.​Though details are sketchy, several soul sites are reporting the death on Tuesday, 15th January of soul man RONNIE WALKER. Never a major player, nevertheless (as is sadly the way) the Philadelphian became a cult here on the Northern and rare soul scene. His songs, 'Now I Cry' and 'Trouble' were big Northern favourites and he appeared at a number soul Northern soul festivals both here and in Europe. His 'You Got To Try Harder' is also hugely collectable – a fine example of the classic, falsetto Philly sound in the manner of the Delfonics and Eddie Holman.
His catalogue consists of seven singles and ten unreleased cuts, all recorded for various Philly labels. He was also a song writer and, oddly maybe, his most successful writing success was Charo's 'Cuchi Cuchi'

John Raymond & Real Feels Document a Stellar 2018 With Real Feels Live Vol. 2, Recorded Live in Los Angeles
 
Compositions from 2018's Joy Ride Shine in Live Setting & Display Rewards of Relentless Touring of Over 100 Performances Since 2016
 
An aspect of the jazz music business that tends to be ignored is touring. There are only so many venues with budgets and a limited supply of booking agents. Artists who manage to find both are either popular sensations or lucky, especially in a country as vast and diverse as the United States. It takes a lot of motivation, courage and a devil-may-care attitude to set out solo on the road, and since 2016, rising star trumpeter/flugelhornist John Raymond has done just that with his trio Real Feels, self-booking an astonishing 100+ performances with the band over the past three years.
 
From the beginning, Raymond’s goal with Real Feels was to create a small, focused ensemble with a strong band dynamic and identity. Alongside guitarist Gilad Hekselman and drummer Colin Stranahan, the group has recorded three albums together, including 2018’s Joy Ride on Sunnyside Records. As they have done for previous records, Real Feels hit the road for an extended four-month, 40-date tour that allowed their material, along with the ensemble, to grow and refine itself. Raymond recorded a handful of their concerts, and chose the music from their performance at the Blue Whale in Los Angeles, which is now released as Real Feels Live Vol. 2 (via Sunnyside Records).
 
When Real Feels recorded Joy Ride, each track was in nascent form, some only having been played in rehearsals. By the end of the tour, which spanned across the United States and Asia at venues of all types and sizes -- with audiences of all description -- the songs began to develop new personas. Each song, in a sense, was born again from the road, which is showcased fully on Real Feels Live Vol. 2.
 
The album begins with Raymond’s “Follower,” a modern jazz-meets indie rock tune that features Raymond the entire way. The groove is a bit faster and has more of a “lived-in” feel than it's studio version original, making for a fitting opening statement to the album. The group’s cover of Bon Iver’s “Minnesota, WI” opens up for both Hekselman and Stranahan. Their development of the introduction along with Hekselman's solo showcase the full capacity of the band’s aural identity featuring more electronics, effects and looping. This can also be heard on the group’s rendition of the hymn “Be Still, My Soul.” The song notably begins with an expansive, ambient solo introduction from Raymond utilizing effects pedals and looping on his flugelhorn, an added aspect of his arsenal that is now an integral part of the band’s sound.
 
Hekselman’s plectral guitar musings set the stage for Raymond’s plainchant horn on the intro to the title track “Joy Ride,” done here as an expanded version of the original and featuring an extended drum solo by Stranahan. The album concludes with the group’s take on Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” a piece that remains as vital today as it was when originally conceived, and is done here in a heartrending rendition by a simpatico ensemble of sensitivity.
 
Raymond notes Real Feels Live Vol. 2 is, “the strongest, most cohesive statement this band has made yet.” Combined with the fact that he has become a model to many of his peers as to what a successful, DIY-bandleader should look like, the trajectory for Raymond and the group continues to reach higher and higher.
 
About John Raymond & Real Feels:
 
Originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, John Raymond is making a name for himself as one of the most promising, genre-bending musicians in jazz today. With a singular voice as a trumpeter, flugelhornist and composer, Raymond is “steering jazz in the right direction” says DownBeat, by pushing its boundaries, seamlessly incorporating indie-rock, folk and electronic influences into his music. Something Else! Reviews states, “This is jazz, yes, but jazz with an open mind."
 
Raymond’s primary band Real Feels is a bass-less trio which includes rising stars Gilad Hekselman on guitar, Colin Stranahan on drums, and Raymond on flugelhorn. The group has released four albums together since 2016, all receiving high praise from Stereogum, The New York Times, DownBeat and JazzTimes among others. Their warm, lyrical melodies are complemented by an infusion of electronics and effects, giving the group a sound that is entirely accessible and relevant. Add to this the deep chemistry between the musicians, and it’s no surprise that Real Feels is one of the hottest new groups in jazz today.

John Raymond & Real Feels · Real Feels Live Vol. 2
Sunnyside Records · Release Date: January 18, 2018
 
For more information on John Raymond & Real Feels, please visit: JohnRaymondMusic.net
 
For more information on Sunnyside Records, please visit: SunnysideRecords.com 

​Multi-platinum singer songwriter Hozier has announced his much-anticipated new album Wasteland, Baby! set for release on March 1 on Island Records.
 
The album also follows Hozier’s recent Nina Cried Power EP. The EP, which features Multi-Grammy award winning artist and performer Mavis Staples and instrumentation by renowned Grammy Life Time Achievement Award recipient Booker T. Jones, has been streamed over 26 million times since its release in September last year. The title track of the EP also opens Wasteland, Baby! and has already proved incredibly successful for Hozier. Barack Obama included the song in his favourite songs of 2018 playlist and the track was the subject of the Song Exploder podcast’s first episode of 2019, which you can listen to here.
 
Speaking about the release of Wasteland, Baby! Hozier said:
 
“I’m thrilled to announce my new album Wasteland, Baby! The album has been over a year in the making and it’s a pleasure to finally turn out my pockets and share the work. I want to sincerely thank fans and listeners for their continued support in between the records. See you out on the road soon.”
 
Current single Movement is another key track on Wasteland, Baby! In just two months the track has been streamed over 20.8 million times and has fast become a firm fan favourite at Hozier’s live shows.
 
Following the success of his most recent UK tour, Hozier is set to announce the European leg of the upcoming global Wasteland, Baby! tour with dates scheduled throughout the rest of 2019. Full tour dates and cities will be announced in February.
    
Hozier first rose to prominence following the release of his globally successful, triple platinum single Take Me To Church. The track was nominated for ‘Song Of The Year’ at the 2015 Grammy Awards, won ‘Song Of The Year’ at the 2015 Ivor Novello Awards, won ‘Song Of The Year’ at the 2015 BBC Music Awards and won ‘Top Rock Song’ at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards, where Hozier also won ‘Top Rock Artist’. Take Me To Church has sold 2.23 million copies in the UK to date. Hozier also saw great success with Someone New, which went gold and Cherry Wine and From Eden both being certified silver.
 
Wasteland, Baby! is the follow up to Hozier’s critically acclaimed self–titled debut album, which has now amassed over 2.1 billion streams on Spotify alone, while his total, global Spotify Playlist reach currently sits at over 71 million. The album has sold over 850 thousand copies in the UK, going platinum in the process, while the record has sold 4 million copies worldwide. Hozier received a nomination for ‘Best International Male’ at the 2015 Brit Awards.
 
Wasteland, Baby! is released on March 1 on Island Records.
 

HOZIER ONLINE
 
TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | WEBSITE
​

Award-winning Canadian soul-bluesman Matt Andersen announces the forthcoming release of Halfway Home by Morning (True North Records), available worldwide on March 22nd.
 
Produced by JUNO-Award-winner Steve Dawson and recorded “live off-the floor” at Southern Ground Studio in Nashville, Halfway Home by Morning showcases Matt Andersen’s soulfully-powerful vocal pipes in all their glory, backed by a sympathetic band of all-star musicians, plus Amy Helm, who guests on “Something to Lose,”  a masterful, Memphis/Muscle Shoals-fueled duet with Andersen.   

Free Man/Quarter On The Ground Double Single - Soundcloud Link
Free Man/Quarter On The Ground - Smart URL
Free Man Video - YouTube Link

"A decade's worth of quality releases and heavy touring have made New Brunswick's Matt Andersen into one of the nation's most reliable performers." - AllMusic
 
“A powerhouse voice that could pack a football stadium” - The National Post

Unbridled joy springs eternal from Halfway Home by Morning, Andersen’s tenth full-length release. The new disc deftly captures the New Brunswick, Canada native’s long-signature and internationally celebrated sound: sweat-soaked soul meets incendiary rhythm and blues, with full doses of heartsick folk and Americana grit mixed in for good measure.
 
Much like legends who graced the space before them — Neil Young, Emmylou Harris, and Jerry Lee Lewis, to name a few — Andersen and the band left everything they had on the floor of Southern Ground studio over the course of recording Halfway Home by Morning’s 13 tracks.
 
