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…
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…
We’ve just put together our latest weekly 60-minute playlist of new music. It features a second track from Madeleine Peyroux‘s upcoming album “Let’s Walk”, which will come out on June 28th. She turns to her bluesier side for “Showman Dan”. She celebrated her 50th birthday last Friday. There is also another piece from Kenny Barron‘s…
On Thursday, the German Jazz Price ceremony was staged in Cologne. Since 2021, Jazz in Germany has been getting much more attention, and deservedly so. The hosts of the evening, Hadnet Tesfai and Götz Bühler, did a nonchalant and cool job, helping to make this a pretty entertaining night. Each nominee took home 4.000€, with…
From Sao Paulo to Brighton, the non-binary singer Lau Ro will release his debut LP “Cabana” on May 31st on Far Out Recordings. Mixing British folk, rock, and jazz with 60s and 70s Brazilian music, Lau Ro has come up with an exceptionally personal and imaginative record. First single “Onde Eu Vou” is out right…