Recording artist NICOLAS BEARDE has established himself as a powerful presence on the contemporary vocal jazz scene over the past couple of decades. His silky baritone, wit and engaging rapport captures and draws in audiences at his live performances.
I REMEMBER YOU: The Music of Nat King Cole is Bearde’s newest CD and the sixth he’s released on the Right Groove Records label. With his 2016 chart-topping release, Invitation, produced and arranged by Nat Adderley, Jr. and featuring the dynamic sax work of special guest, Vincent Herring, Nicolas cemented his place in the upper echelons of the jazz rankings, receiving stellar reviews. All About Jazz said, “Bearde's soulful and affecting baritone sits atop these impeccably tailored arrangements of sterling standards, and the results are absolutely stunning."
Bearde has long appreciated the music of Nat Cole, one of his earliest influences, and produced this album in celebration of Nat’s 100th birthday. Though the ten songs on this project are associated with Cole, Bearde breathes new life into the tunes with his rich, warm voice and supple phrasing, imbuing each song with his own soulful and romantic interpretation.
Bearde has had an extensive, varied, and fruitful singing and acting career. He’s loved jazz and R&B since his early years in Nashville, where he was born and raised. Leaving home in his teens, after a short stint in college, Bearde began singing professionally while living in Japan during his military service. Upon returning to the U.S., he spent a few years on the L.A. music scene before making his home in the San Francisco/Bay Area, where he began developing his jazz chops and a more intimate approach to performing.
While living in the Bay Area in the 1980s, his life veered in a different creative direction when he became part of Jukebox, a staged radio play starring Danny Glover. At Glover's recommendation, Bearde began studying with renowned acting teacher Jean Shelton, and a year later, he was cast in the Athol Fugard play "Master Harold"… and the Boys. He went on to book a continual stream of stage plays, and soon began to work in film and television, as well, including Final Analysis with Richard Gere and Kim Basinger, True Crime with Clint Eastwood, and the TV shows Nash Bridges and Monk.

While working on his various theatrical ventures, Bearde met singer Molly Holm and joined her eight-member group Jazzmouth, which was known for their vocal improvisation and close harmonizing. He connected with
Bobby McFerrin through his relationship with Holm, and in 1986, Bearde became part of McFerrin’s ground-breaking a cappella group Voicestra.
In the mid-90s, when Voicestra went on a years-long hiatus, Bearde and a few other members of the group created an off-shoot called SoVoSò. "We followed in the improvisational tradition of Voicestra, but added more gospel, Latin and R&B elements," says Bearde. SoVoSò went on to win numerous awards and honors, among them 1st place at the renowned CASA a cappella summit awards, and nominations for "Best Group" and "Best Album.” Bearde was nominated as "Best Lead Vocalist."
Bearde transitioned out of the cappella world to focus on his own music in the early 2000s, recording several albums between 2005 and 2016, which included original songs and inventive covers of jazz standards. In 2018, he was the featured vocalist on Vincent Herring's chart-topping CD, Hard Times, as well as vocalist and narrator with Herring’s Story of Jazz Orchestra, a 10-piece New York-based ensemble of jazz luminaries who travel the world, presenting Jazz music's 100+ year history.
For I REMEMBER YOU: The Music of Nat King Cole, Bearde brought on board some of the finest musicians living in Northern and Southern California. He recorded eight of the ten tunes with Los Angeles-based pianist JOSH NELSON at the helm. “I first heard Josh at Jazz Camp West, where we were both teaching. I didn’t know him but heard his music and went to see many of his performances. His playing was so fluid and lyrical…I knew we’d have to record together some day,” said Bearde. The Southern California band also includes ALEX BONEHAM on bass and DAN SCHNELLE and LORCA HART on drums. The Northern California band includes PETER HORVATH on piano, DAN FEISZLI on bass, and JASON LEWIS on drums.
Being a big fan of tenor saxophonist ERIC ALEXANDER’s phrasing and tone, Nicolas brought him out from New York as a special guest for this project. Alexander is featured on three tunes, “That Sunday, That Summer,” “Funny (Not Much),” and “Thou Swell.” Those songs were all arranged by Nelson, as were “Sweet Lorraine,” “The Rules of the Road,” “Straighten Up and Fly Right,” “Tenderly,” and “I Wish You Love.” Bearde and Horvath arranged “I Remember You” and “L-0-V-E.”
Bearde is a master storyteller. There is a certain elegance to his singing that makes the songs on I REMEMBER YOU: The Music of Nat King Cole, with their updated, hip arrangements, as fresh and evocative as when they were originally performed.
​
# # #
I REMEMBER YOU: The Music of Nat King Cole will be available in stores and online everywhere on August 30, 2019.
Webs:
Nicolasbearde.com Facebook.com/NicolasBearde1/

2019 wordt het jaar waarin de Britse serial lover James Blunt opnieuw in de spotlights verschijnt. De kersverse single “Cold” wordt op 25 oktober gevolgd door zijn nieuwe plaat ‘Once Upon A Mind’. Hoog tijd voor de charismatische zanger dus om opnieuw de wijde wereld te gaan verkennen! De Belgische fans mogen hun agenda aankruisen op 25 februari 2020, voor een concert in Vorst Nationaal. Tickets zijn verkrijgbaar vanaf vrijdag 6 september om 10u.
 
Blunt staat bekend om zijn hyperromantische folknummers, maar verrast vaak met zijn veelzijdige persoonlijkheid. Hij is meer dan zijn suikerzoete stem, betoverende nummers als “You’re Beautiful”, “Goodbye My Lover” of “1973” en ruim 23 miljoen verkochte albums. James Blunt, dat is ook een getalenteerd muzikant, een onnavolgbaar showman die van alle markten thuis is, en een gul en humoristisch entertainer. Sinds de release van zijn razend succesvolle debuutplaat ‘Back To Bedlam’ (2004) rijgt hij wereldwijd de successen aan elkaar, met talloze platina albums en awards tot gevolg. De verwachtingen liggen hoog voor zijn zesde langspeler ‘Once Upon A Mind’, die met catchy popsongs teruggrijpt naar de roots van James’ carrière.

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VISIONS OF ATLANTIS finally drop long-awaited new album, Wanderers!
​

​It’s here! Following their chart-breaking album, The Deep & The Dark (2018), VISIONS OF ATLANTIS release their spectacular new album, Wanderers, today. Wanderers is VISIONS OF ATLANTIS’ seventh album released via Napalm Records. The listener will be blown away by captivating symphonic metal songs, armed with beautiful duets by Clémentine Delauney and Michele Guaitoli. VISIONS OF ATLANTIS truly take the next step with this release, starting with a photoshoot on the shores of the North Atlantic that resulted in breathtaking pictures, lyrics that touch the heart and soul and riffs that make you tap your foot along.

​VISIONS OF ATLANTIS is an Austrian-French-Italian Symphonic Metal band that was formed in August 2000 in the beautiful town of Bruck an der Mur. VISIONS OF ATLANTIS uses harmonies of male and female vocals from the beginning of their career, which makes them extraordinary and distinctive from other bands of the genre. The band consists of Clémentine Delauney (vocals), Michele Guaitoli (vocals), Christian Douscha (guitar), Thomas Caser (drums) and Herbert Glos (bass).