The recording space, too, soon came to feel like home Andersen. The kitchen fulfilled its all-important role as de-facto “war room” for musicians who join on the release, like Steve Dawson, Jay Bellerose, Chris Gestrin, Amy Helm, The McCrary Sisters (Ann, Regina, and Alfreda), Jim Hoke, Charles Rose, and Steve Hermann; and after the day’s work was done, Andersen and bassist Mike Farrington routinely found themselves kicking back, listening to the horn sections and reminiscing about the players they’d shared stages with before.
 
That home-like feel fed the belly and fueled the fire within Halfway Home by Morning;  the release inspires soulful rejuvenation, looking outward at the anxious state of the world and offering a helping hand while, at the same time, searching inward to clarify what really matters.

The result? An album teeming with such warmth and verve, listeners can’t help but keep comrades close and feelin’ right. “There really is nothing like listening back in the studio and everybody has the same smile on their face over what we’re hearing,” Andersen shares. “You can’t fake the vibe of musicians playing together, responding to the choices others are making in that moment.”
 
Fakery has never been a factor for Matt Andersen. Nearly two decades into his storied career now, Andersen’s room-shaking, heart-quaking voice has won him countless awards, including two European Blues Awards, seven Maple Blues Awards, plus an International Blues Challenge, and a Canadian Independent Music Association nod, not to mention a JUNO Award nomination. His lengthy tenure as Canada’s resident blues-man speaks for itself.
 
The proof is further in the previous: Honest Man (2016) debuted in the top five on Soundscan for albums in Canada, following Adele, Justin Bieber, Macklemore & Lewis, and The 1975; and its supporting tour sold more than 25,000+ tickets nationwide.

Halfway Home by Morning is the sound of an artist doing was he was born to do — laying his soul bare using the music that can’t help but run through him, and doing it with more jubilation than he ever has before.
 
Matt Andersen will be appearing at the Folk Alliance International Conference in Montreal:
February 14 - Paquin Agency Showcase
February 15 - Official Paradigm Agency Showcase 

​Eindelijk vond Bjorn ‘the guitar express of the North’ Berge tijd om een nieuw album op te nemen. Na zes jaar verschijnt “Who Else?” en toont het de veelzijdigheid van ‘one of the greatest European blues men’. Veel mensen kennen hem vooral live als een ‘rauwe gitaarhouthakker’, maar er is nu ‘more feel, tranquility and groove’ te horen en hij heeft meer ruimte om zijn kunsten als ‘virtuoso of the twelve-string guitar’ te tonen. Op dit dynamische en energieke album banen Berge en zijn bandleden een weg tussen blues, rock, Americana en country; ‘with Bjorn Berge, the blues seems to have no limits!’.

Bjorn geeft 6 concerten in Frankrijk dit voorjaar en het is de bedoeling dat hij de komende herfst de lage landen aan gaat doen voor club-shows! Wordt vervolgd!

Weet u nog waar u zich bevond toen 'De zji' van Ertebrekers voor het eerst de ether in gestuurd werd? Wij wel. On the road, met de offspring in the back en het lief vrolijk naast ons. Plots kreeg de rit naar de cinema een impromptu roadtrip-gevoel, een sentiment dat we later vaker hadden, want 'Otel' – Ertebrekers’ debuutalbum, ook alweer uit 2016 – bleek uitstekend cruisin’ materiaal. Mellow, funky, laidback... de zomer steeds in het handschoenenkastje.
 
Ondertussen is het 2019. De wereld draait nog steeds aan een onwaarschijnlijk tempo om haar eigen as en schiet aan een rotvaart doorheen het universum, to boldly go where no one has gone before. Het is maar ten zeerste de vraag of we überhaupt ergens heen gaan. Of staan we niet gewoon wat ter plaatse te trappelen? In het geval van Ertebrekers: geenszins. Flip Kowlier, Peter Lesage en Jeffrey Bearelle staken afgelopen zomer de koppen opnieuw bij elkaar, wisselden muzikale ideeën uit ("Plots kwam Jeffrey af met wel 50 demo's. Ideetjes, zei hij" – dixit Kowlier), dronken koffie, kregen zin in ijs en gingen aan het werk. Het resultaat?
 
Een nieuwe plaat. De titel? 'Crème'. Die verschijnt op 8 maart 2019 en 'Paranoia' is de vooruitgeschoven single (vanaf 18/01).
 
https://youtu.be/Bk1xHv2kUZQ
 
 
Aan de laidback groove van twee jaar geleden werd weinig geprutst. Er slopen iets meer jaren '80-synths op de plaat, wat veertigers-nostalgie en een vleugje elektronica. Los daarvan is 'Paranoia' genuine Ertebrekers. Een song die vraagt naar meer, die de zomer vriendelijk uitnodigt om op tijd te komen, zodat de trip naar het ijssalon – plakkerig en zoet – ingezet kan worden.
 
7 maart albumvoorstelling in de AB !
https://www.abconcerts.be/nl/agenda/evenementen/ertebrekers/21115/

​‘Ecstasy X’ is de tweede single van het nieuwe album ‘Garden of Earthly Delights’ van Susanna & The Brotherhood Of Our Lady. ‘Ecstasy X’ betovert de luisteraar met mysterieuze en spookachtige klanken. Denk aan kerkklokken die zijn opgenomen met een cassetterecorder, een piepende accordeon en zwaar bewerkte stemmen die je verleiden om samen met hen in extase te komen.

Beluister ‘Ecstasy X’ op Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2CsCDIE

Het werk van Jheronimus Bosch vormt het uitgangspunt van ‘Garden of Earthly Delights’ (naar ‘Tuin der lusten’), het dertiende studioalbum van de Noorse zangeres Susanna. Visionair, duister, spiritueel, licht en donker, goed en kwaad, hemel en hel en de dwaasheid van de mensheid. Net als de iconische schilderijen van Bosch, variëren de liedjes van Susanna van panoramisch tot intiem en geven zij gestalte aan gelukzaligheid, kwelling en de marteling van innerlijke conflicten.

Op ‘Garden of Earthly Delights’ wordt Susanna begeleid door The Brotherhood of Our Lady, vernoemd naar het Illustre Lieve Vrouwe Broederschap dat Bosch steunde. The Brotherhood of Our Lady bestaat uit een aantal getalenteerde, Noorse muzikanten; Stina Moltu (gitaar en zang), Ida Løvli Hidle (accordeon), Ina Sagstuen (zang, elektronica en synthesizer) en Natali Abrahamsen Garner (zang en elektronica).

‘Garden of Earthly Delights’ wordt verwacht op 22 februari 2019. 

www.susannamagical.com

Drummer Ted McKenna, who played with a range of artists including Rory Gallagher, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Ian Gillan and Michael Schenker, has died at the age of 68.

The news was confirmed on Facebook by a close friend, who wrote, "For everyone who loved him, Ted died this morning from a haemorrhage during elective surgery. Freak occurrence and a huge surgical team fought for 10 hours to save him. 
"Unfortunately there was no solution to stop the bleeding and he faded away without ever knowing. I'm going to miss him so much."
McKenna was born in Lennoxtown, Scotland, in 1950, and played on all seven of The Sensational Alex Harvey Band's studio albums, as well as Fourplay, the album they made without Alex Harvey under the name SAHB (without Alex). 
The band, whose iconic Faith Healer was first played at the Reading Festival in 1973 – where it was a transformative highlight – were a big influence on a young Joe Elliott.

“Alex had a habit of coming up to me on stage and hammering my cymbals during the solos,” McKenna told Classic Rock in 2016. “Joe Elliott came to see us one night at Sheffield City Hall, right at the front. Alex hit a cymbal, it fell off the riser and rolled towards the edge of the stage. 
"Joe told me years later that it actually cut the edge of his hand. It was lucky it didn’t take the bloody thing off. But SAHB was a big inspiration to Joe. There was really no one else around like us.”

The band splintered after Rock Drill was released in 1978, and McKenna was asked to replace Rod de'Ath in Rory Gallagher's band as it reverted to a power trio lineup. McKenna played on Photo-Finish in 1978, on Top Priority the following year, and on 1980's live album Stage Struck. 
McKenna also worked as a session musician alongside Greg Lake and Gary Moore in The Greg Lake Band, the Michael Schenker Group, Ian Gillan and Nazareth singer Dan McCafferty.

More recently, McKenna was part of the Michael Schenker Fest lineup, which reunited the guitarist with the three original MSG singers, Gary Barden, Graham Bonnet and Robin McAuley.
Former Status Quo drummer John Coghlan paid tribute on twitter, saying: "Very sorry to receive the sad news of our dear friend Ted McKenna. Fab drummer and such a great guy. We shall miss you."
​
Bassist Neil Murray wrote: "Completely shocked by the very sad news of the sudden death of drummer Ted McKenna (SAHB, Michael Schenker, Rory Gallagher and many others) who I spent time with only three weeks ago at the Cozy Powell Birthday Bash. A lovely guy and great drummer who will be much missed."

