Copenhagen Jazz Festival – one of the most prestigious Jazz festivals in Europe — is taking place July 6-15 2012 and The Orchard is pleased that many of our great artists will be performing. Every year, around 250,000 people from around the world participate in the Danish festival to feel and enjoy the great atmosphere of more than 1,000 concerts taking place. Here is a selection of great artists from The Orchard playing the festival this year.
Three-time Grammy winner and drummer Stefan Pasborg will be playing several stages during the festival with his band Pasborg’s Odessa 5. This great artist just released his third album Pasborg’s Odessa 5 X-tra Large Live last Monday. Pasborg’s first release, Triplepoint, was among the Top 5 “Best Debut Albums of 2007” by All About Jazz Magazine, New York. Pasborg has been touring most of Europe as well as the U.S., Canada, Asia and Africa. The Copenhagen Jazz Festival is one spot among many where Pasborg will be performing this year.
Diego Figueiredo is a young new talent from Brazil. Winner of several important competitions like Montreaux Jazz competition and VISA Prize, Diego is considered a big guitar talent in the world. His new album Tempos Bons has just been released. Diego will play at Montmartre on July 15th.
Denmark’s leading tenor saxophonist Jesper Thilo is well known for his swing and mainstream jazz and will be performing on the first- and more days at the festival. Last year on his 70th birthday, Jesper Thilo released Jesper Thilo & The American Stars, which featured a string of his recordings with great American and Danish Jazz musicians.
The alternative Pop/Indie Jazz quintet Kostcirkeln, with the Swedish singer and composer Qarin Wikström in front (double Grammy winner), released the EP Bästa Vän in April and has received great attention. Kostcirkeln will be opening the festival at Danish music collective/label ILK‘s own stage “5e.”
Award-winning pianist and composer Simon Toldam released his 1st album in five years on February 28th this year and has been received with standing ovations. The album was recorded live-in-concert in Copenhagen with his new trio. Sunshine Sunshine or Green As Grass has received a bunch of great reviews in Denmark, but also in international Jazz magazines like Cuadernos de Jazz in Spain and New York City Jazz Record. Simon Toldam will also be playing at ILK’s stage at 5e.
One of the greatest and most popular jazz pianists right now is the Danish artist Carsten Dahl who has worked and recorded with leading artists on the Danish and international Jazz scene, like Benny Golson, Eddie Gomez, Ed Thigpen among many others. His last album Metamorphosis was critically acclaimed by several music magazines. It is improvisational Jazz at its very best. Carsten Dahl will be performing at the festival in various contexts.
This was a small rundown of some of the great acts you can see at this year’s Jazz Festival. So if you’re wondering where to go this summer, I would definitely recommend visiting Copenhagen and enjoying the unique atmosphere that comes when the city is surrounded by some of the best Danish and international Jazz acts and musicians of our time.
Photo courtesy of JazzBlog.dk.
Detroit based independent Jazz label Mack Avenue Records can do no wrong these days. Not that this is really new for them… Historically Mack Avenue has brought on nothing but the best and brightest of today’s jazz musicians, from Grammy winning bassist Christian McBride (2012 Best Large Jazz Ensemble) to saxophonist Kirk Whalum, (who in 2010 was nominated for four Grammy awards, winning Best Gospel Song). In 2009, Mack Avenue announced the addition of Grammy Award winning pianist, Danilo Pérez, who in 2010 released the Grammy-nominated Providencia. But the recent streak of awesome coming out of Michigan is even more impressive.
First you have Johnnie Basset. The Florida-born, though now Detroit-local, blues guitarist has just released his fifth studio project I Can Make That Happen. Bassett has been a vital part of the Detroit music scene since the early ’50s, sharing stages with everyone from Tina Turner to Big Joe Turner. But only rarely does he release his own albums, one of the many reasons that makes I Can Make That Happen so special. Happily, Bassett and company show no interest in churning up the same old chord progressions on threadbare songs, as do hordes of blues recording artists year in and year out. Instead, the Motowners freshen up the blues using elements of Jazz, R&B and Soul on a program of superior songs mostly written by Chris Codish and his father, Bob. Bassett even refurbished Rock and Soul classics.
Meanwhile, Brian Bromberg (“The Man of a Thousand Basses”) continues his dual Jazz and Contemporary success with his newest album Compared To That which was released a couple of weeks ago. Last week, it reached #1 on Jazz Week, and this week it’s staying strong at #2. Compared To That will be followed up with the dual release of his two tribute albums; the first to Jimi Hendrix, and the second to Brazilian legend Antônio Carlos Jobim. Bromberg translating two giants of guitar in two diverse styles alone should make the listener sit up and take notice. His ability to play music at a scholarly level and make it accessible to the casual Jazz fan as well as appeal to the mainstream is unique, to state the obvious. And with these three releases, Bromberg promises to make it an interesting summer.