The Fabulous Thunderbirds spelen een mix van blues, R&B en rock'n roll die ervoor zorgen dat niemand stil kan blijven staan!
Het feit dat The Fabulous Thunderbirds zowel op een bluesfestival als op een rocklocatie enthousiasme kan opwekken, is voornamelijk te wijten aan het feit dat zanger, mondharmonica-speler en frontman Kim Wilson, altijd groot belang hechtte aan muzikale ontwikkeling als band.
Al meer dan 40 jaar zijn ze de karakteristieke Amerikaanse band. Het onderscheidende en krachtige geluid van de groep, beïnvloed door een verscheidenheid aan muziekstijlen, manifesteert zich in unieke songs als "Tuff Enuff" en "Wrap It Up".

Ticket info
Prijs€26 - €29
Cultuurkaart KU Leuven€23 - €29
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Tickets
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Trombonist/bandleader Chris Barber has announced his permanent retirement from full-time music after leading his internationally popular band since 1954. His original small group initially played in jazz clubs but by the late 50s became an attraction in large concert halls throughout the UK and Europe.  Chris Barber’s Jazz Band first toured the USA in 1959 after having a million-selling hit with “Petite Fleur” that year, featuring clarinetist Monty Sunshine.
 
Barber’s passion for Afro-American music brought many American blues and gospel legends to Britain who appeared with his band, including Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, Muddy Waters, Louis Jordan, Sonny Boy Williamson and Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Together with his business partner Harold Pendleton, Barber opened the celebrated Marquee Club in London in 1958 where many British blues performers were first showcased including Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated and The Rolling Stones.
 
Chris Barber’s influence on the European music scene has been an extremely significant one, ranging from traditional jazz to Chicago blues, always played with great dedication to the music he loved. In fact, Barber led a band for more years than his hero Duke Ellington who achieved a mere half-century!  Now that Chris has retired, The Big Chris Barber Band will carry on as a tribute to his rich musical legacy.
 
Born in Welwyn, Hertfordshire in 1930, Chris became an avid collector of jazz and blues records before buying his first trombone at age 18 and formed a semi-professional band in 1949 when he recorded for the first time. He studied trombone and double-bass at the Guildhall School of Music and assembled his first professional band in 1953, fronted by trumpeter Ken Colyer. Colyer was replaced by Pat Halcox in 1954 who remained with Barber for 54 years. Chris also featured a skiffle group with singer/guitarist Lonnie Donegan, which led to a national craze for such blues-based music. The powerful blues singer Ottilie Patterson, who later married Chris, starred with his band for 20 years. 
 
Over the years Barber successfully developed his Jazz and Blues Band and, due to his love of Duke Ellington’s music, in recent times he augmented his personnel and renamed it The Big Chris Barber Band featuring many talented young musicians, bringing a new lease of life to his music and touring widely. The band recorded prolifically over the years in its many forms with numerous special guests. Barber was awarded the OBE in 1991. His autobiography Jazz Me Blues, co-written with Alyn Shipton, appeared in 2014.  The double album “Memories of My Trip” featuring his career-spanning collaborations with other jazz, blues, skiffle and gospel luminaries is being re-issued in CD format 11th October by The Last Music Company.
 
At the time of writing, quotes were available from:
 
ANDY FAIRWEATHER LOW: "There is no more important musician in my life than Chris.  Nobody has done more to shape the musical scene that I am part of than Chris.  I was lucky enough to tour as a guest with Chris and his great band. I will continue to tell people about the importance of his musical footprint. You've done more than enough Chris...time to sit back and pass the baton on."
 
BILLY BRAGG: "Chris Barber's influence on British popular music, be it through playing jazz, creating skiffle or promoting R&B, has been immense. His role in inspiring the world-beating British groups of the 1960s cannot be overestimated."
 
JOHN MAYALL: "I used to see Chris regularly when he came to Manchester with his band in the early Fifties and it is amazing that he’s continued to entertain worldwide fans throughout so many years. Ever since those early days he has always been a good and supportive friend to me and his legion of fans. I was sorry to hear that he is retiring from live performances and I sincerely wish him well. We will miss him entertaining us with his unique trombone playing and leadership.”
 
MARK KNOPFLER: "There’s a short path from Chris Barber’s front door to the first British rock records and my first musical passion, Lonnie Donegan. I didn’t know it at the time, but it was Chris playing bass on Donegan’s ‘Rock Island Line’, which turned out to be inspirational for so many British rockers. Chris Barber’s contribution has been immense, and I salute him"
 
NICK LOWE: “Without Chris Barber, the sum total of Britain's contribution to popular music would be ‘Green Door’ by Frankie Vaughan.”
 
PAUL JONES: “From ‘Rock Island Line’ until today, Chris Barber has always been like a father-figure to me; I cherish the times when he invited me to sing and play with his band – and when he returned the compliment by gracing (or, as he liked to put it, ‘infesting’) the stage or recording-studio with The Blues Band. An inspiration and a role-model; thank you, Chris!”
 
SIR TIM RICE: “Chris Barber’s work in so many areas of jazz, blues and popular music since the end of the Second World War has been immense and often criminally underrated. It is very sad to hear that he is retiring from live performances which he continued to give with energy and panache until well into his ninth decade. He achieved great success and popularity during his long career but few of his stature have had such an influence on the development of British music across so many styles and generations.”
 
Listen: MEMORIES OF MY TRIP https://open.spotify.com/album/0D1ZW8ttZGfAd0mo6WSVMi
 
Watch: Chris Barber with Andy Fairweather Low and Jools Holland
https://youtu.be/I0dJ9BALdeE

Following the recent announcement by trombonist and band leader Chris Barber of his permanent retirement from full-time music after 65 years, The Last Music Company will re-issue MEMORIES OF MY TRIP on October 11th. Barber had been leading his internationally popular band since 1954.
 
In addition to being a co-founder of the legendary Marquee Club which saw the earliest performances of Alexis Korner and The Rolling Stones, Barber is credited with bringing many American blues and gospel legends to Britain for the first time to appear with his band; including Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, Muddy Waters, Louis Jordan, Sonny Boy Williamson and Sister Rosetta Tharpe.
 
In fact, Barber lit the fuse for John Lennon’s Quarrymen with the skiffle boom, and tremors in the wake of his blues tours fueled The British Invasion, inspiring the likes of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, John Mayall, Eric Clapton, and others.
 
Billy Bragg explains, “…[Barber’s] role in inspiring the world-beating British groups of the 1960s cannot be overestimated." Nick Lowe goes even further to suggest that, “without Chris Barber, the sum total of Britain's contribution to popular music would be ‘Green Door’ by Frankie Vaughan.”
 
MEMORIES OF MY TRIP is the only collection of Barber’s rare collaborations in existence. Artists featured here include Sonny Terry & Brownie McGee, Eric Clapton, James Cotton, Ottilie Patterson, Lonnie Donegan, Keith Emerson, Andy Fairweather Low, Rory Gallagher, Edmond Hall, Jeff Healey, Jools Holland, Paul Jones, Mark Knopfler, Van Morrison, Dr. John, John Slaughter, Albert Nicholas and Muddy Waters, and more.
 
Malcolm Mills of The Last Music Company says he decided to reissue the double album on the occasion of Barber’s retirement “as an aide-memoire to remind the current generation that Chris is a colossus of jazz, blues and beyond…[because] without him, music would have been very different.”
 
The double-CD set includes a 22-page booklet narrated by Barber himself in conversation with renown Jazz journalist Alyn Shipton, and lands October 11th.

​She previews her forthcoming “All My Strings” album with an imaginative take on Lauryn Hill’s “Doo Wop (That Thing),” dropping September 23.
 