In April  2018, Kramer returned to the studio to record her third full-length album. Valley of the Bones is a triumphant collection of original songs that illustrate and explore the expression human of love in all its various forms. 

Tracked mostly live (including the vocal performances,) at Sound Temple Studios in Asheville, N.C., Kramer teamed up with her frequent collaborators: Free Planet Radio musicians River Guerguerian, Chris Rosser and two-time Grammy Award winner Eliot Wadopian; as well as Billy Cardine. The album also includes performances by Nicky Sanders of The Steep Canyon Rangers on violin and Asheville Symphony Orchestra musician Franklin Keel on cello. 

The collection of 10 original songs was engineered, mixed and produced by Adam Johnson of Sound Lab Studios and co-produced by Kramer and Chris Rosser. Kramer says of bringing the earliest, tentative versions of her songs to Johnson and Rosser for arrangement help and production ideas, "I have never trusted two people more with my art. In the past, I have seldom let people hear my songs until I felt that they were polished, but as my musical relationship with and respect for [Johnson] and [Rosser] have deepened, it felt important to me to to involve them from the beginning". 

"I know that the songs and the record as a whole are much stronger for it, and their gentle but firmly constructive approach has made me a better artist. I've been looking for such allies and mentors for a long time," she adds.

While most of the aforementioned musicians accompanied Kramer on her acclaimed 2016 release Carnival of Hopes, listeners will hear a distinct difference in the band's chemistry, cohesion and almost electric intuition with one another on Valley of the Bones.  

"Simply put, it's because we've been playing together a lot over the past three years since I've moved back home to Asheville," she says. "We've gotten to know each other personally, had a little time on the road together, sold out some shows in theaters together and have built an incredible mutual respect. We had genuine fun in the studio. I think all of that translates and comes through on the record." 

​Valley of the Bones' songs tackle a breadth of subject matter, ranging from marriage to miscarriage. Spirituality and self-acceptance are expressed with poetic grace, vulnerability and unapologetically honest grit. Kramer's endearing, self-effacing humor is also on full display. This warm, easy storytelling is paired with rich, nuanced arrangements that aren't afraid to be simple when called for, and are punctuated with the unmistakably bittersweet southern wail of Billy Cardine's dobro.

Standout tracks include the gutsy and reflective "Hymn" (which was a "homework assignment" from Mary Gauthier, Kramer's musical mentor) the undeniably smart and sassy "Waffle House Song", and the profoundly poetic and transcendent title track "Valley of the Bones". This song was dubbed a "masterpiece" by Lydia Hutchinson of Performing Songwriter Magazine. Also noteworthy are the quirky and hilarious country zinger "I'll See Your Crazy and Raise You Mine" and the sweet, earnest "Singin's Enough" which speaks candidly of the struggles of a touring musician.

All of the songs on Valley of the Bones show Kramer arriving confidently and comfortably at home inside as both a woman and a masterful songwriter after over twenty years of honing her craft.

Kramer will be celebrating the release of the album with a full band show at Ambrose West in her hometown of Asheville on March 2nd. 
 

www.JaneKramerMusic.com
Facebook 

​

​Stacking Smoke is more than ever the sum of its parts. A lot of parts. The new songs were composed with three performing guitarists in mind. Ronald Landa (ex-Delain) was found eager to join as an additional string man, bringing along his considerable skills as a singer. Bass player Maurice van der Es completed the line-up shortly after. Marjan Welman is on top of her game like never before, with her recognizable voice oscillating effortlessly between icy cold and sultry warm. With the production solely in the hands of the band, Stacked Smoke promises to be Autumn’s most deliberate and personal album to date. One that will translate to a live environment like never before with the urgency of a refined steamroller. 
​

​Videoclip of the track 'Blackout' off the album 

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​Rock Werchter 2019 vindt plaats van donderdag 27 juni tot zondag 30 juni in het Festivalpark in Werchter. Tickets zijn te koop via proximusgoformusic.be en ticketmaster.be. Meer namen worden zeer binnenkort bekend gemaakt.

​Trumpeter Steve Madaio, whose trademark sound on dozens of million-selling records was as distinctive as his black, broad-brimmed hat, died late Tuesday after suffering a heart attack in his Palm Desert home. He was 70.
Madaio toured with the Rolling Stones in the 1970s and was a regular member of bands led by Stevie Wonder in the 1970s and Paul Butterfield in the 1960s. He recorded with such rock legends as Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Rod Stewart and Ringo Starr, and such blues and jazz greats as B.B. King, Etta James, Robert Cray, Freddie Hubbard and Billy Cobham.
Jim “JIMI Fitz” Fitzgerald, a CV 104.3 DJ and singer-guitarist who played with Madaio and began his musical promotions in the Coachella Valley as a partner with Madaio on the “Fitz at the Ritz” series of the 1990s, said Madaio's sound was so distinctive, you could pick him out of a chorus of 50 trumpeters.
That's what made him one of the most in-demand session players in the recording industry.
“He used to hang with me on the air all the time,"Fitzgerald said. "I’d play something, like Bill Withers’ ‘Lovely Day,’ and he’d go, ‘Oh, I’m on that.’ I’d play Earth Wind & Fire’s ‘September’ and, ‘I’m on that.’ He arranged John Lennon’s ‘Walls and Bridges’ album. He’s on (the single with Elton John from that LP) “Whatever Gets You Through the Night.’ So, among all of us musicians, it’s not what artists he’s played with and what records he’s played on, but, who hasn’t he played with?”
Madaio performed in both the Woodstock and Monterey Pop festivals with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band in the 1960s. He remembered talking to Jimi Hendrix and landing in the Woodstock fields in a helicopter in the middle of the night and not being able to get out.
But he didn’t remember playing Monterey until he saw a video of himself on YouTube.
“I didn’t believe I was at Monterey Pop Festival,” Madaio said in a 2009 Desert Sun interview. “I kept insisting I wasn’t. Then people said to me, ‘I’m looking at this video and you’re on it!’ And the next thing I know, I’d say, ‘Well, that’s me. I guess I was there!’ If you realize how much goes down in your life, multiplied by 25 or 30 years of doing this, it’s impossible, even if I was totally straight – and a lot of times I wasn’t – to remember it all.”
Madaio played trumpet in the Pat Rizzo Big Band in New York at age 16  and played many recording sessions with Rizzo in Los Angeles in the 1970s. He moved to the Coachella Valley in the 1990s after going through a chemical dependency rehab, Rizzo said, and began sitting in with Rizzo’s band at the Hyatt Hotel lounge in downtown Palm Springs.
Rizzo told him Palm Springs was such a philanthropic town, he could do good and make a living at it. Madaio bought a home on Rizzo’s block and often said he was attracted to the Coachella Valley by its philanthropy.
“I’m in a surreal mood because I can’t imagine him not being here,” Rizzo said Wednesday. “He was so good.”
Madaio was greatly influenced by the late Hubbard, but he also helped bring the Chicago blues to a mainstream white audience with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. The band featured Butterfield on harmonica and great lead guitarists, such as Mike Bloomfield and Elvin Bishop. But the horn section, including Madaio and saxophonists David Sanborn and Trevor Lawrence in the late 1960s, had a bluesier sound then other horn-driven bands of the time, such as Chicago and Blood, Sweat & Tears.
When Stevie Wonder wanted to create a more “grown-up” sound for Motown, he hired the Butterfield horn section and created his most popular and critically-acclaimed work, including the Grammy Award-winning albums, “Talking Book,” “Fulfillingness’ First Finale” and “Songs in the Key of Life.” His 1972 hit, “Superstition,” was recorded by just Wonder, Lawrence and Madaio.
When Madaio was asked why Wonder peaked artistically in the 1970s, he said his accompanying musicians, including drummer Ollie Brown and back-up vocalist Deniece Williams, had a lot to do with it.
“When he went to the piano and he got to the second verse, everything was already done,” said Madaio. “They were instantaneous arrangements. I think having that freedom musically, at that period in his life when he was growing up, (enabled him to have) a pretty prolific period.”
Madaio toured North America with the Rolling Stones in 1972, and he told Fitzgerald, as part of a series of podcasts and audio recordings for an as-yet unpublished book, that Wonder had to be talked into doing the tour.
“Stevie got an offer to go out with the Stones and be their opening act,” Fitzgerald said, “but Stevie didn’t feel it was his audience. Madaio was the main impetus in pushing him off the ledge to agree to do the Stones tour. Madaio said he had to point out, ‘This is a whole new audience for you.’
“So, they get to the end of the tour and one night, (Mick) Jagger and (Keith) Richards are in a limo and they call Madaio out to the limo. To make a long story short, they made him a offer that he turned down at first. They wanted him to leave Stevie Wonder and go out with them. One of the comments he made to them was, ‘You guys are simple three-chord guys. What do you need me for?’ (But) they made him an offer so huge, he ended up leaving Stevie for a while.”
Madaio toured Europe with the Stones amid rumors that Richards was getting blood transfusions to help him avoid an addiction from his heroin use. Madaio couldn’t confirm that, but he said the Stones had a doctor on tour whose job was to keep Richards alive.
After leaving Wonder after “Songs in the Key of Life” in 1976, Madaio worked as a sideman on such historic albums as “Beautiful Noise” by Neil Diamond, “Street Legal” by Dylan and “Blondes Have More Fun” by Stewart. He also joined Cobham on “B.C.” and “The Love Connection” by Hubbard.
Upon moving to the desert, he opened his own nightclub in Palm Desert and recorded with local artists including Rizzo, Will Donato and Barry Minniefield. He played numerous charity gigs, often with Lauri Bono and Kal David, who he had played with before moving to the desert. In 2013, he performed at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland with other Stones sidemen in a tribute to the band.
Madaio also recorded a solo album in 2006, “Midnight Rendezvous,” that is the definitive representation of the Madaio sound – melodic but with rapidly cascading flights, like a flutter in the highest registers.
“I think, with all the music I hear and all the music I curate and the (stuff) that comes to me, his  ‘Midnight Renezvous’ album is so good, man. His version of ‘Harlem Nocturne’ and ‘Europa’… Steve had a knowledge and appreciation of every genre. He loved jazz, but he also was classically-trained. His discography is huge. It’s a shock to see all the (stuff) he’s on.”
Madaio got a chance to work with French singer-songwriter (and Stephen Stills’ wife of the 1970s), Véronique Sanson, in 1978. He continued working with her off-and-on on albums and tours through her 2015 LP, “Les Annees Americaines.” He spent much of the past four years working with Sanson in France, but, when she canceled her recent tours for health reasons, Madaio and co-author Tad Sisler were able to finish his memoir, “Stories in the Key of Life.” Fitzgerald said they also finished the audio version.
“He was so excited about this book, and this audio book and us doing these podcasts,” Fitzgerald said. “We had a little get-together a few weeks ago talking about how we were going to launch it. We were looking to get some quotes from Keith and Mick and Stevie. He was in a great head.”
They finished four podcasts. Fitzgerald said he doesn't know when the book will be released.
Funeral or memorial services are pending. Madaio is survived by his girlfriend of some 20 years, Eileen Collins; his daughter, Jamie Hogg; a brother and two sisters.

