33, Single & Broke
€24.99*
Teresa Bergman
Singer / Songwriter
Format:
LP Audiophil
33, Single & Broke’ - a title and statement in one. New Zealand’s exceptional vocalist and composer, Teresa Bergman, returns with her third studio album; a jazzy folk-pop inferno.
This is poetic discourse pop at its best. ‘33, Single & Broke’ challenges the listener toward contemplation, whilst maintaining a sense of melodic lightness and groove. Bergman digs deep into the reality for women in their thirties. She is honest, maintaining her reflective humour and closing in on heavy topics with a sense of sophistication.
She raises her voice for that which is closest to her heart - a voice that is simultaneously a masterful instrument of experimentation. The singer continues to utilise her extensive vocal palette - breaking boundaries with apparent ease whilst transporting the deepest of feelings with a refreshing simplicity. “Your love is like a piece of gum, so tasty till the chewing’s done” - Bergman gives us grounded sentiments to relate to.
‘33, Single and Broke’ angles back to the former busker’s folk-roots, yet maintains the complexity and genre-breaking originality we’ve come to expect from this dynamic artist. Aptly recorded during the second lockdown in the studios of the band "Isolation Berlin", the songs are infused with earthy, organic sounds and a feeling of warm togetherness. Bergman and band formed a creative bubble in the studio and their musical connection is palatable.
The album as a whole, but especially titles such as ‘Aaron’, ‘Checkout Tears’ or ‘Old Timer’ are reminiscent of the folk-heroes of the 60s and 70s. Simultaneously the songs are modern and clever with bold arrangements, lush jazzy harmonies and tasteful backing vocals. Bergman’s vocal vocabulary ranges from ‘aria-like’ elegies to soulful simplicity. The record’s first track, ‘Swallow’, engages the listener from the outset with poetic chanson, quirky rhythmic changes, classically inspired piano-arpeggios and soaring avant-garde vocals - an instrumentation emulating the playful freedom of the swallow’s flight.
Variants from €18.99*
A Cappella
€18.99*
Jazzchor Freiburg
Pop International
Format:
CD
Since it was founded two decades ago, Jazzchor Freiburg has always excited its audiences in Germany and abroad, convinced juries of international competitions, and gotten renowned soloists on board. Under the direction of its founder Bertrand Gröger, the choir remained so successful with the accompaniment of its band; the perfect balance between choir vocals and rhythm combo remains the trademark of Jazzchor Freiburg.
But now, the renowned choir has produced its first purely a cappella CD.
In 11 arrangements specially written for A Capella, the choir once again demonstrates its wide range of styles and its legendary drive, but this time in the most challenging discipline of choral singing.
Swing, Latin, ethno, funk, singer-songwriter pop, and crossover: under the direction of its founder Bertrand Gröger, Jazzchor Freiburg is taking a cappella into uncharted waters for German choirs.
From the beginning, Jazzchor Freiburg's concept has always included a select group of soloists, and a number of well-known singers can also be heard on A Capella. Norway's Torun Eriksen, who has been on tour with the choir numerous times, is on board, as is Larry Browne of Les Voice Messengers and scat legend Norbert Gottschalk.
Julian Knörzer of Acoustic Instinct and Unduzo fame has been a member of the choir for years, and he also displays his virtuosity on this CD to help Jazzchor Freiburg swing and groove.
The producer is Jens Johansen, director of the legendary Danish choir Vocal Line; he ensures that the choir's sound is fresh, precise, and natural.
From the opener – Kirby Shaw's eponymous classic A cappella – the choir leaves no doubt that its goal is not to use the latest technology to come up with an unnaturally sleek sound; rather, the vibrant energy that Jazzchor Freiburg conveys to its live audience is fortunately also conveyed in these recordings.
A Million Dead Stars
€18.99*
Brew
Classic Rock & Pop
Format:
CD
The Brew is bassist Tim Smith, son Kurtis Smith on drums and young phenom Jason Barwick on guitar and lead vocals. A generation-spanning line-up that fuses elements of classic rock from the 60s and 70s with the sounds of today. As the band's senior member explains, the explosive mixture heard on their latest album A Million Dead Stars is meant to appeal to both older and younger music fans: "Our style of playing is more of an echo from the past. But the production and sound we're striking for is a modern sound. As somebody once said, there's no future without the past. We hope to get the best of both worlds.".
Following their eponymous debut in 2006 and an EP entitled Fate and Time a year later, this up-and-coming British trio broke out internationally with 2008's highly acclaimed The Joker. Seemingly overnight, the band was filling thousand-seat venues in countries like Poland and Spain and making a high-profile TV appearance on Germany's prestigious Rockpalast music programme. Their recent signing with the label Jazzhaus Records coincided with an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to record in world-renowned Chapel Studios with veteran producer Chris West. The goal of the sessions was to take the youthful exuberance and energy The Brew generates onstage and transport it onto record. A tall order to be sure. But A Million Dead Stars delivers.
