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RADIO December 24, 2020

Guitar Trios

Guitar, bass and drum trios appear sporadically throughout jazz history, but did not see much frequency as a format until the 1970s, when guitarists including John Abercrombie and Pat Metheny adopted the small ensemble more commonly associated with rock power trios. In the last decade, a growing number of guitarists have settled on the trio as their preferred template. Guitar trios from Julian Lage, Lionel Loueke, Charlie Ballentine, Jakob Bro, Gilad Hekselman, Anthony Pirog and Steve Tibbetts in this hour ...

RADIO November 26, 2020

Lionel Loueke, Roberto Cecchetto, Prince & Miles, Bootsy & More New Releases

By Ludovico Granvassu

In this week's exploration of new and upcoming releases we explore a whole range of human interactions, from Matt Wilson's hugs to Kahil El'Zabar's jumps and shout, from Prince and Miles Davis going mano a mano to Bootsy Collins and Branford Marsalis proceeding arm in arm like true funkateeers, from Antoine Pierre following Miles' steps to Lionel Loueke doing the same with those of Herbie Hancock. And more... Happy listening! Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme ...

ALBUM REVIEW October 20, 2020

Lionel Loueke: HH

By Ian Patterson

Hulk Hogan? Harry Houdini? Hugh Hefner? As tempting as it is to imagine Lionel Loueke cheerily following some absurdist impulse, the HH of the title instead honors Herbie Hancock—a long-time mentor and source of inspiration to the Benin-born guitarist. A jurist on the audition panel who selected Loueke for the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, Hancock thereafter called upon Loueke's six-string services on Possibilities (Hear Music, 2005), River: The Joni Letters (Verve, 2007) and The Imagine Project (Herbie Hancock Music, ...

RADIO December 10, 2018

Lionel Loueke Group Live at BIMHUIS Amsterdam

By BIMHUIS

Lionel Loueke has gone a long way, from playing to cassette tapes in his native Cotonou, Benin, to performing for president Obama at the White House. He is part of the bands of Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea and collaborates with the greatest talents of his generation, including Esperanza Spalding and Robert Glasper. Personnel: Lionel Loueke guitar, Massimo Biolcati bass, Ferenc Nemeth drums. Playlist Introduction Bimhuis Radio (00:00) Live Concert @ Bimhuis: Lionel ...

ALBUM REVIEW October 7, 2018

Lionel Loueke: The Journey

By Friedrich Kunzmann

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 ...

ALBUM REVIEW August 1, 2018

Lionel 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 ...

LIVE REVIEW February 26, 2018

Lionel 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 ...