Jan Johansson (1931-1968) is a Swedish jazz pianist who sadly passed away at the young age of 37. He is best known (and revered) for his best-selling 1962 Jazz på Svenska recording. Translating as “Jazz in Swedish”, the recording provides interpretations of popular Swedish folk songs on the piano and accompanied on the double bass. “Visa från […]
Folk
Cesária Évora: Mãe Carinhosa
A new song by Cesária Évora is certainly a good excuse to open the floodgates of nostalgia! The Cape Verdean singer passed away in December 2011 after a very successful “late” international career. The singer was 47 when she recorded her first breakthrough album La Diva Aux Pieds Nus in 1988. Her record company has just announced […]
Alela Diane & Alina Hardin: Matty Groves
This is another song by Alela Diane which comes from the Alela & Alina EP (2009) featuring Alina Hardin. On this particular EP, old and new songs arranged with splendid harmonies alternate seamlessly. It includes three compositions, a cover of Townes Van Zandt’s Rake and two traditional ballad (Matty Groves and Bowling Green). Matty Groves appears in the Child Ballads […]
Alela Diane: White as diamonds
Alela Diane is a young singer songwriter from Nevada City, California now living in Portland, Oregon. She is usually associated with Mariee Sioux, another Nevada City native, or with English singer Vashti Bunyan. While she has now changed over a more Folk-Rock sound with her third album, Alela Diane used to put forward the almost […]
Daniel Martin Moore: In the cool of the day
Daniel Martin Moore is a Kentucky-born singer songwriter who grew up immersed in the Southern Baptists’ musical traditions of spirituals, hymns, gospel and choir music. In 2011, the musician set out to record In the cool of the day, a collection introducing a personal and fresh take on several of these old spiritual songs remembered from childhood, […]
Amadou & Mariam: Wily Kataso
Amadou & Mariam have been playing music together since the early 1980s and Folila, released in April 2012, is the pair’s latest recording. Often referred to as “the blind couple from Mali”, Amadou & Mariam have a great knack for composing catchy songs in their inimitable Afro-pop style. While a lot of their music is […]