For one thing, the band had already road-tested the songs. "We write songs we can play live" explains Tim Smith, "and we record songs we've been playing live. If it doesn't work live, we won't record it.". Fans will instantly recognize a number of tracks that were a part of the set list throughout 2009: the cracking and defiant opener "Every Gig Has a Neighbour" (with its anthemic "Turn it up, play it loud!" chorus), the unrelenting "Wrong Tunes" as well as an excellent version of the lyrical and poignant "KAM".
Some familiar elements remain integral to the sound. The ghost of Jimi Hendrix inhabits the bluesy riffs of "Surrender it All." Jason Barwick's acoustic playing on "Mav the Rave" and "Monkey Train" recalls Jimmy Page. There's even a nod to Malcolm Young (or rather, several nods) on the title track. Other songs, however, show the band expanding their territory, exploring more melodic themes while giving Barwick an opportunity to come into his own as a vocalist. In fact, the entire album serves as a kind of coming out party. The twenty-year-old Barwick only recently assumed duties as the band's lead vocalist, but is already showing signs of greatness. His shining moment on A Million Dead Stars comes on "Change in the Air" a standout tune not quite like anything the band has done before.
Drawing on his experience with classic rockers Status Quo and Uriah Heep as well as Britpop icons Richard Ashcroft and The Verve, producer Chris West has helped create a more varied album with intricately layered, more fully developed songs. There's no better example than "A Million Dead Stars". In its seven-and-a-half mind-boggling minutes, the song provides the set with a rousing climax – and gives us a first glimpse of the musical heights these talented artists are poised to climb.
Until now, The Brew has straddled a musical fence, finding friends in both the classic rock and traditional blues camps. There are pitfalls in constantly being compared to artists of the past – as Tim Smith and his two young bandmates are well aware. That's one reason they've worked hard to create something all their own, and to reveal more of their unique personalities in the process. "I think a band searches for its direction for a certain period of time" Smith reflects, "On A Million Dead Stars, it's very much our own sound.". At the same time, they chose not to complicate things or get too far away from what they do onstage. "For us, it's rock 'n' roll. We live it, breathe it, sleep it and eat it.".
About Time
€18.99*
Veronika Harcsa & Bálint Gyémánt
Vocal Jazz
Format:
CD
One voice … add a guitar and you have a duo. Bring in a rhythm section and you have a band. This process takes time. The aptly titled "About Time" is the latest album by Hungarian vocalist Veronika Harcsa and her long-term partner, guitarist Bálint Gyémánt, joined by the Belgian „Enfants terribles", bassist Nicolas Thys and Antoine Pierre on drums. "About Time" is the second album released in this formation.
All There Is
€24.99*
Ina Forsman
Soul
Format:
LP Audiophil
"All There Is" is the third album by the Berlin-based Finn. On her previous albums "Ina Forsman" (2016) and "Been Meaning To Tell You" (2019), she initially established herself as the powerful voice of her role models. On "All There Is" she ignites a new level of her expressively introspective self-realization by completely arriving at herself. The isolation associated with the lockdown may have encouraged this development, but the young singer had powers that wanted to be unleashed anyway.
Life is complex and what we perceive as a moment is nothing more than a gondola on the cable car between the past and the future. Ina Forsman's songs take us back to our memory and, through the power of her voice and imagination, carry us towards our hopes and expectations. An album about and for life in its endless creative diversity.
Variants from €18.99*
Allison Burnside Express
€18.99*
Allison Burnside Express
Blues
Format:
CD
The Allison Burnside Express marks the first collaboration between two boundary-defying blues musicians from the USA, each of whom has successfully carried forth his respective family's musical tradition. The project is named after the two prominent artists who are its driving force: Bernard Allison (guitar, vocals) is the son of Luther Allison (1939-1997), who was famous for his rocking take on the blues, a style he originally honed backing up masters like Freddie King and Otis Rush; Cedric Burnside (guitar, vocals, drums) is the grandson of R. L. Burnside (1926-2005), whose extremely raw sound was influenced by John Lee Hooker, Lightnin’ Hopkins and Muddy Waters. As descendants and next-generation successors to these rich traditions, Bernard Allison and Cedric Burnside have teamed up to create a new kind of blues that references the work of their ancestors, but also incorporates elements of funk, R&B and soul music.
On their Debut CD Allison Burnside Express, the two artists bridge a number of styles and put their individual stamps on each of the eleven cuts. Besides a batch of fresh original songs, the band interprets Ike & Tina Turner's Nutbush City Limits, the classic Going Down by Don Nix as well as Willie Dixon's Hidden Charms. We just picked out the originals and covers we liked best, explains Bernard Allison, and played them in our own typical way, while trying to keep things as simple as possible. Allison cites his father as a key musical influence, while for Burnside it was naturally his grandfather, R.L.
