Towards the end of “Never Find A Better Love”, the second track on South African singer and guitarist Jonathan Butler‘s new record “Free”, something like the sound of Philadelphia’s golden years shines through on the dance-with-strings groover. Complete with Rhodes played by co-writer and producer Luther “Mano” Hanes. I wish there would be more moments…
Pianist Cedar Walton was one of many pure jazz artists who were dismissed by fans and critics alike for turning disco or pop in the mid- to late 70s. For me as a teenager growing up in the late 70s with Radio Luxemburg, BFBS, and AFN, it was the perfect entry into a vast musical…
German-born pianist Anke Helfrich comes up with a new album that features Tim Hagans on trumpet and flugelhorn. Anke has studied with Kenny Barron and Larry Goldings and has played with Roy Hargrove, Johnny Griffin, and Manu Katché, among many others. On the new record, she not only plays piano, but also uses Fender Rhodes,…
It was during “Cheating On Me”, one of the slower numbers from singer Kwabs and his debut LP “Love + War” (see review on these pages), that the full capacity of the London-based singer shone through. Dressed in black, with a black cap, a lot of his singing abilities were unfortunately buried in a wall…
The debut recording by New York-based singer Laurie Dapice is a fine example of a) convincingly getting a story across to the listener and b) choosing enthralling repertoire. Even with classic standards like Cole Porter‘s “You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To” and “What Is This Thing Called Love”, Laurie’s approach and her warm soprano…
20 years after their debut album “Cool & Steady & Easy”, which was voted “best r&b album” by Billboard magazine, the Brooklyn Funk Essentials return with their latest, “Funk Ain’t Ova”, seven years after their last release. The gritty funk of their past albums continues here right on with the opener “Blast It!” and a…
UK soul singer-songwriter Tony Momrelle, probably best known for his longstanding work with Incognito since 2002, has released his new album “Keep Pushing”. And the similarity to Stevie Wonder and Donny Hathaway is, once again, striking, as witnessed by the opening title track. Well maybe except for the rap part. With “Pick Me Up”, he goes…
The 34th Cully Jazz Festival has announced its first artists for the 2016 edition. The festival, which runs April 8th to 16th, will feature Dianne Reeves in a concert at the Chapiteau on April 10th. Also on the lineup: the Erik Truffaz Quartet and the Mark Giuliana Jazz Quartet on April 13th. The full programme…
Even though alto saxophonist Vincent Herring tours Europe a lot, it was in early 2014 in New York when I last saw him. He was accompanying the brilliant vocalist Paulette McWilliams. Ever since his stints with Nat Adderley (for six years) and Cedar Walton (for over 20 years), he has clearly found a sound of…
London-based soul singer Kwabs is actually from Ghana and his real name is Kwabena Sarkodee Adjepong. He studied Jazz at the Royal Academy of Music in London and was part of a reality TV show. And then a few years ago he uploaded a video on youtube with his version of Corinne Bailey Rae‘s hit song…