​With a tongue firmly in the cheek through music this album has a humorous approach to the political uncertainty caused by the Brexit fiasco. The 24 songs on this Atomicat album are in no way political, they are fun rock ‘n’ roll songs, but the titles fit well with the situation. The Right Honorable Windbag Sir Insel Affe, through the song titles tells the ‘egg- traordinary’ saga of the situation. What is certain, politics and politicians divide people and nations, Europe is under threat. The last hope to stop the destruction of Europe, lay in our heads and the power of music, for Rock ‘n’ Roll music unites people.
 
Linernotes
 
Here at Atomicat we do not like to get involved in political issues. However one day we were having a meeting (of great minds), which involved drinking a water based substance with an additive that makes you feel; great, wonderful, friendly, hug each other, reconfirm friendship and think differently. We played some random platters and we received ‘hidden’ messages, no the lyrics were not supernatural, however the song titles told a story. “Hey this is like the British wish for an independence from Europe”, said the man holding the party. Images of the movie ‘Independence Day’, came into my brain.
Strange events were actually occurring, terror in villages, towns and cities, people not knowing what was happening, what the impact would be to themselves and what the impact to the country would be from the Brexit situation. Strangely my students understood that this was not a good idea to pursue, each group from every course would ask me “why do the English people want to leave Europe?”
 
In simple terms let me explain using a recipe as the main explanation. The eggs were in the cake (the already made deal) and the British political elite wanted the eggs back, but why? Maybe to make scrambled eggs? It is still the same eggs, still the same ingredients, only used differently! The food was already cooked, but hey after years of harmony someone wanted to make a different meal, strangely from the same products. Politics and politicians divide people and nations, Europe is under threat. The last hope to stop the destruction of Europe, lay in our heads and the power of music, for Rock ‘n’ Roll music unites people.
 
This mixed up mess began under the Conservative Party rule and the leadership of Mr. Cameron, and Mrs. May carried on the fight that surely could not gain a result? The sorry affair began when those in power in Great Britain decided that the island had everything it needed to trade, be self-sufficient and ‘make it alone’. Voting to leave the European Union was strongly associated with holding socially conservative political beliefs, opposing cosmopolitanism, and thinking life in Britain is getting worse rather than better.
 
The talk in the House of Commons was, “I don’t need you no more” and they ‘typed a letter’ to Brussels about being ‘pushed too far’! There was to be no ‘talking it over’, someone had ‘done them wrong’, and several ‘lies’ were spoken (but by who?). The politicians were ‘singing the blues’, and “pity me” shouts the Right Honorable Sir Moneybags, I can invest my money off shore when we make a mess of the ‘deal or no deal’, and earn more money. ’Little’ Lord Fauntleroy the Third and the elite would become richer and have their cake and eat it (we return to the use of eggs as an explanation). Their brains were focused on money. However there was ‘something wrong with you’ the population, and the politicians did not understand, why their baloney was not working.
The Tories were united and not ‘cracking up’ under the pressure. Brussels repeatedly made ‘promises, promises and more promises’, so the inhabitants were informed! When workers ‘get paid’, the result was a ‘bad penny’ weak wage. The united Europe was weak and there was ‘no money in the (European) deal’, (well that is what the population were again told). Conservative Britain has everything ‘under control’, devaluing pound, weak exchange rate, longer working hours, it was all the fault of the European Union.
 
The information was ‘messed up’, and no surprise not everyone was fooled by the propaganda. Even though the population were informed they could put on ‘their walking shoes’ and gain independence, the same shoes were also suitable to walk around Europe. Although holiday costs are expected to rise. The soon to be red herring known as the blue passport, an idea of no use did not pacify the population, and passport control has gained additional problems. It was becoming clear to many politics is a dirty game, people were challenging and not happy with the way ‘your treating me’. Certainly pre the Brexit issue people could have lower cost holidays (exchange rates were good), and the Chancellor of the Exchequer gained more revenue from tourists (think here eggs, cake and scrambled eggs).
The European Union treats the people badly was reiterated, will it ‘work out’? Additionally the settlements from the divorce are not ‘easy payments’ for us, and it’s the fault of Brussels we don’t want your trashy Euro ‘it ain’t nothing but trash’ and harmony between us can never be. Those wise and rich politicians who have already secreted money in off shore banks (their version of eggs) still holler, “there are no benefits from a United Europe”, and the tax we save will never be claimed by ‘the revenoor man’, it goes to pay off privatization debt and bankers bonuses’. We are walking out on Europe and that is final, we are ‘going to make it alone’!
 
Dear reader, Rock ‘n’ Roll making politics clear, if politics ‘isn’t your thing’ never mind enjoy the music, the world wide music festivals, which bring countries together. Please support your record companies and dealers, Brexit will not! The Right Honorable Windbag Sir Insel Affe
 
Tracklist
 
The Rumblers I Don’t Need You No More (Lloyd, Matteson) 2.22
Billy Fury Gonna Type A Letter (Fury) 2.37
Skeets McDonald Don’t Push Me Too Far (Miller) 2.14
Faron Young We're Talking It Over (Young) 2.01
The Whips She Done Me Wrong (Josea) 2.32
Norman Bullock With The Southerneers Lies, Lies, Lies (Bullock, Sams) 2.12
Tommy Steele Singing The Blues (Endsley) 2.22
Jackie Lee Cochran Pity Me (Hafner, Reeth) 2.12
Screamin’ Jay Hawkins There’s Something Wrong With You (McRae) 2.21
Bo Diddley Crackin Up (McDaniels) 2.06
The Penguins Promises, Promises, Promises (Paul) 2.07
Cliff Bennett And The Rebel Rousers When I Get Paid (Shead, Wilborn) 2.40
Humphrey Lyttelton and his Band Bad Penny Blues (Lyttelton) 2.42
George Jones No Money In This Deal (Jones) 2.24
Larry Page Under Control (Hart) 2.24
Bill Swing Messed Up (Swing) 2.37
Duke Dickson Walking Shoes (Payne, Cuviello, Christenson) 2.39
Jim Gatlin The Way You're Treatin' Me (Gatlin) 2.23
Ricky Dee and The Embers Work Out (Cooke) 2.30
Sherree Scott Easy Payments (Scott) 1.58
Big John Greer Your Cash Ain’t Nothing But Trash (Calhoun) 2.21
George Jones Revenoor Man ( Lytle) 2.34
Jerry Bryan and The Houndogs I’m Walking Out On You (Bryan) 1.48
Dion Gonna Make It Alone (DiMucci, Feldman, Goldstein, Gottehrer) 2.33
 
It doesnt matter if you love the Brexit idea or are strict against it. We should not allow to rule incompetent people over our daily lives. Good rockin music unites us all. Spread the word !