Apart
€18.99*
Teresa Bergman
Folk
Format:
CD
From Berlin busker to boundary-pushing studio artist; a few years back you could stumble across Teresa Bergman singing on the streets of the German capital. Two record releases and numerous tours through Asia, New Zealand and Germany followed. Now, the singer and composer is releasing an intense, pop-soul album with jazz and folk elements; titled simply, ‘Apart’. Created in collaboration with Bilderbuch producer, Zebo Adam, ‘Apart’ is a challenging album of separation; featuring experimental vocal arrangements, soulful strings and elaborate soundscapes. At ist center, the most important instrument remains Bergman’s rich and versatile voice. Influential German radio station, Deutschlandfunk Kultur, recently described the New Zealander as "the greatest talent we’ve discovered in the past year." Long established as a captivating live performer, Teresa Bergman’s second studio album continues to set her brand of arty authenticity ‘Apart’.
Teresa Bergman has travelled far. Growing up in Wellington, New Zealand, she arrived in Europe in 2009 to study social sciences in Poland and Germany. During an internship, she fell in love with Berlin and soon became known for her regular gigs in the city’s busking mecca - Mauer Park. “I had to develop a really percussive guitar style just to be heard above the clatter of the street.” Sticking out from the crowd was nothing new, as a child Teresa started playing in front of New Zealand’s shopping malls at nine years old. The singer continues to prove she’s got what it takes to be heard above the noise - influential German radio station, Deutschlandfunk Kultur, recently described her as "the greatest talent we’ve discovered in the past year."
The 32-year-old wrote and recorded her second studio album ‘Apart’ in Berlin and Vienna, co-produced with "Bilderbuch" producer, Sebastian "Zebo" Adam. Her international band: Tobias Kabiersch - bass (GER), Pier Ciaccio - drums (IT) and Matt Paull - keys (NZ), feature extensively on the record. The heart of the production remains however, the wonderfully dynamic voice of Teresa Bergman.
‘Apart’ is less folk inspired than the artist’s first album, with many tracks finding their roots in a darker soul aesthetic, born of Bergman’s heartfelt and often melancholic lyrics. “This album was about honing and tuning my sound”, the singer recalls. "I wanted to unite the retro and modern, the arty and the approachable.” Lush and sophisticated strings arrangements by English jazz-fusion musician Ben Barritt feature heavily on the record. Barritt further contributes some stunningly epic electric guitar solos.
‘Apart’ is an album of separation and redefinition, of entering darkness to find the light. It’s about a difficult, yet positive choice made by the artist to set herself ‘apart’ from her culture, country and personal relationships and gain redefining perspective. “I hope this record inspires others to have the courage to let go of destructive patterns or relationships and stand apart - strong and full of self-love.”
The titular track opens with a haunting Hammond organ, harmonic dissonance and a heavy guitar riff, before Bergman’s luscious and emotionally charged vocals take over. In the upbeat single, "Hold Your Heart," the artist uses rhythmic vocal percussion to initiate a quirky, bouncing disco funk. "Only Numbers" is a languorous and dreamlike alternative pop track that takes a critical look at the digital addiction of our times. It illustrates Bergman's penchant for refined vocal techniques and experimental arrangements, in a similar vein to French singer, Camille.
"The Semi-Professional Clown" recalls Bergman's past as a barbershop quartet singer. Completely self-arranged, and instrumented with her own voice, the track asks the question, what does authenticity mean for art?
"Mirror Girl" - Bergman’s "folk fusion extravaganza" took 10 years to develop. Inspired by the complex, yet free-spirited guitar style of Joni Mitchell, as well as more recent folk heroines like Ani di Franco and K.d. Lang, the song combines intimate storytelling with epic, cinematic soundscapes. The outro’s driving beats and moog solo reflect Bergman's love for 1970s jazz-fusion à la Herbie Hancock.
Teresa Bergman has created an intense pop-soul album with folk and jazz elements that continues to set her brand of arty authenticity ‘apart’. At once varied and coherent - ‘Apart’ is challenging enough to stand out, yet universal enough to be instantly engaging. The artist herself calls it “a coming-of-age record. It’s the voice of a confident, 32-year-old woman, who’s not afraid to show her vulnerability. ‘Apart’ is about mistakes and lessons learned, self-acceptance and love.” Having long established herself as a captivating live artist, Teresa Bergman has created an album, which, like her, is unique, distinct, ‘Apart’.
Aspettando Che Sia Mattino
€18.99*
Pippo Pollina
Singer / Songwriter
Format:
CD
Aspettando Che Sia Mattino (Waiting for the morning) recorded in 1986 and released in 1993 is Pippo Pollina’s first album.
