The start of a new year isn’t complete without the annual 3-CD box “Luxury Soul”, once again compiled by Ralph Tee and opening with a super-sexy, light house/soul club tune, “Don’t Judge A Book By It’s Cover” by SouLutions, produced by Steve Lee and Louise Mehan. A superb, ultra soulful opening cut. The 12 tracks from…
French pianist Baptiste Trotignon and Argentinian percussionist Minino Garay (who has lived in Paris for over two decades now) have come up with a lively and fresh take on songs by Leonard Bernstein, Paul McCartney, Thelonious Monk, and Charlie Parker, among others. They both met for the firrst time in South America in 2011 and have…
Another sad reminder that everything can be over and gone any day now: the great Larry Coryell has passed – I just talked to him four weeks ago in Berlin at the office opening of ACT Music. We chatted about his new “Barefoot Man: Sanpaku” album. He was true Larry: making jokes, flirting with the…
The Golden Bear at this year’s Berlinale goes to “On Body And Soul” by Hungarian director Ildikó Enyedi. Finally, a winner movie that I’ve actually seen during the last 10 days and one which would have been lost in other editions of the festival. But does this really mean that the 67th Berlinale was weaker…
So far, there are three movies that to me were clearly far above average and worth to see several times: “Final Portrait” by Stanley Tucci, “The Party” by Sally Potter, and “God’s Own Country” by Francis Lee. In “Final Portrait”, Geoffrey Rush plays Swiss artist Alberto Giacometti who wants to portray American art writer James…
Strong documentaries have always been the forte at Berlinale’s Panorama section and Jochen Hick is back with a look on 40+ years of queer culture in what was formerly known as West Berlin (“My Wonderful West Berlin“). And it’s great to see so many of the legendary or nearly-legendary venues and clubs (I moved to…
A Lullaby My Little Guy To Hush Your Cryin’ A Lullaby You Might Recall When Times Are Tryin’ And Sing Every Day All That You’re Realizing Know Every Song Sung In Lightness And Laughter And Don’t Play Too Long In The Blues That Come After Taker Her Along Conquer Your Mountains Again A Lullaby My…
It is a difficult decision the two pairs have to make since their children committed a brutal crime years ago. What is the best way to deal with that? Live on with the guilt on your back or turn them in? It is the reason why the four meet for dinner in this hilariously posh…
Chavela Vargas had this rare ability to move her audiences to tears. Why? Because to her, solitude was her only friend. The only thing that gave her comfort. Well, maybe at least for a longer stretch in her life, it was the tequila as well. Born in Costa Rica, abandoned by her parents, she ran…
“Let’s go to the movies and dream a little”, says Django Reinhardt (Reda Kateb) to his old girlfriend Louise de Clerk (Cécile de France), maybe trying to shy away from taking decisions. Even though he already had decided not to go on tour in Nazi Germany, but instead stay in France and then, as the political…