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…
First it was Al Jarreau who had to confirm earlier this week that he is going to retire from performing, and now Aretha Franklin told a TV station in Detroit that she will retire after the release of her next album, which is going to be produced by Stevie Wonder and will be out later…
The jazz harp will forever be associated with Alice Coltrane first and foremost, but there is also Brandee Younger (her “Wax And Wane” album still resonates big time) and Carol Robbins, whose latest album, “Taylor Street”, is dedicated to her mother Emilia Crostini who grew up on that particular street in Chicago’s Little Italy. (And…
The eight-piece group Breakwater recorded two brilliant albums back in 1978 and 1980, during a period that was one of the richest and satisfying in soul music. One of the members of the group, keyboardist and songwriter and composer Kae Williams, Jr., was later part of The B.B. & Q. Band and wrote unforgettable songs…
Gabrielle Stravelli was one of only ten finalists selected internationally for the 2011 SHURE Montreux Jazz Festival Vocal Competition and she was also 1st runner-up in the 2009 Jazzmobile Vocal Competition in Harlem. In the ensuing years, she has received numerous awards, has toured the world over, opened for Cassandra Wilson and Esperanza Spalding, was in…