Publieksprijzen van Music Moves Europe Talent Awards uitgereikt op ESNS 2019
Winnaars publieksprijzen onthuld op European Music Awards Night
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De winnaars van de publieksprijzen van de Music Moves Europe Talent Awards zijn bekend gemaakt tijdens een feestelijke prijsuitreiking op de European Music Awards Night van ESNS 2019. Eerder selecteerde een jury in zes categorieën twaalf winnaars die het Europese geluid van nu en morgen vertegenwoordigen.
 
Nu was het aan het publiek om te stemmen op hun favoriete artiest in elke categorie. De publieksprijs winnaars zijn: Pop: Bishop Briggs (VK), Rock: Pip Blom (Nederland), Electronic: Stelartronic (Oostenrijk), RnB/Urban: Rosalía (Spanje), Hiphop/Rap: Reykjavíkurdætur (IJsland), Singer-songwriter: Albin Lee Meldau (Zweden).
De Music Moves Europe Talent Awards zijn de nieuwe prijzen for populaire en hedendaagse muziek in de Europese Unie. Dit zijn de allereerste winnaars van de Music Moves Europe Talent Awards. ESNS 2019 vierde opkomende Europese artiesten op de prijsuitreiking in de Oosterpoort in Groningen, met optredens van Bishop Briggs, Pip Blom, Reykjavíkurdætur, Albin Lee Meldau, blackwave., Avec en Lxandra.
 
De Jury
De internationale jury voor de Music Moves Europe Talent Awards bestaat uit Huw Stephens (presentator BBC Radio 1), Julia Gudzent (festivalprogrammeur Melt!), Katia Giampaolo (CEO Estragon Club Italië), Kristian Kostov (winnaar EBBA en Public Choice Award 2018) en Wilbert Mutsaers (Head of Content voor Spotify Benelux). De organiserende partijen worden vertegenwoordigd door Robert Meijerink (boeker ESNS) als voorzitter en Bjørn Pfarr (boeker Reeperbahn Festival) als vice-voorzitter van de jury.
 
De Prijs
Het doel van de Music Moves Europe Talent Awards is om nieuwe en opkomende artiesten uit Europa te vieren, en om hen te steunen in het ontwikkelen en versnellen van hun Europese carrières. Het prijzenpakket bestaat daarom uit €5000 aan tour- en promotiebijdragen, verscheidene optredens op ESNS, gratis publiciteit en een op maat gemaakt trainingsprogramma.
 
Als opvolger van de European Border Breakers Awards (EBBA) worden de jaarlijkse Music Moves Europe Talent Awards deels gefinancierd door het Creative Europe-programma van de Europese Commissie, met aanvullende steun van de gemeente Groningen, de provincie Groningen en het Nederlandse Ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap. De prijzen worden uitgereikt door ESNS en Reeperbahn Festival, in samenwerking met Yourope, de European Broadcasting Union (EBU), Independent Music Companies Association (IMPALA), International Music Managers Forum (IMMF), Liveurope, Live DMA, European Music Exporters Exchange (EMEE) en Digital Music Europe (DME).
 
Music Moves Europe
Muziek is een van de populairste kunstvormen, wordt veelvuldig geconsumeerd en is een levendige expressie van Europa’s culturele diversiteit. Music Moves Europe, de koepel voor de initiatieven en acties van de Europese Commissie die de Europese muzieksector steunen, en Creative Europe, het fonds van de EU voor de culturele en audiovisuele sectoren, willen de muzieksector laten bloeien door, onder andere, de European Border Breakers Awards in eerdere jaren te steunen. Om creativiteit, diversiteit en competitie te stimuleren is deze prijs vanaf nu vervangen door de jaarlijkse Music Moves Europe Talent Awards.
 
 
Check de website https://musicmoveseuropetalentawards.eu/media/ 
 

“Hoever kan je uit je comfortzone getrokken worden?”
Het lijkt misschien één of andere uitdaging voor een spectaculair nieuw tv-format, maar niks is minder waar. Deze twee Kempenaren kwamen elkaar al een paar keer per toeval tegen op het podium en elke keer spatte het plezier, de humor, maar vooral de positieve muzikale verrassing er vanaf. In die mate dat ze besloten om dit in een nieuw project te gieten. Nieuw voor allebei, geen toeters en bellen rond Natalia, geen “standaard” ritmesectie bij Jef, maar één en al oor voor elkaar en elkaars muziek, op zoek naar manieren om die songs uit te puren, te strippen en zo te brengen dat ze jou helemaal van je sokken blazen.
Combineer het krachtigste koppel stembanden van Vlaanderen met de meest veelzijdige pianist van dit moment en je krijgt vuurwerk, dat is gegarandeerd! Maar ook veel plezier, veel gelach, emoties, maar bovenal prachtige muziek.
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Kaarten kosten 30, 37,50 en 45 euro.

Opgelet! Voor tickets die aan de kassa worden gekocht wordt een extra servicekost van 2 euro per ticket aangerekend

• Officiële website Natalia: http://www.natalia.be/
• Officiële website Jef Neve: https://www.jefneve.com/

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Kalendervr 15.02.2019 Deuren - 19:00
Aanvang - 20:00
Stadsschouwburg Antwerpen
in verkoop
Tele Ticket Service

In onze andere zalenvr 29.03.2019 Deuren - 19:00
Aanvang - 20:00
Ethias Theater
in verkoop
Tele Ticket Service

za 30.03.2019 Deuren - 19:00
Aanvang - 20:00
Capitole Gent
in verkoop
Tele Ticket Service
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"Natalia & Jef Neve - Theatertournee" wordt georganiseerd door PSE-Belgium

Ospel maakt zich in 2019 op voor de 34e editie van het Moulin Blues Festival dat op 3 en 4 mei gehouden wordt. 
Ook dit jaar loont het om er snel bij te zijn, het is namelijk mogelijk om tegen gereduceerd tarief een vroegvoordeel-combiticket te bemachtigen. Als je er tenminste op tijd bij bent want er zijn maar 350 vroegvoordeel-combitickets beschikbaar, en op = op. Kaarten zijn verkrijgbaar op www.moulinblues.nl.

Moulin Blues Ospel
Voor velen betekent Moulin Blues de opening van het festivalseizoen. Voor de tweeëndertigste keer veranderen de lege akkers in Ospel in een spectaculair en gezellig blues walhalla waar liefhebbers vanuit de hele wereld op af komen. Scheurende gitaarsolo’s, swingende piano-riffs en knallende drumsolo’s beloven weer menig van deze bezoekers het kippenvel op de armen te bezorgen.
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Moulin Blues 2019
Moulin Blues 2019 belooft een zeer aantrekkelijke editie te worden, de organisatie van Moulin Blues presenteerde reeds de eerste 12 namen voor de 34e editie van het festival: The Blues Giants ft. Sugaray Rayford, Albert Castiglia, Nick Schnebelen, Willie J. Campbell & Jimi Bott (USA), Studebaker John & The Hawks (USA), Mike Zito (USA), The Reverend Shawn Amos (USA), Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar (CAN), The Weight Band (USA), Joe Louis Walker (USA), Greyhounds (USA), Jeremiah Johnson (USA), Joakim Tinderholt (NOR), Beaux Gris Gris & The Apocalypse (USA/UK) en Big Joe Louis (UK).
In totaal treden er tweeëntwintig artiesten op, in twee (verwarmde) tenten, tijdens het tweedaagse festival. Het gros van de artiesten komt zoals ieder jaar uit Amerika.
Voor meer informatie en ticketverkoop: www.moulinblues.nl

On her long awaited debut album EXPLICACIONES, Cuban born vocalist, composer and flute virtuoso MAGELA HERRERA not only makes it look effortless, but also creates loads of sensual, vibrant, rhythmically diverse fun as she leads an ensemble of top Miami musicians through an eclectic mix of originals, jazz and Latin standards and traditional favorites from her home country. Praised often for her unique background that includes Latin jazz, Euro jazz and classic Afro-Cuban traditions, Herrera developed her incredible instincts and keen musical chops from 2004 through 2011 as a member of Mezcla – one of Cuba’s leading jazz and fusion groups. In 2010, she was nominated for a Best of Latin Jazz Award from the magazine Jazz Corner for her flute improvisations on Mezcla’s album “I’ll See You in Cuba.“ Over the years, Herrera has also shared the stage with an extensive list of acclaimed international artists, and she also performed at the Oslo Jazz Festival, Oslo World Music Festival, Copenhagen Jazz Festival, Lunatos Festival (Toronto) and at various jazz clubs and venues worldwide.
 