SAN DIEGO (29 August 2019): Strip away Lauryn Hill’s scathing admonition to men and women on her 1998 hit, “Doo Wop (That Thing),” and you are left with an innovative rhythmic track that astutely balances jagged hip hop edginess and a melodic R&B soul. It’s an unlikely composition for a classical harpist, which makes it Mariea Antoinette’s sweet spot. She has made it her mission to tackle unexpected funk, rhythm and blues, and pop songs, creating new possibilities for her instrument by presenting them with harp as the protagonist. Teaming with producer and arranger Allan Phillips, Antoinette’s reimagined “That Thing” goes for playlist adds on September 23.
 
Antoinette’s elegant stringed siren provides a surprising contrast over the buoyant beats Phillips constructed. Lush harmonic accoutrements are provided by a vibrant live horn section - trumpeter Derek Cannon, tenor saxophonist John Rekevics and trombonist Jordan Morita - and dramatic strings from the APM Allstars Strings along with Evan Marks’ guitar and Phillips’ keyboards. Antoinette debuted “That Thing” with her band on stage last month at the San Diego Smooth Jazz Festival, garnering an enthusiastic standing ovation.      
 
“I chose the track for its funky, innovative rhythm and the beats are very cool. It’s a perfect song for harp that people are not expecting. Lauryn Hill is a music pioneer and a leading voice for women and for her style, ingenuity and edginess. The stories she tells through her music and lyrics are fresh and unique. ‘That Thing’ schools both women and men on motivations, keeping your eyes open and being wise in relationships. Everyone loved it when we played it live in San Diego,” said Antoinette.
 
“That Thing” offers an alluring glimpse into Antoinette’s forthcoming album, “All My Strings.” She and Phillips are busy tracking material for her third album that is slated to drop January 31, 2020 on the Infinity Productions/MAH Productions label. Antoinette’s last outing, “Straight from the Harp,” went top five at Billboard when it was released in 2015. The San Diego-based musician has been balancing her solo career with being a member of the all-star female ensemble Jazz in Pink since 2007. In June, she made her Playboy Jazz Festival debut at The Hollywood Bowl playing with Jazz in Pink, with whom she has performed at several prominent festivals this year, including Seabreeze Jazz Festival, Capital Jazz Cruise and the upcoming Barbados Jazz Excursion and Cancun Jazz Festival. The award-winning harpist collected three statues last year for Instrumentalist of Year (San Diego Prestige Awards), Best Jazz Single for “Overture” (Black Women in Jazz & The Arts Association), and a BMA Image Award from the Black Music Awards. Her high-profile performances include playing for President Barak Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, with Ne-Yo at the BET Awards, at Vanity Fair’s Grammy party with Jamie Foxx and on American Idol. For more information, please visit https://www.marieaantoinette.com.

​The American singer of jazz and soul Nancy Holloway, installed since 1960 in France where she knew the success among the idols yéyé, died Wednesday at her Paris home, at the age of 86 years, announced her godson and publisher. "Nancy Holloway died this morning at home, she had left the scene in 2008 because of health problems," said Christophe Mouty, who became his curator.
Nancy Brown, Nancy Holloway, born December 11, 1932 in Cleveland, had resumed in French the success of Dionne Warwick ‘Don’t not Make Me Over’ , become T'en not like that . Falling in love with France to the point of settling there permanently, the singer will chain a dozen successes of which Tell him that I am not there in duet with Nino Ferrer, Last kiss , I discovered Paris , Take care of you ...
In 1961, the most American of the Yéyés triumphed at the ABC. In the process, she is one of the main guests of the first issue of Albert Raisner's program A Tender and Woodcut ."Nancy has worked with the greatest international jazz artists and producers as well as the international variety like Sammy Davis Junior, Quincy Jones, and Dizzy Gillespie," said Christophe Mouty.
She had shot with Johnny Hallyday and Charles Aznavour.
In Paris, at the beginning, Nancy Holloway performed in jazz clubs including the famous Mars Club and Blue Note, before touring Germany and Lebanon. Spotted by actor André Pousse, she recorded her first single in 1961 ( The Boogie of the baby ) while appearing in feature films including The Gentleman of Cocody Christian-Jaque, Games massacre Alain Jessua and The Cri du cormorant the evening above the junks of Michel Audiard.
In 1964, Nancy Holloway played her own role in Searching for Michel Boisrond's idol , sharing the bill with Sylvie Vartan, Johnny Hallyday, Charles Aznavour and Eddy Mitchell. From 2006 to 2008, Nancy Holloway took part in the Tender Age and Woodheadevent tour with other Yéyé idols like Richard Anthony, Demis Roussos and Franck Alamo.

20.09 | 19:30 DOUBLE BILL
ALEX KOO FEAT. JEAN-PAUL ESTIÉVENART
Alex Koo, piano
Dré Pallemaerts, drums
Lennart Heyndels, contrabas
Jean-Paul Estiévenart, trompet
De jonge pianist Alex Koo verscheen ongetwijfeld al op de radar van toegewijde jazzliefhebbers, maar nu staat hij ook klaar om een breder publiek in te palmen. Hij vormde onlangs een trio met zwaargewichten Mark Turner en Ralph Alessi en samen brachten ze een goed onthaald album uit. Nu stelt hij zijn ‘Belgische’ trio met Dré Pallemaerts en Lennart Heyndels voor. Speciaal voor deze bezetting componeerde Koo een nieuw repertoire. Bovendien werd trompettist Jean- Paul Estiévenart aan boord gehaald.
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JEANFRANCOIS PRINS: RIO DE JAZZEIRO
Jeanfrançois Prins, gitaar
Jasper Soffers, keyboards
Bart de Nolf, contrabas
Bruno Castellucci, drums
De avond wordt afgesloten door de Belgische jazzgitarist Jeanfrançois Prins, die de voorbije jaren publiekslieveling was in zalen in Europa, Amerika en Azië. De muziek van deze lyrische jazzmeester is geïnspireerd door een heel arsenaal aan stijlen en invloeden, maar Prins’ favoriete muziek is toch wel die uit Brazilië. Met zijn project Rio de Jazzeiro neemt zijn groep European All-Stars ons mee in de wereld van de bossa nova en de samba, van Antonio Carlos Jobim tot Milton Nascimento, Hermeto Pascoal, Tania Maria en Caetano Veloso tot zijn eigen composities. Het geheel wordt overgoten door een smakelijk jazzy sausje.
Double Bill: 1 ticket 2 concerten

27.09 | 20:15
HAILU MERGIA
Hailu Mergia, keyboard, orgel, melodica, accordeon, zang
Alemseged Kebede-Anissa, basgitaar
Kenneth Courtney Joseph, drums
Van een comeback gesproken! Als leider van de Walias Band was de Ethiopische toetsenist Hailu Mergia in de jaren 1970 in eigen land een van de grote helden van de ethiojazz. Maar na zijn verhuis naar Washington D.C. in de jaren 1980 werkte hij alleen nog als taxichauffeur. Muziek maken deed hij enkel nog op een vrij moment in zijn taxi op een klein keyboard in het dashboardkastje. Gelukkig herontdekte het label Awesome Tapes from Africa enkele jaren geleden zijn oude opnames. Sindsdien is deze intussen 72-jarige jazzmuzikant bezig aan een indrukwekkende comeback.

