José James is back with a sequel to last year’s brilliant “1978” LP. The eight new tracks were recorded in one take at Dreamland Studio which is an old church close to Woodstock, New York. His band includes his wife Taali on vocals, BIGYUKI on keys, David Ginyard and Kyle Miles on bass, and Jharis…
Chet Baker needs no introduction here but he will probably get some new admirers and fans with this latest 15-song compilation of some of his best-known tunes, recorded by a plethora of young artists from all over the world, to be released this Friday on Decca records. It coincides with the 70th anniversary of his…
This year’s XJAZZ! Festival starts on Wednesday, May 14th with a unique and vibrant melange of dance, poetry, rap, and music from singer Kersha Bailey and drummer and producer Natcyet Wakili. Participating Kreuzberg venues include Festsaal, Marmorbar, Emmauskirche, and Oberhafenkantine, among others. Highlights include sets by muscle cars (May 17th), Alabaster DePlume (May 17th), corto.alto…
Sam Wills, the UK-based singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose debut album “Breathe” garnered a five-paw review back in 2021, is back with a new single and the announcement of his first headlining tour throughout Europe. His “We Both Know”, released last week, is in heavy rotation here. The smooth and subtle track with its poignant…
Jazzfest Bonn, founded in 2009 by saxophonist and artistic director Peter Materna, started on May 1st and continues with a lot more concerts in various locations throughout the city until May 24th. With several thousand expected visitors, the festival is now an established gathering and attracts an international crowd. Here is the remaining schedule, which…
Lots of great new music out there from our favorites: Durand Jones & The Indications will release their new LP “Flowers” on June 27th. Two singles are already out in the spheres and both sound promising and refine their highly original sound: the easily flowing midtempo soul swayer “Flower Moon” and the equally soothing “Been…
Our sweet and lovely Gina, the puppy who was the inspiration behind this blog’s name, went on her last walk this past Wednesday. Gina had accompanied us for the last 15 years of our lives and she was the greatest companion you could wish for. She had chosen to live with us when she frequently…
So here we are again at the world’s biggest jazz fair in Bremen. We’re looking forward to meeting lots of old and new friends, live showcases, the club night, and so much more. This year, there is going to be an evening with Dutch LGBTQ+ artists at Himmelssaal. Presented by Buma Cultuur and That Jazz…
One of our favorite festivals just announced its first names for this year’s edition: named after Herbie Hancock’s eponymous hit from the early 80s, Rockit strives for an adventurous, innovative, and progressive programming. I had the chance to visit the last two rounds and both visits still resonate to this day. The festival will take…
I still remember seeing singer/songwriter Ledisi perform for the first time. It was way back in 2000 in San Francisco at a tiny little bar/café. At the time, she had just released her debut album “Soulsinger”, a set of brilliantly executed neo soul songs which still resonates up to this day. On April 25th, Ledisi…