After the 1st day positive energy boost , the day two was looking even more impresive. There were two highlits appealing to me already in the program: My beloved Globe Unity Orchestra and the Aki Takase Duo act with Ingrid Laubrock. Unexpectedly a closing set on the main stage came as a most welcome challenge to me as well, but let’s do not get ahead of the story.

Here we are. This is a report from the first day of the festival weekend this year. As always there was a lot of great music and the great fun. Meeting with friends and interesting conversations with both: artists and visitors. When the music buzzes around and the heart rate goes up the magic happens. Jazz junkie like myself can stay alive as long as the sounds keep feeding back. And with a good hype one gets the good vibe, follow the write up below to find out more.

Album/DVD showcases sold out show with fellow Snarky Puppy members Michael League and Robert “Sput” Searight

Two-time Grammy-winner and founding member of Snarky Puppy Bill Laurance fulfilled a lifelong fantasy with his sold out show at the Union Chapel. He will share it with the world with the release of the album and DVD Live At Union Chapel on November 11th on Ground UP Music/Verve Label Group.

Soweto Kinch’s restless inspiration seemingly knows no boundaries, and the multi-award winning saxophonist, band-leader, composer, rapper and radio host has applied his talents to a wide range of different styles and themes over the course of his career. Whether it’s the daily grind of inner city life (2006’s A Life in the Day of B19) or the seven deadly sins (2013’s The Legend of Mike Smith), Kinch can always be relied upon to delve deep into his source material and examine it from a fresh new angle.

This news really took me by surprise. This year the Nobel Literature Prize goes to an American rock legend: Bob Dylan.  The first after-shock thoughts however bring to this choice more justice and certainly he is more the poet to me in general perception than a rock musician.  Even this rock genre doesn’t really fit the picture in my humble opinion.

Although this is their fist duo recording, trumpeter Tom Arthurs and electronic musician Sam Britton (AKA Isambard Khroustaliov) have collaborated in a number of different ensembles. Both in and out of the Not Applicable label/collective, over a period of at least ten years.

The celebrated Norwegian composer, pianist and bandleader follows his three previous Hubro releases (the solo ‘Pianokammer’, the duo LP Brutter, and a collaboration with Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, ‘Untitled Arpeggios and Pulses’) with a new album for his principal performing group, the Christian Wallumrød Ensemble.

As well as offering continuities with the past – earlier versions of the Ensemble recorded five well-received albums for the ECM label, from 2001 to 2012 – the performance of the seven original compositions on ‘Kurzsam and Fulger‘ represents a significant refinement of Wallumrod’s methods:

Martin Taylor Celebrates 60th Birthday With Solo UK Tour

Grammy-nominated guitarist, composer and educator Martin Taylor celebrates his 60th birthday and 45 years as a touring artist with a series of solo UK concerts in October. Kicking off in Fareham on Friday 14th October, Taylor will take to thirteen UK towns across the country including Fareham, London, New Milton, Colchester, Guildford, Whitby, Milton Keynes, Manchester, Dundee, Inverness, Lichfield and Uppingham.

An array of international stars from the worlds of blues, rock and soul will descend on London this month as BluesFest returns to The O2 from October 28th – 30th.

The festival will present three spectacular double-bills featuring blues luminary Walter Trout and UK blues-rock outfit The Temperance Movement, multi-Grammy-winning Mary J Blige and R&B star Maxwell, and UK guitar god Jeff Beck alongside the legendary Van Morrison.

As a huge fan of this wonderful music collective, deeply devoted and endlessly listening to everything they only recorded and I could put my hands on it I have a greatest pleasure to announce their 50th Anniversary Artistic Season ! I wish them hundred years of the best health and never ending creativity !