05.10 | 20:15
DAYMÉ AROCENA
Droom weg op de zwoele stem en muziek van Cuba’s grootste revelatie van het moment, Daymé Arocena. Deze jonge zangeres, componiste en koorleidster mengt jazz, soul en klassieke invloeden met de typische ritmes en stijlen van haar geboorteland, zoals de changüí, de guaguancó en de ballade. Ondertussen is deze wereldwijd gerenommeerde zangeres toe aan haar derde album Sonocardiogram bij Brownswood Recordings, het label van Gilles Peterson. Dit concert kadert in de vijfhonderdste verjaardag van de stad Havana.
Album release : Sonocardiogram (sept 2019, Brownswood Recordings)
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11.10 | 20:15
RYMDEN
Bugge Wesseltoft, piano
Dan Berglund, contrabas
Magnus Öström, drums
‘Great minds come together’, en zeker in dit trio gevormd door de Noorse pianist Bugge Wesseltoft en zijn twee goede Zweedse vrienden Magnus Öström en Dan Berglund, beiden lid van het voormalige Esbjörn Svensson Trio. Jazz & Mo bestempelden hun concert in Jazz à Liège als ‘verbluffend’! Ze staan garant voor een heel eigen ‘Europese jazz’, nu eens melancholisch en atmosferisch, dan weer ritmisch en virtuoos. De mix van invloeden uit de moderne jazz, uit de muziek van Johann Sebastian Bach, de filmmuziek en zelfs de rockmuziek, zorgt telkens opnieuw voor een unieke concertervaring.
Album presentation : Reflections & Odysseys (2019, Jazzland Records)

18.10 | 19:30
ZIV RAVITZ 'NO MAN IS AN ISLAND'
Ziv Ravitz, drums
Will Vinson, altsaxofoon
Nir Felder, gitaar
Drummer Ziv Ravitz staat al meer dan tien jaar op de planken samen met de grootste namen uit de jazzwereld. Zijn indrukwekkende muzikale carrière bracht hem van Beër Sjeva in Israël naar Berlijn, Parijs en New York. Hij is een van de meest eclectische muzikanten van zijn generatie. Al zijn ervaringen brengt hij nu samen in het eerste album No Man Is An Island van zijn eigen trio. Hij laat zijn drumstel niet vergezellen door een piano en contrabas, maar door een saxofoon en een gitaar. We zijn benieuwd naar wat deze unieke muzikant ons te bieden heeft.
Album release : No Man Is An Island (2019, Sound Surveyor music)

18.10 | 21:00
YARON HERMAN TRIO
Yaron Herman, piano
Ziv Ravitz, drums
Sam Minaie, contrabas
Sinds hij een Victoire de la Musique won in 2008, heeft de Israëlische pianist Yaron Herman al een ongelooflijk parcours afgelegd. Eens deze voormalige basketballer zich aan de piano zet, laat hij moeiteloos de muziek van Gabriel Fauré volgen door die van Britney Spears, Michel Portal en door werk van de grootste jazzartiesten. Zijn nieuwe album Songs of the Degrees verschijnt opnieuw bij het label Blue Note. Hierin bundelt hij de krachten met zijn trouwe muzikale partner Ziv Ravitz op drums en Sam Minaie, de contrabassist van ook Tigran en Melody Gardot.
Album release : Songs of the degrees (2019, Blue Note Records)
COMBI TICKET Ziv Ravitz & Yaron Herman Trio : €35

21.10 | 20:15
RYAN PORTER FEAT. THE WEST COAST GET DOWN
Ryan Porter, trombone & band leader
Kamasi Washington, tenor sax
Jumaane Smith, trompet
Brandon Coleman, piano & effecten
Miles Mosley, bas
Tony Austin, drums
Snoop Dogg, Al Green, Aretha Franklin, Herbie Hancock, Kamasi Washington,… het zijn de grote namen waarmee West-Coast jazzmuzikant en trombonespeler Ryan Porter al decennialang op het podium staat. De voorbije jaren was hij te horen op The Epic van Kamasi Washington, To Pimp A Butterfly van Kendrick Lamar en werkte hij aan de muziek voor de Netflix serie The Get Down. 2018 is het jaar van zijn nieuwe plaat The Optimist met muziek die een positieve vibe uitstraalt die Porter samen met miljoenen anderen voelde toen President Obama verkozen werd in 2009. Hij stelt in Flagey zijn derde en nieuwste album voor, Force For Good. De muziek werd opgenomen samen met West Coast Get Down. De inspiratie voor het album vond Porter bij John Coltrane, waarbij bovendien Force For Good zijn “bijdrage is aan de erfenis is van Coltrane’s boodschap van vrede, liefde en eenheid door middel van muziek”
Album release : Force for Good (2019, World Galaxy/Alpha Pup Records)

Volledige agenda  www.flagey.be

​RAY OBIEDO is a prolific jazz guitarist and composer. He has appeared on dozens of CDs as a sideman with some of the top names in jazz, as well as releasing nine CDs as a leader, including his latest outing, CAROUSEL. The album is an eclectic mix of styles, featuring eight tunes composed by Obiedo and one by Henry Mancini. Obiedo has performed as a sideman with many celebrated artists, including legendary jazz organist Johnny “Hammond” Smith, trombonist Julian Priester, Azteca featuring Pete and Sheila Escovedo and Fourplay’s Harvey Mason. A world tour in 1978-79 with jazz superstar Herbie Hancock is still one of Obiedo’s treasured memories. Obiedo also has released five contemporary jazz albums on the Windham Hill label, garnering critical praise and commercial success. Throughout his recording career, he has remained loyal to his rhythm and blues roots while coloring his work with an Afro-funk feel and infectious pop and Latin/Brazilian grooves. Obiedo is also a skilled producer and engineer. In addition to producing his own albums, he has produced and/or engineered several CDs for other artists, including his most recent co-production and engineering work on Amikaeyla’s Being in Love, featuring bass superstar Esperanza Spalding. For CAROUSEL, Obiedo assembled 32 musicians, most whom are his old friends and some of the finest jazz musicians living in Northern California and beyond. Several of them performed with Santana and/or Tower of Power over the years. Obiedo’s music is highly energized with a hypnotically rhythmic soundscape. CAROUSEL has a distinctive Latin flavor but is infused with the funk and R&B that is so emblematic of his beloved San Francisco Bay Area music vibe.

Samantha Fish's prodigious gifts as a genre-bending singer, songwriter, and electrifying guitarist have inspired tremendous acclaim from critics and her peers and have earned an abundance of awards for the young artist. Now, with 'Kill Or Be Kind', Fish is poised for a major breakthrough.
The edgy roots music album was recorded at Royal Studios in Memphis and produced by three-time Grammy winner Scott Billington and mixed by two-time Grammy winner Steve Reynolds. Boasting 11 original songs ranging from the Mississippi technostomp of "Bulletproof" (played on cigar box guitar) to the sweet Memphis R&B of "Trying Not To Fall in Love With You," the album features co-writes with Jim McCormack, Eric McFadden, Parker Millsap, Katie Pearlman, and Patrick Sweany and is sure to establish Fish as a potent force in roots music.
​
Samantha Fish unveiled the video for "Bulletproof," the lead track from Kill Or Be Kind, her debut album for Rounder. The album, which will be released on September 20, was produced by three-time Grammy winner Scott Billington and mixed by two-time Grammy winner Steve Reynolds.
As she told Guitar World, "'Bulletproof' is about losing touch with yourself when you try to make everyone else happy. It's a little bit of an observation on society's standards and the music industry-how people can criticize every little thing, and because you're in show business you're expected to be bulletproof as an individual." "Vulnerability being taken as weakness, you put on a mask to steel yourself," she continued. "It's a facade, but we all do it anyway."


CONCERT:
March 11th (2020) @ Het Depot, Leuven
https://www.hetdepot.be/concerten/samantha-fish

Engelbert Humperdinck is een levende legende. Al 50 jaar lang verleidt Arnold George Dorsey romantische zielen. Meer dan 150 miljoen platen heeft de Brit wereldwijd verkocht. Nochtans startte hij zeer bescheiden als imitator van Jerry Lewis, onder de artiestennaam Gerry Dorsey. In 1965 besluit hij het over een andere boeg te gooien. Hij neemt de manager van Tom Jones onder de arm, doopt zichzelf Engelbert Humperdinck en tekent een platendeal.
 