And last but not least is the free – yep, you heard me — free live performance by Jazz pianist and new-comer Alfredo Rodriguez. If you’re in Santa Monica this Friday 22nd at 7pm and on 3rd Street anywhere near the Apple Store, think about a quick excursion to catch a rare in-store with Quincy Jones and Alfredo Rodriguez. Quincy Jones, you exclaim? Indeed. Quincy Jones is not only Alfredo’s mentor, but the music giant produced his debut album Sounds Of Space, which came out earlier this year. Rodriguez also had the distinguished honor of playing at The 34th Annual Playboy Jazz Festival (for the second time) last weekend.
So, impressed?
In the summer of 2008 multiple Grammy award winning jazz artist Wynton Marsalis and his quintet teamed-up with French accordionist Richard Galliano at the annual Jazz in Marciac festival in Southern France to pay tribute to the late jazz legends Billie Holiday and Edith Piaf.
The result is a live recording, CD/DVD deluxe combination that captures this magical performance by two modern legends. The album, entitled From Billie Holiday to Edith Piaf: Live in Marciac, captures the magical 9-song set, translating classic jazz vocal compositions into artful instrumental versions that are striking in their rhythmic variety.
From the dizzying waltz tempo of “La Foule” to the infectious swing of “Them There Eyes” to the haunting performance of “Strange Fruit,” the magic of this concert has been faithfully captured in sound as well as in video through a special bonus DVD, making it a must-have item for serious jazz collectors and casual listeners alike.
This incredibly rare, never before released documentary spotlights the woman, the force, the legend Nina Simone at her finest. Featuring nine classic songs by the Grammy-nominated “High Priestess of Soul,” Great Performances – Live College Concerts & Interviews was recorded in 1968, with the majority of live footage being taken during performances at both The University of Massachusetts (Amherst) and at the alma mater of the great Dr. King, Morehouse College in Atlanta. With highlights like “To Be Young, Gifted and Black,” “Black Is The Color,” and Nina’s cover of Leonard Cohen’s hauntingly beautiful “Suzanne,” this documentary is both a treat for the avid fan and an excellent introduction to one of the most incredible artists of our time.
Along with the plethora of amazing music that she created (over 40 live and studio recordings that span the genres of jazz, soul, folk, R&B, gospel, and pop music, to be exact), Nina Simone is also highly regarded as one of the most important voices of black America. Always one to speak out about her feelings towards injustice, she offers strong viewpoints and political statements throughout the intimate interviews that are featured in the film. Nina Simone: Great Performances – Live College Concerts & Interviews [Artwork Media] will be available exclusively on iTunes February 24th.
Watch the trailer right here.
The king of Afro-Funk jam music, Manu Dibango continues his quest against the king of pop, Michael Jackson. The trouble all started when the Camaroonian saxophonist belted out the soon-to-be-classic line: “mama-koo mama-sa maku ma-ku-sa”. After the clip was lifted by NYC DJ’s at the outset of the disco move, Michael Jackson sampled it a decade later on his smash funk pop hit “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin”, in the process turning the line into “mama-say mama-sa mama ma-ku-sa.” Dibango had previously sued Jackson and settled out of court, but has been roused again by an unauthorized sampling from one superstar female vocalist in Rihanna. The Guardian has this to say about the matter:
Dibango actually already sued Jackson back in the day, and the two settled out of court. But when Rihanna’s people cleared the Michael Jackson sample, they didn’t get Dibango’s permission, and now he wants his. Dibango is now suing Sony BMG, Warner Music, and EMI over the use of that chant.
Manu Dibango has an extensive back catalogue, including 1982′s Waka Juju , a breakthrough in Jazz/African Soul fusion, Afrijazzy and the recently released compliation The Very Best of Manu Dibango: Afro Soul Jazz From The Original Makossa Man . All Music Guide proclaims “Dibango is Cameroon’s, and perhaps Africa’s, best-known jazz saxophonist” and boasts that “Dibango’s output has been prodigious and multi-faceted. He has worked with musicians as diverse as Fela Kuti , Sly Dunbar , Robbie Shakespeare , Don Cherry , and the Fania All-Stars .” Read up on the drama at Pitchfork and do yourself a favor and familiarize yourself with the Makossa Man’s work by hitting up his official site here !