It was this album, originally released by the Swiss label Zytglogge, which made the artist famous.
With a soulful voice, a wonderful instrumentation and a perfectly played acoustic guitar Pippo Pollina causes a stir in the world of folk music.
Since then, he is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential artists of the Swiss and later Italian-scene. This album represents all facets of the singer. The different genres - ballad, pop, folk and even blues - illustrate that in an enormous way. This characteristic Italian voice conveys strong feelings and tells wonderful stories.
The religious ballad E Allora Vai seems even stronger because of the crystal voice of Rosi Wiederkehr which blends perfectly to the voice of Pippo Pollina. The result is a very simple but powerful song with an arpeggiated accompaniment. The highlight of this album is the ballad Per un Amico dedicated to Francesco Vitale. The song is about their home city Palermo, which means it is about the mafia and their crimes. Pippo Pollina shows by this song his political commitment to the fight against the Mafia in the late eighties Sicily. The bluesy sound in Ci Vorrebe un´Idea (an idea you should have) shows a different facet of the artist. This duett with Linard Bardill is the beginning of a fruitful musical friendship.
Aspettando Che Sia Mattino characterizes the beginning and was crucial for the career of the Italian artist.
Now the album will be released by Jazzhaus Records with a re-remastered sound quality and new design.
Baltasound
€18.99*
Martin Kälberer
New Age
Format:
CD
Baltasound is the largest town on the Scottish island of Unst. Years ago, the fishermen romped there, as plenty of herring from the Atlantic were caught, later the place was important in for the oil industry. Baltasound has since fallen asleep. Despite a few people, it is a symbol of loneliness, but also of openness, of the open view. The signage of the album cover therefore does not lead to a lost post, but towards an inspirational space, which challenges its design by its sparse nature. It's about the world in the background, the sound that leads away from the normality of stimulus.
And so it was far out there in which after awhile, Martin Kälberer found the slowing down of the impressions a challenge. In Kälberer's camper, the only instrument to be found was the Hang, that pristine percussion alien with the spherical sound, with which to improvise a bit. The raw material of the impressions then condensed themselves into a compositional process that spanned an acoustic arc over ten chapters.
It was recorded then, in the autumn of 2017, in Kälberer's studio. He did most of the work himself, cellist Fanny Kammerlander was included as a guest, as well as the flugelhorn player Reinhard Greiner, also performing to one piece each were the bassist, Alex Klier, and Werner Schmidbauer as guitarist. It was important that most of the instruments sounded like real instruments, not copies from the computer.
Bar Casablanca
€18.99*
Pippo Pollina
Singer / Songwriter
Format:
CD
An album of great musical maturity, rich in stories and stories of people and places from many parts of the world that Pippo Pollina has crossed in many cultural and anthropological explorations.
Been Meaning To Tell You
€18.99*
Ina Forsman
Soul
Format:
CD
2016 Ina Forsman released her self-titled debut album and the entire music press was enthusiastic - from classic rock (“dynamite voice”) to blues blast (“debut album of the year”).
On her second album “Been Meaning To Tell You” she gives us a very personal insight into her world. She expresses her deepest feelings as she contemplates the beauty (and cruelty) of the modern world. The result is twelve songs for the ups and downs of life, whether you're looking for soul music for wild nights that makes the speakers shake or a slow blues song that makes you lick your wounds.
Bidaya
€18.99*
Bahur Ghazi's Palmyra
World
Format:
CD
Musical journeys between the Orient and the Alps are now part of the basic vocabulary of the globalized world. However, the Syrian composer and oud player Bahur Ghazi spans a two-way bridge: from his new home, he combines the cosmopolitan creativity of the Swiss jazz scene with the magic of an oasis city, and he spans a fascinating arc from ancient pictures to the bitter present of Syria.
Palmyra - the very sound of this word conjures up fabulous images: the dazzling oasis and caravan city between Damascus and the Euphrates River has been on the world stage of history throughout ancient times. It developed a unique culture as the hub of the Greco-Roman and Persian sphere of influence, had its own language and local deities, experienced early Christianity and Islamic conquest, was destroyed several times and rose again and again like Phoenix from the ashes. After the desert winds swept over the ruins of the temple for 1,000 years, Palmyra's cycle of ascension and descent was repeated in modern times: the site was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980 and since 2015 the Islamic city has had it twice removed, as it has caused deep wounds with explosions.
For the musician Bahur Ghazi, Palmyra is such an immense source of inspiration that he has chosen the city as the namesake for his quintet. He sees the legendary place as the refuge of a thousand-year heritage, as a symbol for an exciting network of cultures and as a symbol of dignity and hope for Syria, that has been destroyed by civil war and the IS. Before the war, Ghazi was one of the leading musical creative minds of his homeland: he discovered his skills on the Arabian lute through the Iraqi oud luminary Naseer Shamma and worked as a teacher at the renowned Cairo institution Bait al Oud Arabi (Arabic according house) headed by Shamma.