Als ‘stijlvol performer’ verovert Humperdinck zijn plaats naast Tom Jones, Frank Sinatra en Elvis Presley. Het levert hem vele hits op. Met vier Grammynominaties, een Golden Globe voor ‘Entertainer van het Jaar’ (1988), 64 gouden en 35 platinum platen.
 
Engelbert Humperdinck, The King of Romance , op zondag 24 mei 2020 in Kursaal Oostende.
 
Tickets in verkoop vanaf woensdag 28/8 om 10u

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Op 6 september komt Free uit, het nieuwe album van Iggy Pop. Om de levende legende alle eer aan te doen, slaan Trix en Caroline Benelux de handen in elkaar. 
 
Van 5 september tot en met 6 oktober kan je een gratis fototentoonstelling rond Iggy Pop bezoeken in Trix: Iggy Pop door de lens van 4 Belgische fotografen. 19 foto’s in totaal, genomen door Alex Vanhee, Gie Knaeps, Goedefroit Music en Rob Walbers. De oudste foto dateert uit 1978, de meest recente uit 2016. 

De openingsavond van de fototentoonstelling belooft een ware Iggy Pop-avond te worden.  Niet alleen kan je (gratis) de expositie bezoeken, je kan ook al exclusief het nieuwe album Free kopen ter plaatse. Bovendien zal Wonderland (Radio 1) een hele avond lang live uitzenden vanuit Trix.  
 
Radio 1 zal in avant-première al songs uit het album spelen, Marcel Vanthilt komt vertellen over zijn ontmoeting en interview met Iggy Pop en er zal live muziek zijn.  

 
De fototentoonstelling is gratis te bezoeken en het album kan je vrijblijvend ter plaatse kopen op donderdag 5 september van 19u-23u. Om de Radio 1-uitzending bij te wonen moet je even inschrijven via deze link. (VOL = VOL)

Daarna kan je tot en met 6 oktober de foto-expo nog bezoeken – check de website van Trix voor de openingsuren.  

Klik hier om naar het facebook-event te gaan.

Wrong Again is Ags Connolly’s third studio album, following on from his highly-acclaimed offerings How About Now (2014) and Nothin’ Unexpected (2017). The traditional country singer-songwriter from Oxfordshire, England, took the reins on this latest effort, producing the album with a team of London-based musicians in the peaceful and intimate surroundings of Woodworm Studios in his home county. Ags also enlisted the expert help of accordionist Michael Guerra (The Mavericks) and fiddle player Eamon McLoughlin (Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell), both of whom had graced his previous album.
 
Alongside Ags’ trademark honky-tonk shuffles, drinking songs and barroom ballads, Wrong Again delves once more into Tex-Mex/south-of-the-border flavours while entering some new territory in the lively western swing closer ‘Sad Songs Forever.’ Meanwhile, the one cover on the album is a swelling, earthy imagining of Gordon Lightfoot’s classic ‘Early Morning Rain.’ Whilst perhaps not a concept album in the accepted sense, Wrong Again does feature recurring themes: miles covered in cars and planes, the lone existence of the protagonist, the spectre of Austin, Texas – all gathered in the unforgiving shadow of lost love. These undercurrents tie the songs to each other and ultimately form a very personal record of the period in which they were written.
 
Described as “a national treasure” by Europe’s biggest-selling country music magazine, Country Music People, Connolly has built a reputation over the last few years as an uncompromising country traditionalist in the UK and beyond, having also headlined shows across the US and Europe. In an era when the pop and rock incarnations of country music are enjoying a surge of popularity in the UK, Ags continues to defend the last outpost of the genre’s traditional roots. Wrong Again is another defiant offering in this vein, whilst also once again showcasing the high songwriting and lyrical standards his music has come to be known for.
 

Clark Kenis (upright bass & vocals), Wan Debrabander (guitar), Joris Govers (drums) en Tom Beardslee (pedal steel), samen Moonshine Reunion, vieren dit jaar hun 15 jarig bestaan. Eerst en vooral doen ze dat met, zoals het in rockabilly en country hoort, de release van een 45 toeren schijfje. Met Walter Broes als producer blikte de band twee originele nummers in, ‘Feelin’ Blue’ met op de keerzijde ‘Keep On Askin’’. Het mag een tijdje geleden zijn dat het viertal nieuw werk op de markt bracht, maar deze single, laat ons eerlijk zijn, met eigenlijk twee A kanten, laat horen dat de heren het nog lang niet verleerd hebben. Met ‘Feelin’ Good’ laten ze een heerlijke opzwepende rockabilly op je los, terwijl ‘Keep On Askin’’ in een ietwat zuiders countrysfeertje baadt. Beide nummers steunen op een krachtige ritmesectie, zodat gitaar en lapsteel het geheel vakkundig kunnen inkleuren. Kers op de taart is natuurlijk Clarks stem, die ook nu weer de songs doet boosten.
​
Maar dit is nog niet alles. Ook u kan samen met Moonshine Reunion hun 15-jarig bestaan vieren. Op 10 november geeft de band, met ’15 Years Of Rock & Roll’ er een lap op in de Djoelen in Oud-Turnhout. Naast het viertal zullen een groot aantal muzikale vrienden met hen het podium delen, met een wervelende show als resultaat. ‘Be There’ zouden wij zeggen!

​De Antwerpse superband rond ex-dEUS gitarist Rudy Trouvé en Daan Stuyven is terug! Dead Man Ray zag het levenslicht in 1996, kegelde culthits ‘Chemical’, ‘Landslide’ en ‘Copy of 78’ de ether in en hield het na de derde plaat ‘Cago’ voor bekeken … voor 16 jaar.  En nu is de band ineens terug in de originele bezetting  (met Elko Blijweert, Herman Houbrechts en Wouter Van Belle) en wordt de EP ‘EEN’ opgevolgd door het album ‘Over’. Muzikaal is er weinig veranderd aan de succesformule van Dead Man Ray: het gitaarspel klinkt nog steeds tegendraads en Daan zucht en gromt zich een weg door de verknipte ritmes. De dwarsliggers pur sang omhelzen nog altijd de gelaagdheid, een veelheid aan geluiden en structuren en uiteenlopende melodieën. Beste Belgische comeback van het jaar!

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Helene Cronin spent over 15 years performing and songwriting -- often for other people -- before she awakened to the idea that she needed to follow her muse and start making records that more accurately represent the songs coming from her own heart. Following 2 recent EPs, Old Ghosts & Lost Causes is her first full length offering, although Cronin is a seasoned player. Produced by Matt King and featuring Kenny Vaughan, Byron House and others, the album serves up Cronin’s phenomenal songwriting in a sonic landscape that runs the gamut of the label Americana with hard driving guitar and thoughtful, top shelf musicianship.

The crux of it all is the lyrical mastery and vocal delivery that made Cronin a New Folk winner at the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival in 2018.  Starting off the album is the first single, "Careless With a Heart", a reflective song that considers how we treat the fragile but resilient human heart. Following that is the blues-infused "Mean Bone", a co-write with her novelist daughter, Alex, which examines the idea: what if someone did in fact have a "mean bone in his body" contrary to the popular use of that expression? From that song about the darker side of humanity, Cronin flows into what she calls a centerpiece of the album, the uplifting "Humankind" which celebrates people's inherent desire to care for others. Later in “Riding The Gray Line”,  she turns her attention to a host of characters riding a Greyhound bus and weaves their stories over an acoustic-based bed. To close out the record Helene returns fully to her folk roots with "Ghost", a six minute ballad, recounting from his perspective the story of a dead husband, performed completely solo long after the band had finished their work in the studio.

