This new George Benson collection is a double disc which ranges from his triple-platinum “Breezin’” album in 1976 all the way to his Nat King Cole dedication “Inspiration: A Tribute to Nat King Cole” in 2013. With one exception: the 1971 CTI record “White Rabbit”, produced by Creed Taylor and garnering Benson’s first Grammy nomination….
On “Dee Dee’s Feathers”, her latest record on Okeh, singer Dee Dee Bridgewater is backed by producer and trumpeter Irvin Mayfield (who is one of the founding members of Los Hombres Calientes) and his New Orleans Jazz Orchestra which consists of 18 members. It’s a party record opening with a song written by New Orleans…
He is one of the hottest tickets this year, and deservedly so. His debut album last year was clearly my favorite Soul album of 2014 and he’s without a doubt one of the best Soul singers to come on the scene in the last 20 or so years. I had the chance to see Jarrod…
35 year old Norwegian trumpet player Mathias Eick is dedicating his newest ECM release to the American Midwest with the help of pianist Jon Balke, bassist Mats Eilertsen, percussionist Helge Norbakken, and violinist Gjermund Larsen. The latter is featured on the opening title track with a solo which seems to combine the traditional rural country…
“I get up to Aretha, get down to James Brown, looking up to Quincy, inspired by Marvin Gaye”. Those are the words of Jean-Paul “Bluey” Maunick, founder and mastermind of the immensely popular and successful Incognito on “Life Between The Notes”, the title track of his new solo album and follow-up to “Leap Of Faith”…
Marcus Miller is wrapping up his first part of his European tour in Amsterdam tonight. He’ll be back over here for the festival season at the end of June with performances at Northsea Jazz or Jazz Open in Stuttgart. Yesterday, he played Berlin’s Postbahnhof. Earlier that day, I had the chance to talk to him…
On Saturday, I was invited to come on board De Liefde (“The Love”), a sailing ship which was the stage for several showcases for the New York-based Dot Time Records. I was in for a few surprises there: pianist and singer Theo Jackson opened the evening with tracks from his new album “Shoeless And The…
Singer Kellylee Evans rocked the Schlachthof last night during the jazzahead! overseas night in Bremen showcasing tracks from a forthcoming album. She’s a very energetic performer with a lively stage presence and sometimes reminded me of Janelle Monáe, not genre-wise, but in her overall stage persona. Otherwise, the Canadian singer offers a very distinctive mix…
I finally arrived in Bremen on Thursday after I had to cancel my train ticket. Turned out that the guy I contacted via blablacar was a bassist from Poland who drove us to Bremen on a smooth ride. Participants were getting ready setting up their booths, there were a lot of familiar people and friends…
Michelle Lordi, a singer from Philadelphia has come up with a beautiful new record which was produced by pianist Orrin Evans. Here’s a singer with some very elegant and sophisticated phrasing who is not showing off everything she can. The opening song, Jay Gorney‘s “You’re My Thrill” from 1933 with lyrics by Sidney Clare, is…