Jazz Articles about Lionel Loueke

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Joeykeysade: Orisun (Origin)

by Mike Jurkovic
September 13, 2026

On his smoothly cool debut Orisun (Origin), New York-based pianist/composer JoeyKeySade--pronounced “JOH-ee KEYS SHAH-deh"--certainly exhibits deft mastery and understanding of the myriad of musics between Broadway and West Africa. The problem presented, of course, is which style inevitably comes to the fore and dominates. What dominates the overall sound of Orisun (Origin) is an attractive, almost nostalgic late-70's/early-80's vibe recalling the lush, atmospheric ventures of Pat Metheny and a toned down Joe Zawinul--whom the pianist credits as a ...

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Lionel Loueke: Actual Proof

by Geno Thackara
August 28, 2026

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Nicolas Genest: Danhomey Songs

by Fran Kursztejn
November 22, 2025

Danhomey Songs is French-Beninese trumpeter Nicolas Genest's first record as leader since 2015. Despite a voraciously prolific career working with just about every Francophone master working today, but specifically under the tutelage of Aldo Romano and Henri Texier, he has only produced a handful of recordings as bandleader. Perhaps it is the personages he usually finds himself supporting, the idiosyncratic duo of Romano and Texier or titanic conductors like Terence Blanchard and Wynton Marsalis, or the simple fact of his ...

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Lionel Loueke & Dave Holland: United

by Ian Patterson
February 8, 2025

Why did they not think of this before? A fair question. But as the Greek poet Homer put it, even a fool is wise after the event. “Why did you not think of it before?," Homer might have retorted. Yes, the music on United is so sublime, so natural sounding, that guitarist Lionel Loueke and bassist Dave Holland seem like old duo soulmates. The truth, however, is different. While the pair have played together in various settings, they had never ...

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Omri Mor / Yosef-Gutman Levitt: Melodies of Light

by Mike Jurkovic
October 1, 2023

It is quite rare in a culture and society driven by autocrats, hits, likes, blogs and podcasts, that recordings as ethereal, yet born of the ageless earth, as Melodies of Light come around to release us from the daily ugly. Spontaneous music of this hypnotic, mysterious beauty and elusive grace give us pause to reflect on where we are, individually and collectively, and to seek a better way. It haunts. It comes at the listener from some timeless ...

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Gretchen Parlato, Lionel Loueke: Lean In

by Angelo Leonardi
June 5, 2023

Le collaborazioni discografiche tra la vocalist losangelina e il chitarrista del Benin iniziano nel biennio 2005/2006. Prima è venuto Gretchen Parlato, l'album debutto della cantante, e qualche mese dopo Virgin Forest (Obliqsound), il terzo lavoro di Loueke che comprendeva già Herbie Hancock. Negli anni successivi i due interpreti hanno continuato a collaborare in vari contesti privilegiando le comuni affinità: il jazz contemporaneo, l'amore per le musiche etniche (i ritmi in particolare) di Africa e Brasile, qualche suggestione pop e la ...

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Gretchen Parlato and Lionel Loueke: Lean In

by Geno Thackara
May 27, 2023

With a voice as sweet and cool as a spring breeze, Gretchen Parlato would sound at home in any cozy jazz club from Paris to Sao Paulo. The sound of Lionel Loueke's voice and guitar is at least 60 percent rhythm, with his plucking and crooning having an innate percussive pulse running through it. Two decades of collaboration and close friendship are on display with Parlato and Loueke's first full duo-recording; Lean In shows the breadth of their globe-spanning interests ...