Borrowing its name from the French film FanFan la Tulipe, the 1952 swashbuckling comedy set in the late 1750s featuring Gérard Philippe, Fanfán Tulipán is a young Czech band formed in 2009 and based in Prague. Blending jazz with funk, the chanson tradition and film music, the band features Štěpán Zbytovský on flute and bass ... [Continue Reading]
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Billy Prim: Thalassa
Born in Larissa, Greece, Βασίλειος Πριμηκύρης aka Billy Prim is a young jazz drummer who also studied classical piano. Now based in Budapest, the musician can be heard performing and collaborating on the Hungarian and international jazz scene. For many perceptive musicians, the sea (“Thalassa” in Greek) is an endless source of ... [Continue Reading]
Makaya McCraven: Universal Beings
Often introducing himself as a “beat scientist”, Chicago-based drummer Makaya McCraven is a startling new voice on the music scene. Released in 2015, his outstanding breakthrough on the international stage In the Moment LP already highlighted his novel synthesis of live jazz and hip-hop production techniques. Using collaborative ... [Continue Reading]
Khruangbin: Mordechai
In the space of two albums, Psych-Funk Texas trio Khruangbin have breathed new life into the drum and bass sound with a compelling take on the tropes of the genre. Formed in Houston in 2010 and comprised of Mark Speer on lead guitar, Laura Lee on bass guitar and Donald “DJ” Johnson on drums, Khruangbin originally crafted their ... [Continue Reading]
Chris Gall & Bernhard Schimpelsberger: Myriad
Chris Gall & Bernhard Schimpelsberger is a jazz piano and percussion duo formed in 2016. Piano and drums duos are extremely rare, especially in the realm of jazz where the formation will always be considered a double bass-short of the classic trio. But the absence of an official bass is more than adequately compensated here ... [Continue Reading]
Medeski Martin & Wood with Alarm Will Sound: Omnisphere
Originally formed in the late 1990s by two students from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, Alarm Will Sound is a 20 piece chamber orchestra dedicated to the performance of newly composed contemporary classical music. Ever since their initial formation in 1991, jazz trio Medeski Martin & Wood (MMW) has been ... [Continue Reading]
Anouar Brahem: Blue Maqams
The fear of repetition is probably what underpins Anouar Brahem’s entire recording career. “C’est ma hantise” (It’s my worst nightmare) said the Tunisian-born oud player in a recent interview. Since his début for the Munich-based ECM record label in 1991, the musician has performed in solo or shared the studio with a different ... [Continue Reading]