​For more info: www.magelaherrera.com
 
featuring
MAGELA HERRERA  Voice & Flute
TAL COHEN  Piano
NESTOR DEL PRADO  Bass
DION KEITH KERR  Bass
HILARIO BELL  Drums
DAVID CHIVERTON  Drums
GREG DIAMOND  Guitar
JEAN CAZE  Trumpet
PHILBERT ARMENTEROS  Bata Drums
 
PRODUCED BY MAGELA HERRERA
 
tracks

1. TWO SIDEWALKS  6:21
2. QUE TE PEDI  4:31
3. PRINCIPIOS  7:09
4. EXPLICACIONES  5:08
5. AHORA  6:33
6. BESAME MUCHO  6:01
7. DANSON PARA PAPA  6:05
8. MY ONE AND ONLY LOVE  6:11

Tommy Castro & The Painkillers will celebrate the February 1 release of their new Alligator album, Killin’ It Live, with performances in Europe starting Wednesday, February 13 and ending Monday, February 25, 2019.
 
Guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Tommy Castro has released 15 albums ranging from horn-fueled soul and R&B to piping hot blues to fiery rock ‘n’ roll. He’s performed all over the world, earning countless fans with his legendary, sweat-drenched, exhilarating live shows. The Painkillers -- bassist Randy McDonald, drummer Bowen Brown and keyboardist Michael Emerson -- have now been playing together over four years. After hundreds of live shows, they have coalesced into one of the telepathically tightest units Castro has ever assembled, making them one of the most in-demand live roots music acts performing today. Blues Revue said simply, “Tommy Castro can do no wrong.”
 
With the group firing on all cylinders, Castro knew the time was right to answer his fans’ demands for a live album. Killin’ It Live captures the band at the peak of their creative and improvisational powers, and features one unforgettable, unpredictable performance after another. “This is the best band we’ve ever had,” says Castro. We really got something going on beyond just being good musicians. Every song we play live now has that right feel—all the dynamics. It allows us to jam out more on stage. Killin’ It Live is what you hear when you see us live.” Featuring songs from throughout Castro ’s career, Killin’ It Live was produced by Castro and engineer/songwriter Ron Alan Cohen and recorded at venues in Texas, New York, Michigan and California during 2018. The album includes eight Castro originals spanning his entire career and two Castro-ized covers, each showing a slightly different side of his multifaceted musical personality.

Live on stage, Tommy Castro & The Painkillers' road-hardened musicianship brings an unmatched passion to Castro's blue-eyed California soul and hard-rocking, good-time songs. The San Francisco Chronicle describes Castro's music as, “funky Southern soul, big city blues and classic rock...silvery guitar licks that simultaneously sound familiar and fresh.” No Depression says “Castro plays gritty, string-bending blues like a runaway soul train...a glorious blend that rocks the soul and lifts the spirits.” Killin’ It Live captures the live power and raw passion of Tommy Castro & The Painkillers. It's the next best thing to being there. 

Concert information is below:
Remember -- Always Contact The Venue To Confirm Dates and Show Times
 
Wednesday, February 13, 2019           
Meisenfrei Blues Club 
Bremen, Germany
www.meisenfrei.de
 
Thursday, February 14, 2019  
Kulturwerkstatt Buer e.V.      
Melle, Germany
www.kultur-in-buer.de
           
Friday, February 15, 2019      
Q-Factory       
Amsterdam, Netherlands
www.q-factory-amsterdam.nl
           
Saturday, February 16, 2019  
Groene Engel  
Oss, Netherlands
www.groene-engel.nl
                       
Sunday, February 17, 2019     
Musiktheater Piano    
Dortmund, Germany  
www.musiktheater-piano.de

Monday, February 18, 2019    
Die Kantine - Yard Club         
Cologne, Germany
www.kantine.com
           
Tuesday, February 19, 2019    
Spirit of 66      
Verviers, Belgium
www.spiritof66.be
 
Wednesday, February 20, 2019           
Nachtleben      
Frankfurt, Germany
www.batschkapp.de
Thursday, February 21, 2019  
Kofferfabrik   
Fürth, Germany
www.kofferfabrik.cc
 
Friday, February 22, 2019      
Bürgerhaus Vollmersbach                  
Vollmersbach, Germany
www.bluenoteio.de
           
Saturday, February 23, 2019  
Strandbar51   
Winterbach, Germany
www.strandbar51.de
 
Sunday, February 24, 2019     
Mühle Hunziken         
Rubigen, Switzerland
www.muehlehunziken.ch
 
Monday, February 25, 2019    
New Morning  
Paris, France  
www.newmorning.com

Phoenician Drive is a six-piece band from Brussels formed by Chilean percussionist Diego Moscoso, who has brought together musicians from very different backgrounds with the intention of making drums and distorted guitars join with oud, rek and other Eastern percussion instruments. In the footsteps of East-West musical blendings from the 70s like Erkin Koray or Orient Express, and under the influence of the German kraut-rock scene (Neu!, Can, Faust) and the 60s soundtrack composers, Phoenician Drive is looking for the hypnotic trance based on distorted oriental grooves.
 
The band released the critically acclaimed (check the quotes) and self-titled  Phoenician Drive  album via Exag Records last fall followed by a series of clubshows.  To kick off 2019 they play two influential festivals: Eurosonic (NL Groningen) and We Are Open @Trix  (BE – Antwerp).
 
Do yourself a favour and go catch one of their shows.  
Need more info or want to talk to them, just shout !
 
FRI 08 Feb | 'WE ARE OPEN 2019': @Trix Antwerp – 18.00u
Link PD @ We Are Open
 
WED 16 Jan | Grand Theatre, Main | 20:00 - 20:45 | EUROSONIC
Phoenician Drive https://esns.nl/artist/phoenician-drive/ 

Check the FB for all concerts

A dark blend of the sludge and doom, crammed full of powerful yet clean vocals, scorching low-tuned guitar riffs, bone crushing bass and grooves: Becoming a witness of the MEGATHERIUM sound, feels like runnning over a huge wall of heavy distorted tunes that hit you like a sledgehammer, pulverising all of your senses. The four-piece doom and stoner metal band, formed in 2011 and hailing from Verona, Italy, has now signed a worldwide deal with ever-growing label ARGONAUTA RECORDS!

Following the band's critically acclaimed Superbeast album (2016), MEGATHERIUM are currently putting together the final touches to record their sophomore release, which will see the light of day in 2019 with Argonauta Records. "Most of the bands we listen to daily belong to Argonauta’s family: we’re thrilled to be part of the most kick-ass label out there.“ the band comments. "We’re starting the recording session in a few weeks from now, stay tuned for many more news coming soon!”

MEGATHERIUM offer a wide open arena full of riffage and rhythm, vocals that stand out with a mix of sludge roar and clean, melodic stoner wail, supported by a clever use of keyboards. Light effects, smoke and samples transform a MEGATHERIUM live show into a unique and mesmerizing experience of all that is heavy, flowing from beginning to end with no pauses at all. After the band shared the stages with bands alike Ufomammut or Deadsmoke, to name just a few, 2019 will see MEGATHERIUM to unleash their brand new album on Argonauta Records.


For More info Visit:
www.facebook.com/MegatheriumStonerDoom
www.megatheriumstonerdoom.bandcamp.com
www.argonautarecords.com
www.facebook.com/ArgonautaRecords
 

MEGATHERIUM – Fly High [ official video, 2016 ]
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQtFknmcim8

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Proudly Presents:  Uma Chine (LP/CD: 13/02/19)
Single “A Cake Spell”
Luister en kijk hier:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AmEt6Hrx3c&feature=youtu.be
 
Album release show: 13/2, Handelsbeurs, Gent.
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Met gepaste trots stellen we graag dit fijne debuut album aan u voor !  Uma Chine is de band rond Nele De Gussem (BRNS, Maya’s Moving Castle,  Future Old  People Are Wizards, Inwolves). Ze
 
verzamelde het beste van de Gentse jazz- en popscene rond zich om een band op te richten die het midden houdt tussen roots en elektronica, het menselijke (hUman) en de maChine. Nele De
 
Gussem studeerde gitaar met de nadruk op hedendaags experiment. Ze speelde in bands als Maya’s Moving Castle, Future Old People Are Wizards en Inwolves, waar ze zich meer en meer op synths begon toe te leggen.
In Uma Chine vermengen zich al deze invloeden, gedragen door de zusterlijke stemmen van Rana en Sherien Holail Mohamed (Binti) en de jazz- en experimentele achtergrond van muzikanten Simon
Raman (drums - Steiger, Ivy Falls), Nils Vermeulen (bas - Jukwaa) en Koen Quintyn (synths - St. Grandson).
Uma Chine kwam voor het eerst samen in 2017 en speelde in het voorprogramma van Mauro Pawlowski en op het hoofdpodium bij Sint-Jacobs tijdens de Gentse Feesten. Het afgelopen  jaar liet de band zich opmerken met fel gesmaakte live shows en de zeer goed ontvangen singles “Screens” en “Lonely Giant”
Het debuut van Uma Chine biedt een fascinerende trip tussen psychedelica, indie en electronica,  met de opvallende meerstemmige vocals in een glansrol.

