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Jazz Articles about Lionel Loueke
Lionel Loueke: The Journey
by Pat Youngspiel
The Journey finds Benin's guitar prodigy Lionel Loueke in a stripped-back setting, often painting gentle sound-sketches using only his voice and a guitar. In place of his long-standing trio, comprised of drummer Ferenc Nemeth and double bassist Massimo Biolcati, Loueke has assembled a divers array of guest musicians for subtle accompaniment when needed. The fifteen songs compiled on this album exhibit some of the most versatile music the guitarist has created to date, and represent a sort of summary of ...
Continue ReadingLionel Loueke: Close Your Eyes
by Karl Ackermann
Three short seasons and fifteen releases into Newvelle Records' vinyl subscription service, guitarist Lionel Loueke is the first artist to be featured a second time as a leader/co-leader. The Benin-born Loueke holds a Jazz Performance degree from Berklee and has played with many top artists including his mentor Herbie Hancock, George Garzone, Wayne Shorter, Charlie Haden and John Patitucci. In 2017 he shared credits with pianist Kevin Hays on the label's sophisticated Hope and he returns to lead a trio ...
Continue ReadingLionel Loueke Trio al Parco della Musica di Roma
by Mario Calvitti
Lionel Loueke Trio Parco della Musica Roma 28.02.2018 Avevamo già avuto modo di apprezzare il chitarrista del Benin Lionel Loueke sui palcoscenici dell'Auditorium romano lo scorso novembre, in occasione del concerto del sestetto di Chick Corea e Steve Gadd, ma in quella circostanza non era stato molto lo spazio lasciatogli a disposizione dai due leader, per cui ci era rimasta la curiosità di rivederlo alle prese con un progetto più personale. Il suo recente ...
Continue ReadingLionel Loueke Trio at A-Trane
by Friedrich Kunzmann
Lionel Loueke Trio A-Trane Berlin, Germany February 22, 2018 How Beninese guitar-virtuoso Lionel Loueke manages to find the time for the multitude of projects he is involved in year after year remains puzzling. Already featured on Chick Corea and Steve Gadd's 2018 release Chinese Butterfly and Czech saxophonist Lubos Soukup's Zembe, Lionel Loueke has two of his own projects in the works for a 2018 release all the while still finding the time to catch ...
Continue ReadingFriedrich Kunzmann's Best Releases Of 2017: Ethno-Jazz on the rise
by Friedrich Kunzmann
2017 brought us much innovation and accomplishment in jazz. While many releases are certainly noteworthy and deserving of high critical acclaim, for me, only a handful truly stood out and prevailed in last year's maze of sharps, flats, and scales. Considering myself an enthusiast of pretty much all things jazz (no specific sub-genre receiving special treatment), I was surprised to find such a narrow selection of albums composing my last year's Top 5. Narrow, because three out of the five ...
Continue ReadingLionel Loueke: GAÏA
by Dan Bilawsky
Those who figure that this reunion between guitarist Lionel Loueke and his longtime trio mates will be a simple trip down memory lane have another thing coming to them. While Loueke, drummer Ferenc Nemeth, and bassist Massimo Biolcati could've certainly delivered another globally-infused set replete with fluid gestures and finely-calibrated interplay, à la their work on earlier Loueke outings like Virgin Forest (OBJECT/ObliqSound, 2006) and the pair of albums they made as the cooperative trio known as Gilfema, they didn't. ...
Continue ReadingLionel Loueke: GAïA
by Mark F. Turner
Guitarist Lionel Loueke brings a presence to jazz unlike any other due in part to his West African upbringing heard in the uniqueness of his playing, vocals and phrasing which have enriched recordings from trumpeter Terence Blanchard to singers Angélique Kidjo and Luciana Souza. Recorded live in front of a small audience Gaïa finds Loueke with longtime trio-mates bassist Massimo Biolcati and drummer Ferenc Nemeth in an intimate session that captures his musicality and spontaneity. While the ...
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