His Swiss exile has given Bahur Ghazi the opportunity to continue to practice his art without the daily threat of the brutality of the war breathing down his neck. He now works in a broad range as a jazz musician, but also as a writer for classical orchestras and for theater. The current location gives him a very special, new look at Syria: surrounded by leading Swiss jazz musicians on accordion (Patricia Draeger), piano (Christoph Baumann), upright bass (Luca Sisera) and drums (Dario Sisera), he draws from a distance to his homeland sprawling, colorful tableaus. In them, the Arabian heritage unfolds as a kaleidoscope from Andalusia across the Mediterranean to the desert, and at the same time the musicians combine this legacy of the Arabic maqam scales with the improvisational musical language of Europe.
The introductory piece "Bidaya" balances between the oriental oud intro, the swaying accordion of Draeger and a Cuban-inspired piano interlude by Baumann. Abruptly, the listeners find themselves in the floating, mysterious atmosphere of the "Septimia Dream", which seems to escort one into the ancient past of Palmyra. This then appears magnificently and dramatically in the long title track, as if in a vision the old columns rise from the shimmering desert air. But this is just the beginning of the journey of Bahur Ghazi and his four colleagues, it holds many other stations ready: "The Getaway" is a rhythmically complex hunt over a stumbling, urgent ostinato, that reminds one of a Rabih Abou-Khalil, but also increasingly takes on a rock drive.
Ghazi's dedication to the Qasioun, the local mountain of Damascus, is dressed as a melancholy and equally virtuoso oud song, as a lament to the lost grandeur of a now ruined city. In the presumptuous “Grünfink”, a trumpet with arabesque quarter-tones suddenly takes the command. And in the epic "Salvation Voyage", the combination of the Orient and the Occident succeeds in the most organic form: Bahur Ghazi leaves long stretches of the design to a bass with a singing intro and the accordion, with an almost Balkan melancholy.
With "Bidaya", Bahur Ghazi and his Swiss quartet, combine fabulous antiquity and painful modern times to form impressive soundscapes - always with a highly up-to-date reference that goes far beyond the traditional clichés of 1001 Arabian Nights.
BIG
€19.99*
Danny Bryant
Blues Rock
Format:
CD
BIG is the realization of a dream that has accompanied the British blues guitarist and singer Danny Bryant since the beginning of his career.
The dream of recording his songs live with a 9-piece big band was put into reality. The charismatic musician presented his songs to his audience at three exclusive shows in Germany and the Netherlands, supported by keyboards, bass, drums, rhythm guitar and a 4-piece brass section.
Danny Bryant performed songs of his latest three studio albums Hurricane, Temperature Rising and Blood Money, all re-arranged for a big band. Among were songs that were never been played live before, such as the title song of the 2014 album Temperature Rising”. Together with blues classics like the emotional As The Years Go Passing By (Otis Rush), the result is a high-tension mix of songs.
The concerts were recorded by Danny Bryant's producer Richard Hammerton, who was also responsible for the last three studio albums. The result is so brilliant that the album will be released in physical format as a double live CD and on vinyl on 21 April 2017. Danny will celebrate the release with three big-band shows in Belfast, Edinburgh and London at the end of April.
Danny: Recording this special live project has been a real labour of love for me. For a long time I have dreamed of hearing my songs placed in the context of a big band setting. Everyone gelled together so perfectly and the three shows that we recorded (the results of which you hold in your hands) were among some of the most enjoyable of my career so far. I can honestly say that I am more proud of this album than any project I have ever done.
Blood Money
€18.99*
Danny Bryant
Blues Rock
Format:
CD
“Working with Bernie Marsden and Walter Trout on this album has been a career highlight for me.”
Danny Bryant
Danny Bryant is pleased to announce the release of his highly anticipated new studio album “Blood Money” – released by Jazzhaus Records on Friday 29th January 2016.
His third album to be produced by Richard Hammerton, following in the footsteps of 2014’s Temperature Rising and 2012’s Hurricane, the new album features Danny collaborating with Walter Trout and Bernie Marsden on two tracks.
Says Bryant, “I wanted to make this album ever since I began my musical journey 20 years ago as a 15 year old boy who fell in love with his parent’s record collection.”
On Blood Money, Bryant set out to record an album that showed an introspective return to his roots and an appreciation of his blues influences, by paying homage, as he puts it “to all the different influences and flavours of this wonderful music that I have loved for many years.”
Line-up:
Bryant, Danny - Guitar and vocals
Phillips, Alex - Bass
Raeburn , Dave - Drums
Hammerton , Richard - Keys and backing vocals
Particular tracks like ‘On the Rocks’ is a homage to the late great Albert Collins, ‘Holding All The Cards’ is a tribute to Jimmy Reed, while ‘Unchained’ harks back to vintage Albert King Stax recordings.