Overall, Old Ghosts & Lost Causes is the perfect vehicle for the precision of Helene Cronin’s songs. It showcases her versatility as a writer and performer while maintaining a cohesive overall feeling.  In a world obsessed with singles and rushing to the next thing, Old Ghosts will grab ahold of you and demand that you sit and give it the attention a proper album deserves.


1. Careless with a Heart (3:40)
2. Mean Bone (3:35)
3. Humankind (3:52)
4. Devil I Know (3:31)
5. Riding the Gray Line (3:45)
6. El Camino Fly (4:34)
7. In a Kiss (3:38)
8. The Last Cowboy (3:35)
9. God Doesn't (3:01)
10. Mongrels and Mutts (3:21)
11. Ghost (5:42)

All Songs FCC Clean
Focus Tracks : 1, 2, 3, 5, 11

Helene Cronin: vocals, background vocals, guitar
Bobby Terry: acoustic and  steel guitar, mandolin
Byron House: bass
Chad Cromwell: drums Kenny Vaughan:
electric guitar Heidi Newfield: harmonica, background vocals
Matt King: background vocals

Produced by Matt King
Engineered & mixed by Mitch Dane

​The film, directed by Gabe and Ben Turner, tells the Motown story from its birth in 1958 until its relocation to Los Angeles in the early 1970s.
Following a private premiere event at the Emagine Theatre in Detroit yesterday (23), the documentary Hitsville: The Making Of Motown makes its television bow in the US this evening. It will be screened at 9pm ET/PT by Showtime.
The film, directed by the award-winning British brothers Gabe and Ben Turner, focuses on the birth of Motown in Detroit in 1958 and takes its story up to the company’s relocation to Los Angeles in the early 1970s. It’s the first documentary about the company to be made with the cooperation and participation of founder Berry Gordy.
Hitsville: The Making Of Motown has already won praise from cognoscenti for its intelligent and imaginative treatment of a familiar subject. Its notable central ingredient depicts Gordy and songwriting cornerstone Smokey Robinson’s return to Detroit and, as pictured, to the building where it all began, Hitsville at 2648 West Grand Boulevard.
Writes Brian McCollum in the Detroit Free Press: “Because of the involvement of Gordy and Capitol Music Group, the film’s directors — British brothers Gabe and Ben Turner — got unprecedented access to rare footage and Motown’s vast catalog of songs. The vaults also coughed up some revealing tape recordings from the company’s famed quality-control meetings — including a now-amusing staff battle over the hit potential of the Temptations’ ‘My Girl.’”
The Friday night screening of the film in Detroit was a private event attended by some Motown alumni, several of also contribute on screen. The Detroit News reports that they included arranger Paul Riser, Claudette Robinson of the Miracles, Cal Street and Bertha Barbee-McNeal of the Velvelettes, Rosalind Ashford and Annette Beard of the Vandellas, Joe Billingslea of the Contours, guitarist Dennis Coffey, studio engineer Ralph Terrana and songwriter Melvin Moy.
The documentary had a previous premiere in Los Angeles on 8 August. It will have its official world premiere on 30 September, to be beamed live into cinemas, including footage from the red carpet. UK release will follow on 4 October.

Troy Roberts – tenor saxophone
Joey DeFrancesco – organ (1-3)
Emmet Cohen – organ (4-8)
Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts – drums
 
Troy Roberts steps forward with his eleventh release as a leader, Days Like These – an amalgamation of his journey as one of the leading young lions, emerging in today’s jazz idiom. Roberts also steps forward as a label owner with Toy Robot Music, his own signature brand that will begin with his first offering featuring two fellow bandstand mates, the first being luminary organist Joey DeFrancesco. Roberts has enjoyed being a regular member of DeFrancesco’s band for four years, he regularly tours and records with DeFrancesco and has appeared on two of his releases; Project Freedom(2017) and In The Key Of The Universe (2019). Roberts also had the esteemed pleasure of appearing on the iconic Van Morrison albums, The Prophet Speaks (2018) and You’re Driving Me Crazy (2018) – MD’d by DeFrancesco.

Also joining Roberts on this latest endeavor is another of his longtime collaborators, drummer Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts. Roberts was also a Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts Quartet member for five years, and appeared on three of his records; Blue, Vol. 1 (2015), Wattify (2016) and Blue Vol. 2 (2016). In turn, Watts appeared on two of Roberts albums; Secret Rhymes (2015) and Tales & Tones (2017). Roberts reconnects with pianist/organist Emmet Cohen, who appears on five tracks, the two have a great comradery in their playing. Roberts explains, “we played a lot of organ trio together back in our Miami days when he was a student and I was on faculty (University of Miami’s Frost School Of Music)”.

The opener is Albert Hague’s “My Girl is Just Enough Woman For Me,” which Stanley Turrentine also recorded on numerous occasions. The power organ trio channels a deep sense of swing on this one. Roberts’ note choices and harmonic flow are classic in nature and filled with his usual outstanding articulation and phrasing.  Jerome Kern’s “Why Was I Born” is next. DeFrancesco brings the melody in with an exceptionally graceful and virtuosic intro, and Roberts’ command of the ballad style billows with gorgeous note choices. “Trams” is a Roberts original that highlights a modern-day jazz vocabulary, set to a different kind of ‘jazz groove’ that one may presume is intended to mimic the said mode of public transport. But in fact, Roberts explains, “The melody is actually the bassline played backwards, so appropriately, the title is also a semordnilap of the word, Smart. I often have fun playing these kind of compositional games”. The trio is interactive, the bond and respect between the players is beautifully obvious. This composition also appeared on the Grammy-nominated album, Presence by Orrin Evans & The Captain Black Big Band, which features Roberts. “The Waltz of Parting Days” is another fine original composition constructed around a charmingly melancholic melody. The fullness, warmth and clarity of Roberts’ tone exhibits a perfect blend of the Jazz tradition with today’s modern sonorities.

Emmet Cohen takes over the organ chair for the second half of the album. This is a splendid choice by Roberts, giving the back half of the set a contrasting texture and sound, but still superlatively musical. “Sly Old Dog” is an original Roberts contrafact based on the harmonic progression of Cole Porter’s “It’s Alright With Me” which sets the tone for set two with this up-tempo ‘burner’. Gradually evolving into a wild ‘burn-out’, the band surprises the listener by closing the track with a little church visit from out of the blue. Roberts’ original, “Jack the Sipper” appeared on his Nu-Jive Perspective release, but this time is given a straight-eight treatment and is once again a testament to Roberts’ compositional abilities. He explains, “The tune sets the scene for a serial alcoholic who emerges in the night, sneaking undetected from bar to bar in a somewhat comical re-imagination of the fabled Jack The Ripper.” Returning to the standards, Roberts delivers a haunting rendition of the Wayne, Hoffman and Sigler tune “Little Man You’ve Had a Busy Day.” Hearing Roberts play standards is very rewarding, his understanding of the genre is evident, but he always pushes forward with his own unique voice. Roberts concludes the project with an up-tempo original, “Wizard of Ozroop” perhaps a reference to his homeland of Australia? The trio’s playing is superb, interactive, and dynamic, forging fantastic angles through harmonic settings that will surprise, but most importantly, the feel is supremely swinging!

