Chances are pretty good that you have a record or two in your collection where John Tropea plays guitar. Just to give you a small selection: he has played on the 1972 Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway album, on albums in the 70s by Lou Donaldson, Luiz Bonfá, Ashford & Simpson, Deodato, Jon Lucien, Blue…
Nils Wogram, the German trombonist with the many hats, offers a new chapter with his Nostalgia project. Together with Arno Krijger on Hammond Organ and Bass Pedals, and Dejan Terzic on Drums and Glockenspiel, his “Nature” album is accompanied by a short story from Tobias Premper, a writer from Berlin. Krijger is new to this…
For the sixth time, Hamburg harbour will be the stage for the ELBJAZZ Festival, taking place May 29th and May 30th with over 50 bands in various extraordinary locations. Festival organisers have made sure once again that there is something for everyone during those two days. Dee Dee Bridgewater will perform with the Finnish UMO…
It is only three days away: Germany’s newest and coolest and most relaxed festival will once again help make Kreuzberg in Berlin the most attractive neighborhood. The festival focuses again on the ever growing German Jazz scene with most of the bands (50 in total) coming from Germany. Also, like in the first edition last…
From Muncie, Indiana, comes singer, composer, and producer Cheri Maree with her second album “360° Woman – Rebirth” who melds Soul, Jazz, Rock, Gospel, Hip Hop with the emphasis clearly on Soul and with a voice that has some kind of Aretha-isms, especially in the higher register. The album opens with the catchy Jill Scott-like…
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”…