London-born pianist and composer Neil Cowley formed his eponymous trio in 2006. The traditional trio formation of piano, drums (Evan Jenkins) and double bass (Rex Horan) hints of course at jazz music, but strong pop, rock and dance music influences are also very much in evidence. Neil Cowley composes catchy melodies built …
Giovanni Mirabassi: El pueblo unido jamás será vencido
Giovanni Mirabassi is an Italian jazz pianist who has been living in Paris since 1992. In 2001, the pianist recorded Avanti!, his first solo album where he revisited with a personal and moving style several popular anthems, songs of resistance, anti-war or partisan songs from around the world. "Fascinated by collective …
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Erik Truffaz & Murcof: Al mediodia
Erik Truffaz Ever since his appearance on the contemporary jazz scene in the early 1990s, and all the more since Dawn (1998), his breakthrough recording for the Blue Note label, Swiss born Erik Truffaz has never ceased to explore new sounds with various formations, experimenting and fusing his music with rock, hip-hop, …
Jan Johansson: Visa från utanmyra
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 …
Dhafer Youssef: Les ondes orientales
Time Out provides an excellent introduction to Dhafer Youssef: "...the Tunisian vocalist and oud virtuoso juxtaposes the ancient, mystical, hypnotic music of Islamic Sufism with the textures of electric jazz." While Dhafer Youssef's electronic side is more evident in older recordings like Divine Shadows (2006) or Digital …
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Nomad Soul Collective: Murmuration
"Murmuration" is an uplifting and unusual track with a 7/8 time signature by Nomad Soul Collective, a young London-based British band. Influenced by The Cinematic Orchestra, the collective came to prominence in late 2011 when the tune was used as the soundtrack to a short video which went viral on Vimeo. The …