Days Like These is a transcendent listen. A versatile saxophonist, each of his eleven leader releases reflect the many talents Roberts posses as a reedman and composer. On Days Like These, Roberts reveals a ‘tip of the hat’ to some of his heroes including Stanley Turrentine, Johnny Griffin and Eddie Harris. The program consists of three relatively obscure standards, and five of Roberts’ originals, giving the album a textural balance. Recorded at Tedesco studios, this album was captured in one day, adding to the spontaneity and organic nature of each track.

PLAYERS & INSTRUMENT:
Troy Roberts – tenor saxophone
Joey DeFrancesco – organ (1-3)
Emmet Cohen – organ (4-8)
Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts – drums

TRACKS AND TIMES:
1) MY GIRL IS JUST ENOUGH WOMAN FOR ME (9:58)
2) WHY WAS I BORN (10:49)
3) TRAMS (10:12)
4) THE WALTZ OF PARTING DAYS (7:07)
5) SLY OLD DOG (9:27)
6) JACK THE SIPPER (6:46)
7) LITTLE MAN YOU’VE HAD A BUSY DAY (9:56)
8) WIZARD OF OZROOP (10:23) 

Today we're releasing the new single “Rigel” by Liam Thomas. Rigel is the first single from Liam Thomas’s forthcoming album “Cosmos”, that will be released September 13th.

Rigel is generally the seventh-brightest star in the night sky and the brightest star in the constellation of Orion.

Rigel is a wonderful relaxed chillout-ambient track with a soft and beautiful piano melody.  It truly removes you from reality and makes you dream for a bit. The vocal parts are so nicely inwrought that you rather hear them subconsciously.

“Rigel” is made for those summer nights, sitting outside and gazing at the stars. Your journey will be pure euphoria.
 
The album „Cosmos“ will be released on September 13th online and as CD.

Rising bluegrass artist Joe Hott is excited to announce the release of his debut album with Rural Rhythm Records "West Virginia Rail," produced by GRAMMY award-winning Glen Duncan and Sony/ATV Music producer Adam Engelhardt. The album is available today on Spotify, iTunes, Amazon and all other online retailers. 
"West Virginia Rail" features seven brand new original songs co-written by Joe and three songs with a Stanley Brothers connection. "If That's The Way You Feel" written by Ralph Stanley, "Loving You Too Well" written by Carter Stanley, and "I Can't Get You Out of My Mind" (only available on the physical copy of the album) written by Jack Lynch and Archie Jones for Stanley Brothers band member Roy Lee Centers.
"'West Virginia Rail' has that great old school, traditional feel to it,” explains Hott. “It is an album that can really take you back to a much simpler time. I could not have achieved this goal without Glen Duncan and Adam Engelhardt co-writing and producing this fine record!" 
The twelve song album has already produced two bluegrass charting singles, "West Virginia Rail" and "World of Lies." The unique blend of retro-bluegrass, traditional country, gospel and original Appalachian mountain music on this project makes the West Virginia-born Joe Hott a rare treasure on today’s music scene.
"From the moment we sat down to write with Joe Hott, we knew we had something special," says Glen Duncan, producer and co-writer of the album. "The very first song we wrote with Joe was "West Virginia Rail," so, just like we wrote in our song: 'Engineer won’t you hold your throttle wide open, just as fast as she will sail,' and take a ride with Joe Hott on the "West Virginia Rail." 
​

​About Joe Hott
Striding confidently onto the Nashville music scene, Joe Hott is a new face and voice for a world of listeners ready to discover that “all things old become new.” The lanky 6 foot preacher’s son found a fascination early in life with the tradition-steeped sounds of artists like Dr. Ralph Stanley, Flatt & Scruggs, Hank Williams, Sr. and Bill Monroe. This spun the fabric of Joe’s creative inspiration, formed his vocal interpretations and set the foundation for his songwriting. Joe has performed multiples times at Nashville's legendary Bluegrass venue, The Station Inn and the iconic Grand Ole Opry. Now, after years of touring Appalachia and developing a musical identity of his own, Joe has earned the support of WSM Radio and a partnership with national retailer Durango Boots. 
For more information visit www.joehott.com

Coco has earned acclaim as one of the most exciting and eloquent blues-rock guitarists in the world. In a career that spans almost four decades, he has gone from drumming for blues icon Albert Collins to holding the lead guitar spot in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers to leading his own band and headlining festivals and clubs around the world.

Some autographed CDs remain.

COCO MONTOYA COMING IN HOT

"In a world of blues guitar pretenders, Coco Montoya is the real McCoy. He exudes power and authenticity. Be prepared to get scorched by the real thing."
–Billboard
 
"Coco Montoya sings and plays with passionate abandon."
–The Boston Globe
 
Whether riding herd on a roadhouse romp, laying down a sweet, slow blues or blasting with blues-rock fury, Coco Montoya delivers the goods, with passionate, fire-breathing vocals matching his incendiary guitar pyrotechnics step for step.  It’s hard-hitting blues-rock that stays with a listener long after the notes die off.  

Now, with COMING IN HOT, Coco Montoya again turns the burners to high and cooks from start to finish. COMING IN HOT features 11 songs by writers including Montoya and Dave Steen, Tom Hambridge and Richard Fleming, Warren Haynes, Frankie Miller, Jeff Paris, and Albert Collins. The tracks range from blistering, hard-rocking blues to potent shuffles to fervent, moving ballads. Montoya delivers each song with uncompromising, dynamic energy. His unpredictable guitar playing and smoking, soulful vocals are inspired by a backing band featuring renowned musicians including bassists Bob Glaub (Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Jerry Lee Lewis) and Mike Mennell (Jimmy Buffett, John Fogerty), keyboardist Mike Finnigan (Jimi Hendrix, Etta James, Taj Mahal), rhythm guitarists Billy Watts (Eric Burdon) and Johnny Lee Schell (Bonnie Raitt), and Tony Braunagel (who produced the album) on drums.

EVIL INVADERS ’s sound is nestled in between death, thrash, heavy and progressive touches and is second to none. After two studio albums and two EPs released to date, the time has finally come to immortalize this live phenomenon in sound and vision: Surge of Insanity - Live in Antwerp 2018 is the expected as Live DVD + Live Album, taped at the Trix Grote Zaal in 2018, and set for release on October 4th 2019 with label Napalm Records! The band will perform an exclusive release show at Muziekodroom, Hasselt on October 3rd. Tickets are available here: https://apps.ticketmatic.com/widgets/mod/addtickets?event=978732481496#!/addtickets
 
Vocalist/guitarist Joe comments:
From day one, our goal has always been to distinguish ourselves musically as well as visually in our live performances.” Front man Joe comments.
“We're always striving to create new and unique visual aspects to our show. It was massive to play with a full production at the venue where we all used to go to see our favorite bands since we were teenagers. This live album + DVD marks the end of an old and the beginning of a new era for Evil Invaders. Meanwhile we’re already working on new and even more wicked stuff, so we're just getting started...” 
 
Earlier this year EVIL INVADERS already released two live videos, taken from their upcoming live DVD. You can watch them here:
 
Watch ‘Broken Dreams In Isolation’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd2aCUB3Qks
Watch ‘Among The Depths Of Sanity’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7CqM3kZ-O0
​

Tracklisting DVD + Album:
1. Intro
2. As Life Slowly Fades
3. Pulses Of Pleasure
4. Shot To Paradise
5. Mental Penitentiary
6. Broken Dreams In Isolation
7. Feed Me Violence
8. Stairway To Insanity
9. Among The Depths Of Sanity
10. Oblivion
11. Master Of Illusion
12. Witching Hour (Venom Cover)
13. Fast, Loud 'N' Rude
14. Raising Hell
15. Victim Of Sacrifice
16. Outro: Shades Of Solitude
 
 
The first live album by Evil Invaders will be coming out on October 4th as a 6 Page CD Digipack and DVD, the 2LP Gatefold (black + limited color editions) will also include the full DVD.
 