The title track, ‘Blood Money’, was a song that Bryant had on the fire for several years. He just needed the right time and the right collaborator to bring the song to life. This particular song was specifically written with Walter Trout in mind, who was Bryant’s guitar mentor when he had a chance meeting with him at a concert when he was only 14 years old.
“I wanted us to share the song with Walter,” says Bryant. “I am really thrilled that he agreed to play guitar on the track. I think his contribution is truly stunning.”
Another highlight of the Blood Money recording sessions was the contribution from Mr Bernie Marsden. One of Bryant’s all-time favourite guitarists and singer-songwriters, Bryant invited Marsden to record a special ballad that Bryant had written entitled ‘Just Won’t burn’. The song was recorded in one afternoon and during the recording, Bryant got the opportunity to play Marsden’s famous 1959 Les Paul -‘The Beast’.
Blueprint
€18.99*
Abekejser
Modern Jazz
Format:
CD
Abekejser was founded in 2015 in the danish city of Aarhus, the current hotbed of the scandinavian music scene. The four young musicians with a background in Jazz and World-Music knew each other through their memberships in several other formations when they finally decided to combine their individual ideas through a common musical vision – and so they created an highly individual, urban universe between jazz, beats and electronica that shares some musical ground with bands like Snarky Puppy, Jaga Jazzist or piano-visionary Robert Glasper, but follows its very own rules by doing so. After their debut album „Floating Through The Universe“, which already made noticeably enthusiastic waves in the bustling Scandinavian and British jazz scene and even received the Danish „Jazznytprisen“ award as „best jazz act of 2019“, Abekejser have now announced a new album called „Blueprint“, which will be released in November 2021.
Boomerang
€20.99*
Eric Sardinas and Big Motor
Classic Rock & Pop
Format:
LP
Boomerang brought a whole new experience to the 1970’s born musician, who live in Los Ange-les, when he is not somewhere in the world on tour. We recorded the songs in between tours, not all at once, as we had always done before. There was no other way, we had no choice, because our schedule was so jam-packed in the past few years with performances all around the world. We couldn’t even clear a block of time in between for a few weeks, in order to retreat to the studio. On the other hand, it gave us the advantage to take our stage energy into the studio with us. It was all only possible though, because I wrote my songs on the road – when I come home, I have a pile of papers, napkins and other little snippets, on which I have kept my ideas and then at home I bring them all together. But that’s how I get plenty of inspiration, which expresses the reality of my fans, in which they can find themselves in. I don’t have to come up with grandiose lyrics, but rather can scoop them up from real life. And I am sure, that many song ideas came from Germany, where I have toured for many years.
Releasing Boomerang 3 years after the release of their last album Sticks & Stones, Eric Sardinas and Big Motor are presenting their debut to the Freiburger Jazzhaus-Label. That is one reason, why I have waited with my original release-idea. I had wanted to do four mini-releases with 5 songs each over the course of the year. But after discussing it with Jazzhaus, I decided to deliver a compact collection of 10 songs on one CD, tells Sardinas as he lets us behind the scenes.
Nine of the tracks on Boomerang are his own creation, and he added one cover song. Trouble is taken from the vault of his great idol. My first concert that I attended at a young age was one of Elvis Presley. He more than mesmerized me with his energy on stage – and his songs were simply awesome! And ‘Trouble’ was always one of my favorites, he explains his decision. In this way, I want to carry on his legacy! However this song, like Boomerang, exemplifies Sardinas’ musical ambition. I want to bring straight Rock n’ Roll and Blues together and mix them up into my own thing.
Variants from €18.99*
Caffè Caflisch
€18.99*
Pippo Pollina & Linard Bardill
Pop International
Format:
CD
A Swiss from the Grisons mountains emigrated to Palermo in Sicily and founded his famous Caffè Caflisch there. A Sicilian comes to Switzerland with his guitar and becomes a well-known cantautore. Immigrate, emigrate, migrate. Pippo Pollina and Linard Bardill sing about home away from home and being a stranger at home. Mischievous, melancholic, deep in love, far from a migratory bird, and close to the heart of the times.
Canta Ro' In Trio
€18.99*
Etta Scollo
Singer / Songwriter
Format:
CD
Sicily: That stands for mamma, mafia, murder and … milk. Milk? Exactly, while Sicily is connected with milk in a much longer history than with the notorious “m”- cliché.
According to legend, the inhabitants of the Sicilian town of Sperlinga felt a great affinity towards their French conquerors. This affinity went so far, that they afforded the besieged French protection in their castle during the Vesper war (1282). As the attackers wanted to know if the hated French were hidden in the castle, the castle`s inhabitants threw small balls of cheese out of the arrow slits – and delivered the “proof” that harmless shepherds lived within the walls.