Tour: 11/02 try out 13/02 Handelsbeurs Gent - BE 14/02 Sound Dog Breda - NL  30/03 Hafen 2 Offenbach - DE 31/03 support Berlin - DE 01/04 Barkett Berlin - DE 02/04 Glocksee Hannover - DE 03/04 Rekorder Dortmund - DE 04/04 STUK met Inuit  Leuven- BE
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https://www.facebook.com/umachineband/

Taylor Scott Band announces a March 1 release date for their new CD, All We Have. Produced by Steve Berlin of Los Lobos, All We Have showcases the band’s exciting mix of rock, funk, soul and blues music that has made them fan-favorites not only in their Denver, Colorado, home base, but around the world, as well.  The album includes a special guest appearance by guitarist Henry Garza of Los Lonely Boys. 
 
The album’s even-dozen tracks feature 11 originals penned by Taylor Scott, plus a scintillating cover of Sleater-Kinney’s “Good Things.” Besides Taylor Scott on guitar and vocals, the band includes Jon Wirtz (keyboards, harmony vocals); Chris Harris (bass); and Lem Williams (drums); augmented by a horn section percussion, harmonica and backing vocals.
 
“When (producer) Steve Berlin and I started working on pre-production for this record, our approach was to pick the best songs I had written up to that point and start there,” Taylor Scott recalls about the recording sessions. “Steve didn’t ask me to change much about what I had written.  He did, though, ask me to write a chorus to a song called ‘Clearance Bin,’ which didn’t have a proper one before. Somehow, the first words I thought of ended up being the mantra of the entire album: ‘The day-to-day is all we have, I’ll trade it for a song and laugh, the things I want weren’t meant to last anyway.’ After getting the nod from Steve, I realized that one way or another, every song on the album was about that message in some way. Even songs that I had written years before carried that theme somehow, however subtle or cryptic. That realization alone gave this project a new meaning and helped me to find a voice that had previously proven elusive.”
 
Besides the sheer exhilaration of recording a new album with his bandmates, Taylor Scott got an extra buzz from working with Steve Berlin and Henry Garza. “Working with Steve for the first time was an honor and a creative thrill,” he declares. “He brought our sound together in a new way and had the wisdom to understand where we were coming from AND where we were heading.
“It was also a highlight of my life to work with Henry Garza of Los Lonely Boys on the record. His group was my first rock concert as a kid and an enormous influence on me as a developing musician. Playing together in the studio was a dream come true for me. During this project, these new experiences were coupled with what I’ve always held dear and striven for; to tell a story and make honest, meaningful music with my exceptionally talented friends. This time, it all came together. That’s what this album, All We Have, means to me.”
 
Taylor Scott is an international touring guitarist and singer/songwriter. He has consistently toured all over the US, Canada, and Europe with both the Taylor Scott Band and trance-blues legend Otis Taylor.  In 2015, he played alongside Warren Haynes (Allman Brothers Band, Gov't Mule) on Otis' critically acclaimed release, Hey Joe Opus: Red Meat. 
 
As one critic wrote, “Heavily influenced by soul, funk, blues, and rock & roll, Taylor Scott’s music is gaining a reputation for transcending the limitations of a single genre. His diversely influenced rock & roll group, The Taylor Scott Band, is a high-powered extension of this mélange of sounds.”
 

 
www.taylorscottmusic.com

 

​The high school student will be making her film debut as Maria in the remake of the 1961 classic, alongside Ansel Elgort.
Steven Spielberg had the Internet buzzing on Monday when he confirmed his pick for the role of Maria in the West Side Story remake.
High school student Rachel Zegler will take on the iconic lead after responding to the production’s open casting call with a video of herself singing the film's "Tonight" and "Me Siento Hermosa."
Though this is Zegler's film debut, the 17-year-old has been uploading covers to her YouTube channel for the past three years. Currently with about 81,000 subscribers, her channel is packed with her takes on Broadway hits, Disney classics and top 40 smashes. Her most popular video is a heartfelt performance of "Shallow" from A Star Is Born, crooned in her impressive range through Apple earbuds in her bathroom.  
Ahead of the 1961 classic's remake, which also stars Ansel Elgort as Tony and is scheduled to begin filming this summer, see six of Zegler's covers below.

Master Organist Joey DeFrancesco to Release Adventurous New Album In The Key Of The Universe, March 1 on Mack Avenue Records
 
Album Features Pharoah Sanders, Troy Roberts, Billy Hart & Sammy Figueroa
 
Celebrates 30th Anniversary of DeFrancesco's Debut Album & 50th Anniversary of "The Creator Has A Master Plan"
 
Read Album Announcement & Listen to First Single "Inner Being" Exclusively on WBGO.org
As he’s made abundantly clear over the past 30 years, Joey DeFrancesco has plenty of soul. What most listeners probably haven’t spent much time pondering is that soul’s place in the universe. On his adventurous new album, In The Key Of The Universe, the master organist turns his musical attentions to his spiritual side, tapping into a strain of metaphysical jazz that’s fueled sonic searchers for more than half a century. Joey D calls upon disciples and missionaries of jazz to join him in paving the way to enlightenment.
 
In The Key Of The Universe, due out March 1 via Mack Avenue Records and available for pre-order now, arrives almost exactly 50 years after the release of Karma, the landmark album by legendary saxophonist Pharoah Sanders. One of the primary exponents of spiritually-oriented jazz, Sanders makes three guest appearances on the album, including an update of his best-known track from Karma, the cosmically influential “The Creator Has A Master Plan.” Playing drums on that track was the great Billy Hart, who reunites with Sanders as well as DeFrancesco, with whom he’s worked several times over the years since joining the organist for his 1989 album Where WERE You?
 
Hart makes up part of the core band for In The Key Of The Universe along with percussion virtuoso Sammy Figueroa, another Where WERE You? alum who has played with almost literally everyone over the years, from Miles Davis and Sonny Rollins to David Bowie and Patti Smith to Mariah Carey and Diana Ross. The multi-talented saxophonist Troy Roberts, a frequent collaborator in recent years, shows off his skills on tenor, soprano, alto, and even the acoustic bass. At the center of it all is the always scintillating organ work of DeFrancesco, who retains his trademark robust swing and gritty funk while striking out in freer, more exploratory directions.
 
An artist who's always been deeply attuned to the full history of jazz and able to tap into it in innovative ways, DeFrancesco naturally feels a profound connection to the questing, devotional jazz of forebears from Sanders to John Coltrane to John McLaughlin. It may seem like a change in direction, but unexpected travels into new territory has been a central tenet of DeFrancesco’s music throughout his remarkable career.
 
“I pride myself on being a musical chameleon,” the organist explains. “There’s so much good music that it’s hard to stay in one place, at least for me. I love being able to go in any direction, and lately that’s sent my music in a more free jazz direction – but still with a groove.”
 
That adaptability is something that DeFrancesco also recognized in Pharoah Sanders, whose own work has long delved into myriad stylistic approaches. But for In The Key Of The Universe, DeFrancesco wanted the sax giant to tap into that spiritual vein that so memorably flows through his distinctive sound. “Pharoah is one of the go-to guys when it comes to that spiritual aspect of the music,” he says. “A lot of people do that kind of thing, but I like to go directly to the source, and he really is the source.”
In many ways an entire subgenre of consciousness-expanding jazz can be traced back to Karma and more specifically “The Creator Has A Master Plan,” the 32-minute epic that takes up almost the entire album. DeFrancesco’s rendition whittles the piece down to a relatively succinct 11 minutes, though without losing any of the original’s transcendent power, which DeFrancesco felt like a jolt in the studio. 
 
“As soon as Pharoah picked up his horn and started playing that melody, my hair just stood straight up,” he recalls. “Then Billy started doing his thing with the mallets, wide open and free. Once it gets going it’s so hard to stop; you could listen to that vibe forever. It was almost an unexplainable feeling – absolutely a downright spiritual experience.”
 
