All Or Nothing At All is newcomer Alexander Stewart’s debut album. A compilation of trads and pop covers, it covers all the bases for an accessible entry to the jazz scene. Stewart’s voice is strong and smooth, comfortingly wrapping around each lyric in the familiar songs, making this easy listening. But that’s not what makes… [Read more…]
September 2, 2011
The Kena is perhaps not the most obvious choice as the lead instrument of a band. As a diatonic keyless Andean flute, its melodic possibilities are somewhat limited by its simple design. But it is this instrument that Mauricio Velasierra has spent the past decade mastering, even producing his own instruments to find the ‘perfect… [Read more…]
July 16, 2011
If there’s one word to describe this collaboration between Basement Jaxx and the Dutch orchestra Metropole Orkest, then it can’t be anything other than ‘fabulous’. The scale was grand – encompassing almost a full orchestra complete with percussion and harp – and the performers were both top notch and out to have fun. Le Gateau… [Read more…]
June 16, 2011
This year the Barbican’s Blaze runs from June 19 to July 29 and is billed as ‘a celebration of the boldest music from across the globe forEast London’. Pushing musical boundaries as Blaze has done for the past three years, this summer sees the pairing of British dance group Basement Jaxx withHolland’s Metropole Orkest. Merging the genres of… [Read more…]
May 8, 2011
You have to be quite an actor to pull off traditional Fado convincingly. The inherited tunes have been passed from one generation to the next since Fado first took hold in Lisbon some 170 years ago. Since the notes are predetermined, the lyrics take on even more importance. Achieving this is an even harder task… [Read more…]
May 1, 2011
Singer, guitarist and percussionist Blick Bassy may be little known in the UK at the moment, but hopefully the release of his second solo album, Hongo Calling (available from May 10th on World Connection), will draw some much deserved attention to him. Originally from Cameroon and now living near Paris, Bassy embraces influences from all… [Read more…]
April 3, 2011
Mariza has come to be one of the most well-known and respected singers of Fado; the traditional Portuguese musical genre that relates stories of fate or destiny. This is a genre that hasn’t really been embraced in the UK, but in May she will be gracing the Queen Elizabeth Hall for a full three nights.… [Read more…]
March 8, 2011
Today is the 100th International Women’s Day – celebrating the achievements of women across the world – and there are some fantastic bits and pieces going on in London as part of it. Here’s a taster of a couple of music events that should be great: International Women’s Day 100th Anniversary Concert, Cadogan Hall, Friday… [Read more…]
February 12, 2011
Wednesday 9 February 2011 Barbican Centre, Silk Street, EC2Y Penguin Cafe and Portico Quartet make great stage partners as both bands defy any sure categorization. It’s not that their music is all that similar – Penguin Cafe are nearer the folk end of the scale and Portico Quartet veer pretty definitely into jazz territory, but… [Read more…]
October 20, 2010
There’s something irrepressibly chilled, hippy even, about Frazey Ford’s presence on stage. Perhaps it comes from growing up with her parents in a Canadian commune, perhaps it’s just her evidently strong bond with her family and friends. Either way, it certainly has a pretty strong bearing on her outlook on life and her song writing.… [Read more…]
September 17, 2011
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