The 22nd edition of this Festival which once hosted a rare German appearance of Rosemary Clooney, takes place this year from July 3rd to 12th in various locations throughout the city. The Mercedes-Benz Museum has Caro Emerald and Mario Biondi as opening acts on July 4th. Also appearing there will be Marcus Miller and Joshua…
Back in November, singer Sachal Vasandani premiered tracks from his new album “Slow Motion Miracles” in Berlin (see report on these pages). And now, his album is finally released. It was produced by Michael Leonhart, who also appears as recording engineer and mixer and is responsible for the overall programming including guitars, brass, keys, synths,…
The Munich-born saxophonist Carolyn Breuer had private lessons with Branford Marsalis and George Coleman in New York and is now releasing her piano-less new album on her own NotNowMom! Records. She starts her album with her verison of Jimi Hendrix‘ “Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland)” changing the Electric to Acoustic. It features a…
George Colligan, the pianist who has worked with everyone from Phil Woods to Cassandra Wilson, from Nicholas Payton to Vanessa Rubin, or from Gary Bartz to Don Byron, also plays trumpet, organ, and drums. And his latest album “Risky Notion” is where you can hear him solely playing the latter. With his group, the Theoretical…
Eddie Henderson played for some three years in Herbie Hancock‘s Mwandishi group in the early 70s (check out Herbie’s autobiography “Possibilities” written with Lisa Dickey) and then went solo and recorded several brilliant albums on Blue Note and Capitol until 1979. He returned to the recording scene in the early 90s and has released a…
I went to Cologne today which was my homeland in the late 80s/early 90s. And “Homeland” was the reason for my trip. It’s the title of the new album by Moroccan singer Hindi Zarah, which will be released on April 10th. It’s an amazing collection of songs and the album will be reviewed on these pages…
This international Jazz Festival now goes into its 19th season and will run from June 20th until August 8th in various outstanding and charming locations. That’s one of the trademarks of Palatia Jazz: most of the locations are really one of a kind. As for the artists, there will be, for example, top drummer Manu…
This is how a veritable Pop album should sound like in 2015. The British singer-songwriter Rumer (born Sarah Joyce), who was born in Pakistan, has delivered her third album, produced by Rob Shirakbari, and it is another collection of 11 little stories told in her inimitable vocal style which is stuck in the 60s combined…
The International Jazz Day was launched in 2012. Back then, about 70 countries worldwide participated in daylong celebrations of this music and to spread awareness. This year, nearly all 196 U.N. member states are taking part on April 30th with special events planned on that day. Jazz Day again is presented by the Thelonious Monk…
The Armenian pianist Tigran Hamasyan is heavily influenced by the folk traditions and culture of his country. That is again evident on his latest album, called “Mockroot”, his sixth so far. But there is also a heavy rock influence here as well, particularly on the first four tracks. And then there is the common thread…