However, the cheese wasn`t made from the milk of sheep, rather from the milk of the French women… The history of Sperlinga is just one of many Sicilian legends from which Etta Scollo´s new fascinating program is composed. After the huge success of Canta Rò “Hommage to Rosa Balistreri”, she now sings about Rosalia, Palermo`s popular patron saint, who was a blond Norman.
And about Colapesce, a boy who was half fish and half man and carried the island on the sea bed, so that it wouldn`t sink, while his beloved waited for him eternally… Authors such as Jules Verne and Patrick Brydone have made Silicy`s legends famous. Indeed, Friedrich Schiller recounts thereof in his ballad “The diver”. In Etta Scollos program these are aroused newly to life: “Les Siciliens!” is a musical bazaar full of unheard sounds and unspoken words, which live on in the fantasy of the public. Johann Wolfgang Goethe already knew: “Sicily is the gate to Europe…here is the key to all.” Etta Scollo shows us with her program, that in each of us, Signore e Signori, lies a Sicilian.
Canto Ro'
€18.99*
Etta Scollo
Singer / Songwriter
Format:
CD
CANTA RO’ (Untertitel: Rosa, die letzte Sängerin Siziliens) wurde im Hof der Regionalbibliothek in Palermo uraufgeführt, dann im Hof des Erzbischofs in Cefalù sowie in der Gartenanlage der dreihundert Jahre alten Villa Spedalotto in Bagheria wiederholt. Dirigiert hat der angesehene Maestro Angelo Faja. Das Album erschien 2005.
Canzoni Segrete
€22.99*
Pippo Pollina
Singer / Songwriter
Format:
CD
The new album "Canzoni segrete" is about the power of music, the consequences of prosperity, about a strange plague and changing passions, about dreams, hopes, disappointments. The songs have their roots in recent decades, "Leo"– adapted in 1994 from the French original by Georges Moustaki – being one example. Predominantly, however, they were written during the months between January 2019 and June 2020. Recorded in studios in Italy, France, Germany and Switzerland, the album turned into a profound project that challenged Pippo Pollina as a composer and poet, but also as a thinker, musician and arranger.
With a rough and at the same time sonorous voice, Pippo Pollina rejoices and argues, chats and reflects. At times with a touch of the laconic, but never without a fundamental reverence for the beauty of sound and the power of art, in the knowledge that music is a gift. That is the foundation, despite all doubts, for an ambitious, mature and coherent album, which Pippo Pollina will bring to the stage from the beginning of 2022, culminating in a grand finale in the Verona Arena in August 2023.
Captain … Coast Is Clear
€18.99*
Fools Garden
Pop International
Format:
CD
Some of the best stories are written by life itself. Just like Fools Garden’s, the band who pushed Take That from first rank on the “Bravo” charts, shared change rooms with Justin Timberlake and danced the Polonaise with the Spice Girls in Tokyo.
One might think: Anyone who has achieved all of this could sit back, put up their feet and rest on what has been achieved… far from it: the two masterminds Peter Freudenthaler and Volker Hinkel still feel an irresistible desire to write new songs, record albums and to go on tour. The two of them created over 140 songs throughout their 30/year band history. CAPTAIN … COAST IS CLEAR is the name of their new and eleventh studio album.
All in all, it seems as if the band, despite or maybe because of the pandemic challenges, has run into top form and thus, with CAPTAIN… COAST IS CLEAR, created a piece of art that offers a track for every musical taste. Therefore, the band can hardly wait to bring these songs that were created during a unique, historical time, live on stage to sing them together with fans from near and far."
Cinq
€22.98*
Carrousel
Französisch / Chanson
Format:
LP Audiophil
Light and catchy pop with charm from French Switzerland. The duo Carrousel presents their new album "Cinq". The twelve invigorating songs provide pleasant surprises like a fresh breeze. Carried by elegant melodies, the duo explores the energy of pop with their music. The lyrics, mixed with poetry, convey feelings, take up various moments in life and wrap memories in a happy melancholy. C'est parti!
With Carrousel, folk, chanson and pop seem to merge into an individual mixture that uses a wide variety of ingredients, but always remains recognizable. The carrousel songs live from the voices of the duo, which complement each other, flatter each other, merge or unite. Whether they take turns or sing in a duet - you can feel the common life story of the two, who once met and fell in love in southern France and immediately started making music together.
Variants from €18.99*
Control
€18.99*
Brew
Progressive Rock
Format:
CD
Hailing from the city of Grimsby, England, The Brew (UK) has gone from strength to strength since the release of their international breakthrough The Joker in 2008. With two subsequent stu-dio projects and a powerhouse live album, this award-winning trio has grown into one of Europe's most potent rock acts, combining the musicianship of classic rock with youthful energy and a brash, contemporary outlook. With Control, their newest studio effort, they have raised the bar and created easily their boldest and most confident recording to date.
