FIRE
w/ DAVE HOLLAND JACK DEJOHNETTE KENNY WERNER
The Elements: Fire
The four elements found in the natural world (Air, Fire, Water, Earth) represent the ultimate example of duality, observed in both nature and human kind. Whether it is called yin/yang, night/day (any opposing pair), the principle remains the same. As Yoda, the Star Wars sage said: “There are always two!!”
RED MESSIAH
Jan Felix May is part of a generation of musicians who are not afraid to cross stylistic boundaries. The motto is to establish new connections instead of sticking to old divisions. In doing so, the 1993-born May displays compositional and musical precision, an innovative creative drive as well as humour. His talent has already been recognised, e.g. at the Internationale Jazzwochen Burghausen, where he won first prize in the solo competition and came in second with his band in the group competition. Frank Zappa is none of May’s direct role models. However, certain similarities in their mind-set can be detected.
Like Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers from another era, Steps Ahead is a longstanding institution of higher education that has graduated a plethora of promising young talent over the course of four decades. Such rising stars as saxophonists Donny McCaslin and Bendik, guitarists Jimi Tunnel and Bryan Baker, keyboardists Eliane Elias and Rachel Z, bassists Etienne Mbappe and Richard Bona have passed through the ranks of the popular New York City fusion group.
Soul Fingers
Veteran jazz guitarist Bobby Broom combines his jazz pedigree with his love of the pop tunes he grew up with in the ‘60s and ‘70s on his 12th recording as a leader, the aptly-titled Soul Fingers. It’s a formula that Broom worked to perfection on 2001’s Stand!, which had him interpreting songs by The Beatles, The Turtles, The Mamas and the Papas, Johnny Nash, Stevie Wonder and Sly & The Family Stone through a hard-bop lens. This time out he puts his personal spin on some iconic pop tunes from that same golden era in a swinging program with his Organi-Sation, featuring his longtime drummer Kobie Watkins and the Philly-born, Brooklyn-based B-3 ace Ben Paterson. Together they shuffle and swing their way through pop classics like The Beatles’ “Come Together,” Bobbie Gentry’s “Ode to Billie Joe,” Steely Dan’s “Do It Again,” Seals & Crofts’ “Summer Breeze” and others.
w/WDR BIG BAND
HOMECOMING
Homecoming. It is hardly surprising that several jazz compositions are known by this name. Especially for the continuously travelling improvisers, those post-modern nomads, to return home to their families is something he/she is longing for during the continuous loop of aeroplane-hotel-stage-aeroplane (even if he/she is longing to be back on the road after a few days at home…)
1987-1990
Let’s face it. Not everybody hearing the name Cologne Big Band immediately thinks of Michael Villmow’s KölnBigBand. It seems certain that a Cologne Big Band would more likely conjure up the idea of the ensembles of the WDR Big Band. However, many cities in Germany do actually have big bands named after their home-base and are not affiliated to the respective public-service broadcaster landscape.
ALEGRIA DE VIVER
‘Alegria de Viver’ is the new solo-album by Lula Galvāo. From my point of view, Lula Galvão is Brazil’s most authentic, varied and inspired guitarist. His musical style as well as his range are unmatched. Lula deals with music in a very particular way. No matter which genre or rhythm, he enriches the music with his inspired arrangements and performance, thereby adding that certain something which makes all the difference.