Sanders also lends his singular tenor sound to the enthralling title track, on which he plays in tandem with Roberts, and to the more tender “And So It Is,” where he’s paired with DeFrancesco’s trumpet playing in addition to his cascading organ sound. All three tracks showcase Sanders’ unparalleled ability to be simultaneously raw and refined, mesmerizing and ferocious.
 
The rustling of Figueroa’s percussion paired with Roberts’ keening soprano usher in the album with DeFrancesco’s “Inner Being,” whose introspective opening gives way to a blissful groove. An Indian-inspired drone underlies “Vibrations In Blue,” where Hart’s hypnotic rhythms usher in the exotic, interlaced voices of Roberts and DeFrancesco. The buoyant “Awake And Blissed” follows, a rollicking mission statement highlighted by the leader’s fleet, jubilant keyboard runs. “It Swung Wide Open” picks up the pace even more for a blistering jaunt that shines the spotlight on Hart’s taut, stop-on-a-dime rhythmic control.
 
The band pares back to a trio for the lush “Soul Perspective,” which gives ample space to Roberts’ stirring, passionate tenor. That sound turns breathy and intensely moving on the absorbing ballad “A Path Through The Noise,” which derives its meditative atmosphere from the combination of DeFrancesco’s shimmering organ vibe and trumpet solo, Hart’s exquisite brushwork, and Figueroa’s crystalline accents. The album concludes with the touching, heartfelt bossa-tinged reflection “Easier To Be.”
 
“The direction in which my life is going always affects what I’m doing musically,” DeFrancesco says. “As I grow older, I find myself attracted to a more spiritual vibe. It’s always been that way, to some extent – especially playing music and going into the zone, which has to do with being in touch with the universe. It’s not about religion, it’s just a spiritual vibe that respects everything, in music and in life.”

Joey DeFrancesco Tour Dates:
 
February 1 / Arts and Technology Lecture Hall / Richardson, TX
February 2 / New Trier Jazz Festival / Winnetka, IL
February 7 / St. Cecilia Music Center / Grand Rapids, MI
February 8 / BLU Jazz+ / Akron, OH
February 9 / Bop Stop - The Music Settlement / Cleveland, OH
* February 27 / Jazz Standard / New York, NY *
February 28 - March 3 / Blues Alley / Washington, DC
March 8 - 9 / Sharp Concert Hall / Oklahoma, OK
** April 23 - 25 / The Chicago Theatre / Chicago, IL **
May 17 - 18 / Jazz at Lincoln Center / New York, NY
 
* NYC Record Release Show w/ Billy Hart & Troy Roberts
** w/ Van Morrison

Joey DeFrancesco · In The Key Of The Universe
Mack Avenue Records · Release Date: March 1, 2019
 
For more information on Joey DeFrancesco, please visit: JoeyDeFrancesco.com

The Branford Marsalis Quartet Expands Range and Creativity on New Album, The Secret Between the Shadow and the Soul
 
Album Available March 1 on OKeh Records, Pre-order Now
 
New Track "Snake Hip Waltz" Out Now

Read Exclusive Announcement & Track Premiere for "Snake Hip Waltz" at WBGO.Org

The Branford Marsalis Quartet announce the release of their new album, The Secret Between the Shadow and the Soul, on March 1 via OKeh Records, an imprint of Sony Music Masterworks, and Marsalis Music. Available now for pre-order, the new album finds the celebrated ensemble at a new peak, addressing a kaleidoscope of moods with inspiration and group commitment. Included in today’s preorder is the new track, “Snake Hip Waltz” – listen here. 
 
The quartet that saxophonist Branford Marsalis has led for the past three decades has always been a model of daring, no-apologies artistry, of ever-widening musical horizons and deepening collective identity. With likeminded support from pianist Joey Calderazzo and bassist Eric Revis (each with 20 years of service to the group) and drummer Justin Faulkner (the “rookie” who has been aboard since 2009), the band has long been a model of how to sustain and enlarge a musical outlook that is both historically and stylistically inclusive. Successive recordings have revealed new plateaus, and The Secret Between the Shadow and the Soul, the band’s first since 2016’s acclaimed Upward Spiral with guest Kurt Elling and first pure quartet effort since 2012’s Four MFs Playin’ Tunes, captures a new emphasis on both how to express and how to document the music.
 
“Working with Kurt for a year and a half took me back to what I learned in hindsight from my gig with Sting,” Marsalis explains. “Working with a singer changes you in ways you don’t realize. When I started playing jazz after my background in R&B, all the possibilities I discovered led me to play solos that went on and on. Sting said, `No, you’ve got 45 seconds,’ which did more than just cause me to edit. It taught me to focus on the melodies, to get to the point.”
 
The gigs that followed Upward Spiral had a similar effect on the rest of the quartet. “The guys in the band hadn’t been in that position for a long time, either, and it totally changed how we play. We became tighter, because it was more about what we could do to support.” As a result, Marsalis realized that he could no longer be satisfied with the creative tension sparked when new material was confronted in the recording studio. “I still like the idea of having everyone bring in whatever they want to bring in when it’s time to record and seeing what we can develop,” he admits, “but we couldn’t just take the `jam session’ approach to recording anymore. We had to go out and work the music.”
 
So after an initial get-acquainted week of gigs and studio work at the Ellis Marsalis Center in New Orleans in October 2017, the band hit the road, probing and absorbing the new material as it toured the world. “In June,” says Marsalis, “when we had five days off in Melbourne, I asked the guys if they wanted to have fun or to work. We were ready to deal with the music.” In the Alexander Theatre at Monash University in Clayton, Australia, the band documented the seven latest additions to its already prodigious repertoire.
 
The result is as complete a picture as one can assemble of the Marsalis Quartet within the confines of an hour. As usual there is compositional input from the veteran members, with Revis supplying the surging “Dance of the Evil Toys” and more tensile yet equally dynamic “Nilaste,” while Calderazzo reinforces the lyrical compositional yin to his virtuosic keyboard yang in “Cianna” and “Conversation Among the Ruins.” In addition to the leader’s own “Life Filtering from the Water Flowers,” with one of his most deeply felt and keenly shaded tenor saxophone solos, there are two of the more challenging jazz jewels of the mid-seventies, Andrew Hill’s “Snake Hips Waltz” and Keith Jarrett’s “The Windup.”
 
Whether navigating the quirky three-bar phrases of Hill’s piece or the elegant composure of “Cianna,” the rambunctious mechanisms of “Evil Toys” or the haunting ruminations of “Life Filtering,” the quartet generates distinct and unerringly apt sonic profiles. “Sonny Rollins provided the template for playing each piece with a ton of vocabulary and how to use the sound of one’s instrument,” Marsalis notes. “With us, it’s all about sound and the power it has to create emotion. When you deal with sound, you don’t play the same thing twice in a row. You listen to each other, and every song is different.”
 
Other influences, ranging from European opera and African percussion ensembles to such saxophone beacons as Ben Webster, Wayne Shorter, John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman, have shaped Marsalis’s command at non-verbal storytelling. “My approach in both writing and soloing is melodic and rhythmic, with harmony third,” he stresses. “We mold the harmony to the melody, where too many people let the harmony dictate. And we play in the cracks. I want to channel that vibe of all the great music I’ve heard, but to apply my own ideas.”
 
Marsalis still finds that the perfect vehicle for realizing his goals is his stellar working band. “Some musicians may need to work in different projects to create the illusion of sounding different by changing the context, whereas we are confident that we can adjust our group sound so we don’t have to change the context. What always appealed to me were the great bands, not just the great players who could start and stop at the same time. Staying together allows us to play adventurous, sophisticated music and sound good. Lack of familiarity leads to defensive playing, playing not to make a mistake. I like playing sophisticated music, and I couldn’t create this music with people I don’t know.”
 
The Secret Between the Shadow and the Soul confirms Branford Marsalis’s vision. It is sophisticated, adventurous and anything but defensive, and it captures a great band sounding better than ever.

 
Branford Marsalis Quartet
The Secret Between the Shadow and the Soul
Release Date: March 1, 2019
Tracklist:
1. Dance of the Evil Toys (Eric Revis)
2. Conversation Among the Ruins (Joey Calderazzo)
3. Snake Hip Waltz (Andrew Hill)
4. Cianna (Joey Calderazzo)
5. Nilaste (Eric Revis)
6. Life Filtering from the Water Flowers (Branford Marsalis)
7. The Windup (Keith Jarrett)

Sony Music Masterworks comprises Masterworks, Sony Classical, OKeh, Portrait, and Masterworks Broadway imprints. For email updates and information please visit, www.SonyMusicMasterworks.com

Branford Marsalis Quartet · The Secret Between the Shadow and the Soul
OKeh Records · Release Date: March 1, 2019
 
For more information on Branford Marsalis, please visit:
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