Articles by Josep Pedro
Sonny Rollins: Barcelona Voll-Damm Jazz Festival, Spain, November 20, 2012
by Josep Pedro
Sonny RollinsPalau de la Música44 Barcelona Voll-Damm International Jazz FestivalNovember 20, 2012Traditionally marked in the calendar for being fascist dictator Franco's death anniversary, November 20--or 20-N, as referred to in Spain--has frequently been accompanied by some infamous demonstrations where the restrictive and attacking attitudes that would, by now, hopefully be a thing of the past still take the chance to make a shout in a public space. For an eager audience, this day in 2012 ...
read moreTexas Eastside Kings: Texas Eastside Kings
by Josep Pedro
Texas Eastside KingsTexas Eastside KingsDialtone2012 Texas Eastside Kings features a fine constellation of blues and jazz musicians from different generations, that offer an accomplished, heartfelt sound collage of East Austin's cultural legacy. The collective character of the record is double; on one hand, the music is played out as some sort of jam session where musicians come in and out naturally, with no interruptions, producing a compact yet flexible sound that illustrates ...
read moreÑaco Goñi: Blues con los Colegas
by Josep Pedro
Ñaco Goñi Blues con los Colegas Moco de Pavo Productions 2006 One of the best known harmonica players in Spain, Ñaco Goñi has been in the frontline of the blues scene in the country almost from its start, approximately 30 years ago. Grown out of the once celebrated musical neighborhood Prosperidad, his trajectory has been intimately linked to Madrid's particular history, where he started out when he was about fifteen playing with ...
read moreHarold McMillan: Inspirational Commitment
by Josep Pedro
Deeply involved in Austin's music and art community, Harold McMillan has been providing access and exposure primarily to traditions derived from African American culture for more than twenty years. Initially he started the Blues Family Tree Project, a documentary collective first conceived as an oral history project, which ultimately contributed to the founding of Diverse Arts Culture Works in 1994, four years later. A non-profit multidisciplinary cultural arts organization dedicated to the long-term development of the African ...
read moreLou Donaldson: Jazz Paths
by Josep Pedro
One of the few remaining musicians that defined the sound of jazz after the bebop musical revolution, alto saxophonist Lou Donaldson illustrates the richness and ambiguities of jazz evolution during the crucial period between the late forties and early seventies. During these intense and fascinating times of contemporary United States history, jazz exploded into a variety of paths that ran parallel with different environments, artistic, social and political concerns.In coexistence with the upcoming Black Power movement and its ...
read moreRuben Blades: Valencia, Spain, July 15, 2012
by Josep Pedro
Rubén BladesViveros ParkValencia, SpainJuly 15, 2012Year after year, the iconic Viveros Park hosts a series of varied shows that combine international stars with successful national bands of different styles. The prices remain high, even as the socioeconomic and political situation in Spain becomes increasingly dramatic. Along with guitarist George Benson, Rubén Blades has been the main attraction of the 2012 edition for jazz fans--especially those willing immerse in the orchestral Latin sound that has influenced ...
read moreBlue J: Featuring Bree Bruns
by Josep Pedro
Blue JBlue J featuring Bree BrunsHalversonics Recording2012Formed in 2007 as a power trio with guitar, bass and drums, Blue J has evolved into a dynamic combo that smoothly brings in piano, Hammond, tenor saxophone and trumpet, as well as Bree Bruns' convincingly versatile vocals. With a colorful cover that anticipates the musical blend, this debut album presents an appealing combination of vocal and instrumental tunes that flows through different styles ranging from ...
read moreRon Westray / Thomas Heflin: Live from Austin
by Josep Pedro
A live recording is always a great chance to experience some of the core principles of jazz. Improvisation and spontaneity arise when musicians feel free and comfortable with the tunes and arrangements. A collaborative effort between trombonist Ron Westray and trumpeter Thomas Heflin, Live from Austin was recorded in 2009 at the Elephant Room, one of the few jazz venues in the Texas capital, while both musicians were involved with the University of Texas. This recording not ...
read moreJeff Lofton: Jazz to the People
by Josep Pedro
Born in Germany and raised in South Carolina, Jeff Lofton's trumpet sound has become a striking force in Austin's music scene since moved there about four years ago. Friendly and bright in his reasoning, Lofton has proved to be a versatile, mature musician overtly combining straight-ahead jazz with fusion. His appealing, laidback character and soulful playing has certainly earned him a rising recognition not only in Austin but across the general jazz circuit. A talented, open-minded musician, composer ...
read moreDaniel Bennett Group: Peace & Stability Among Bears
by Josep Pedro
Multi-instrumentalist Daniel Bennett concludes his trilogy of fables about bears, deepening his unique mixture of jazz, folk, minimalism and trance musics with Peace & Stability Among Bears. Following melodic exploration as the main idea, Bennett combines lightness and subtlety with dreamlike passages that define his particular sound universe. Entertaining and complex, Peace & Stability Among Bears keeps pouring fresh ideas into the jazz world. Polyphony, catchy melodies, African-tinged percussion and open door folk atmospheres all form part of an organic ...
read more
Giveaway
Days remaining: 3