Evil Invaders are:
Joe - Vocals / Guitars
Max - Lead Guitars
Senne – Drums
Joeri - Bass Guitar
 
For More Info Visit:
www.facebook.com/evilinvaders
www.twitter.com/EvilInvadersBE
www.instagram.com/evilinvadersbe
www.evilinvaders.be
​

Wentus Blues Band will release a new album. The brand new album ”TOO MUCH MUSTARD” will be released on Friday 13th September

The new album was recorded in USA at the Lakewest Recording Studios in Rhode Island and is produced by the legendary guitarplayer Duke Robillard. The Duke himself plays also guitar on the album.

The new album consists of 50 % originals written by the Wentus Blues Band along with 2 songs from Duke Robillards early releases; ”She Made My Mind” and ”Passionate Kiss”. The band also covers songs by their old friend Lazy Lester, Holmes Brothers, Tom Waits, Robert Johnson and Leonard Cohen (!)

On 23rd of August a single will be released from the album. Wentus and Duke is doing a very fine version of the famous song ”First We Take Manhattan” written by Leonard Cohen but originally released by Jennifer Warnes in 1986.

Duke wanted to cut this song since he loves the version with Jennifer Warnes and his old buddy Stevie Ray Vaughan plays some really great guitar on it. Duke has always wanted to do a version of it and so we had the chance to do it with him – says Robban Hagnäs – bassplayer in the band..

The collaboration and the album has been in planning for years. For the guys in Wentus it means a lot since of their first gigs was actually as support for Duke back in the 80´s when he made a stop in the bands hometown. Over the years Wentus made friends with Duke and they have toured together in Sweden and Finland.

For us it was a big honour to record with him in the same studio where he has made all his fine recordings – Says Robban Hagnäs

The title of the album has also it´s own story: Tom Waits invited Duke to play on a session with him, and during the session Waits kept on coming back to Duke telling him to put on more distortion on the guitar.. to a point where Duke thought it sounded awful and kept on grinning while he played. Tom Waits noticed this and came close up to him asking in his very wellknown low voice ”What´s the matter–Too Much Mustard ? ”

​
​Op 21 augustus verschijnt ‘Remember Joe Strummer’, de nieuwe single van de superformatie
The Celtic Social Club. Vijftig procent van de opbrengsten gaan naar de ‘Remember Joe Strummer foundation’. Strummer’s weduwe Lucinda en oprichter van de stichting is als backingvocaliste te horen op de single.
 
‘We zijn allemaal megafans van The Clash’
‘Remember Joe Strummer’ is een vrolijk popnummer, waarin The Celtic Social Club rond een kampvuur vrolijke herinneringen ophaalt aan Joe Strummer en diens bands The Clash en The Mescaleros. De whisky vloeit rijkelijk. ‘Remember Joe Strummer’ is doordrenkt van Keltische-, blues- en folk-invloeden. De Remember Joe Strummer foundation zet zich in voor de ontwikkeling van nieuwe muziek.
 
De band legde zelf het eerste contact via e-mail:
 
“We are all massive Clash fans, in particular, Joe Strummer as we also love The Mescaleros. The song Remember Joe Strummer is a culmination of a life time of admiration for the great man. We tried to get the feeling of being at one of Joe’s legendary Glastonbury campfires and use it as a metaphor for the great feeling that spreads through his music, legacy and the great work you guys do.” – Dan Donnelly
 
The Celtic Social Club  
The Celtic Social Club slaat een brug tussen traditionele Keltische muziek en moderne pop en rock. De band mag gerust een superformatie genoemd worden, want de line-up van 2019 is er eentje vol gerenommeerde namen uit het (folk)-circuit.
 
Dan Donnelly (The Wonder Stuff, The Levellers), Manu Masko (Red Cardell, DMFB), Ronan Le Bars (Héritage des Celtes, Johnny Hallyday), Goulven Hamel (Miossec, Santa Cruz), Pierre Stephan (Meaelstrom), Richard Puaud (Alexandre Varlet, DFMB) and Mathieu Pequeriau (Red Cardell, DFMB).
 
From Babylon to Avalon
De single ‘Remember Joe Strummer’ is afkomstig van het op 26 april verschenen derde album, ‘From Babylon to Avalon’. De productie was in handen van niemand minder dan Ariel Borujow, die eerder met onder andere Kanye West, Madonna, Black Eyed Peas en CeeLo Green werkte. Vijf jaar na het ontstaan haalt The Celtic Social Club nog steeds inspiratie uit hun gebied van herkomst, al kijkt het voor deze derde plaat ook naar nieuwe gebieden. Want gebieden als Bretagne, Ierland, Schotland, het Spaanse Asturië - en alles wat er te horen is - fascineren eindeloos.
 
Op ‘Babylon to Avalon’, geholpen door nieuwe zanger Dan Donnelly, klinkt de band strakker, krachtiger dan ooit, en blijft het relevant en fris. Zoals te doen gebruikelijk van The Celtic Social Club hoor je traditionele Keltische invloeden, aangelengd met invloeden van nu. Het resultaat: Keltische muziek met één been in het verleden en het ander in de toekomst. Traditioneel, maar toch progressief. Conventioneel, maar toch een nieuwe live sensatie op podia door de hele wereld. The Celtic Social Club is een belangrijke schakel tussen muziek uit het verleden en dat van de toekomst. 

​Meer dan een decennium geleden begonnen vier schaamhaarloze snotapen muziek te maken ineen klein repetitiekot in Flanders’ Fields. Dat de luide herrie die ze toen maakten onder de naam Steak Number Eight het zo ver zou schoppen, hadden ze nooit kunnen dromen. Van de grootste concertzalen van België uitverkopen; op de grootste metal festivals van Europe staan; tot op tournee gaan met bands als Mastodon, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Alice Cooper en Deftones: ze deden het allemaal.
Niemand zag het dan ook aankomen toen de band er in 2018 mee stopte. De bandnaam begon wat verouderd aan te voelen en deed te vaak denken aan de overleden broer van frontman Brent. Er kwamen nog twee uitverkochte afscheidsshows in de Vooruit in Gent, maar die bleken toch niet helemaal een afscheid te zijn... de vier bandleden bleven samen en gingen verder onder de nieuwe bandnaam STAKE.
Red Bull maakte een indrukwekkende documentaire over de band.
 
STAKE tekende inmiddels een contract met het gerenommeerde Britse Hassle Records. Op 2 mei bracht de band de eerste single ‘Catatonic Dreams’ uit, gevolgd door een 12” vinyl EP. Nu is er de tweede single-video ‘Doped Up Salvations’ (zie hieronder).
Het nieuwe studio-album ‘Critical Method’ komt op 1 november 2019 uit.  Verwacht een nóg strakker geluid (hyper atmospheric grunge core x post-metal-oriented melodic sludge) met meer referenties naar de nineties maar met een onevenredig grotere dosis energie.

Benelux shows 2019

SEPTEMBER
06 - Villa Pace, Sint-Niklaas (BE)
14 - Schippersweekend Hoeve Delaeren, Menen (BE)
15 - Breda Barst, Breda (NL)
28 - Duvel Niet Bang, Apeldoorn (NL)

NOVEMBER
14- Hall Of Fame, Tilburg (NL)
28 - Ancienne Belgique, Brussels (BE)

DECEMBER
04 - Paradiso, Amsterdam

 
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