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….
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…
One of the most important trumpeters on the European scene, Gerard Presencer, at age 18, played the trumpet on US3’s groundbreaking success record “Cantaloop”, the remake of Herbie Hancock’s “Cantaloupe Island”. Since then, he has released several records, one of which is the 2003 release “Chasing Reality” on ACT Music. Gerard has also played with Charlie Watts…
At home in Norway, pianist Eivind Austad is a household name in the young jazz scene in Bergen. Eivind is originally from Trondheim, way up north, but has made Bergen his home for the past 20 years. With “Moving” (out March 18th), his trio is now ready for an international career as well. And you…