As band members Tim Smith (bass), Jason Barwick (guitar/vocals) and Kurtis Smith (drums) put it: It was time for a change. Following their successful collaboration with producer Chris West on A Million Dead Stars and The Third Floor, the band phoned hard rock veteran Toby Jepson about working together on the new record. Jepson has enjoyed success fronting bands like Little Angels and has recently produced/co-produced acclaimed albums by The Virginmarys (UK Classic Rock Magazine Award Winners 2013) and The Answer (2013's New Horizon) as well as veteran acts like Saxon and Fastway. We met and immediately felt we were all on the same wavelength, recalls Tim Smith. Toby loves to record live. And this, as everyone knows, is where The Brew is happiest.
For the first time, and with Jepson's encouragement, the band spent months elaborating the material prior to recording. We took our time and locked ourselves in a studio to work out the songs instead of doing this on the road. We haven't had that luxury before. We looked back at our past albums and discussed what aspects of the songs we liked and, very importantly, what the fans liked. Also, what the fans and we as band liked about playing live and the energy that gave out. The task was to try to bring all of this into the new album.
As the expansive and dynamic sound of Control testifies, Jepson provided them with the ideal setting in which to let their raw power flow freely. We really laid off the heavy production, such as lots of guitar overdubs and layers, and went back to basics, says Jason Barwick. This keeps things fresh and totally changes the sound of the record. It really is a drums, bass and guitar album. The live approach allowed them – perhaps for the first time – to truly harness the power of their concert performances in a studio setting.
Always committed to musical excellence, Control finds The Brew taking their craft to a whole new level. The voice of Jason Barwick has filled out and become richer and more finely textured, to say nothing of his stellar double duty on rhythm and lead guitar. Tim Smith's bass provides a full-bodied sonic foundation – a thick layer of bottomy crunch – while Kurtis Smith drives the music with lean, muscular drumming. After leaning on Toby Jepson's expert guiding hand, the trio turned to renowned sound engineer Steve Harris (U2, Kula Shaker, Kaiser Chiefs) to do the final mix. The new production team has delivered a record that sounds bigger, sharper and decidedly more "epic" than any of The Brew's prior releases.
The titles of the album's ten tracks represent a curiosity – each of them a one-word imperative found on the front of every CD player or (for the retro-minded) cassette deck. (Rewind, Shuffle, Pause, etc.) If this makes Control a concept album, then Tim Smith says it is not by con-scious design. To me, a concept album is something like Tommy by The Who. Though he ad-mits there is a common theme running through the songs, Each one stands up by itself without the need to know about or hear the other songs. But they also work great together, whichever way you hear them!
The hard work, care and dedication that went into every aspect of Control have made it one of the essential releases of 2014. With this fully-realized album, a new chapter in the band's history has commenced. For anyone now holding The Brew's finest disc to date in their hands, there is but one thing left to do.
Cuoresenza
€18.99*
Etta Scollo
Singer / Songwriter
Format:
CD
One morning a heart wakes up, getting aware that his body that used to cuddle, protect and sustain him, is no more. So he decides to go and search for him. This is how this odd bodyless heart’s travel starts.
At first he goes back to his past, to his childhood dwellings, he sees again his father shaving and singing about a capricious woman, The curly woman of Domenico Modugno. He resumes his travel and here he is, during a summer in the sixties, in his house yard, from a balcony echo the notes of Mina’s new hit If over the phone, so extroverted and shocking for those years. On his way, he obviously comes across the first guitar arrangements he was able to play with the moving De Andrè‘s Lost love song and the ironical Over the window’s panes of Jannacci at the beginning of his career. He goes on and here he is again in those squares of the seventies where committed songs used to be performed, and he sings the dramatic love story of Gualtiero Bertelli’s Nina, do you remember. And the heart goes on, far away, to a smoky cabaret in Vien-na, he listens to an unusual woman song, breaking all the social rules, she claims her having no scruples in The Novak from Cissy Kraner. But he doesn’t stop there, he wants to understand where and why this body suddenly has gone. Heading North, he finds again the loving attention of The care that Franco Battiato would take about himself and other sick hearts, passionate, clear and efficient as a therapist. But the missing heart hasn’t finished his travel yet, why did this body leave him to beat alone as in The bachelor of Paolo Conte? He resumes his way, this missing heart, again and again, now looking at present times because maybe the answer is there, among the light and deep lines of the young poet Marthia Carrozzo or in the mocking and redundant Stefano Benni’s lyrics I Do Love You. Now the heart sits down, at a street corner, he collects all his clues and memories, as a treasure. They all beat together with his heart upon the concrete that amplifies it as a musical theme. Heart missing becomes a song and he knows that behind the corner, between past and future, his body-core, is waiting for him, brand new.