’s Stay Together”, his number 1 hit from 1971, is still intoxicating and enthralling over 40 years later. Pieces like “”I’m Still In Love With You” (1972) or “Here I Am” (1973), “L-O-V-E” (1975) or “Keep Me Cryin’”…
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Daryl Sherman – My Blue Heaven
New York-based singer and pianist Daryl Sherman has released her latest album on the Japanese label Muzak, Inc. Daryl has performed regularly at the Tableaux Lounge in Tokyo for the past several years and I am more than happy for her success abroad, especially since her long-running, steady gig at the Waldorf in New York…
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The Great American Music Ensemble – It’s All In The Game
Producer, director and arranger Doug Richards formed the Great American Music Ensemble in the mid-80s. He recorded this unusual big band in June, 2001 with a few very special guests. And unusual is this ensemble not only because of their distinctive playing, but mostly because of the really outstanding arrangements of the songs on offer….
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Leon Haywood 1942-2016
As a music fanatic growing up in the late 70s/early 80s (mostly listening to the entire Stevie Wonder catalog) and soon exploring the bars, clubs and discos of Cologne, a perfect night-out always depended on the best music mix: the cherished disco classics combined with seldom-heard pieces and new discoveries. In those “formative” years, I’ve heard…
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Tortusa – I Know This Place (The Eivind Aarset Collages)
Norwegian producer, composer, and arranger John Derek Bishop has recorded under several, different names and Tortusa is his ambient music alias. Recorded with famous guitarist and composer Eivind Aarset for Bugge Wesseltoft’s Jazzland Recordings (celebrating 20 years in the business this year), “I Know This Place” is a pretty short, 8-song selection clocking in at…
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Bill Henderson – R.I.P.
It was Bill Henderson who recorded Horace Silver’s “Senor Blues” for Blue Note Records in 1958. Bill also worked with Wynton Kelly, Yusef Lateef, Ramsey Lewis, and started to release several albums in the late 50s on Vee-Jay Records. In the 60s, Bill worked with Eddie Harris, Oscar Peterson, and Count Basie and after settling…
