Results for "Phillip Woolever"
Teus Nobel & Liberty Group: Human First

by Phillip Woolever
Highly respected Dutch trumpeter Teus Nobel has forged a distinguished, modern jazz-based discography which includes expertise ranging from small bands to orchestras, and mainstream pop to theatrical show tunes. The third project released by Nobel's Liberty Group progresses along traditional quartet-type experimentation which proves to be some of his most extraordinary work yet; it sounds like ...
Play Petrucciani: A Special Tribute for a Special Musician

by Phillip Woolever
Watching a good band at a small club is often one of the most enjoyable ways to experience jazz. Proper ambiance can conjure lasting sounds and images, as the relatively intimate space makes for optimal acoustics and definitive visual close-ups. That's what it was like for those fortunate or discerning enough to attend the first editions ...
The Optimal Evolution of Amersfoort World Jazz

by Phillip Woolever
A multitude of festivals recently returned from the pandemic wasteland as the world of live music played catch-up from over two years of interruptions, but few comebacks in the busy summer of 2022 were as uniformly strong as the full reopening of the Amersfoort World Jazz Festival. During what is likely now a permanent switch from ...
North Sea Jazz 2022

by Phillip Woolever
North Sea Jazz Festival Ahoy Rotterdam Rotterdam, The Netherlands July 8-10, 2022 The post-pandemic, new North Sea normal seemed much the same as before, except the stakes were higher than usual due to economic recovery issues and continued uncertainty regarding Covid-19 resurgence. While the global entertainment sector bloomed ...
Avishai Cohen: Shifting Sands

by Phillip Woolever
Consistency and excellence are two of the most fundamental requisites for achieving an optimal career in music. The Israeli bassist and composer Avishai Cohen has maintained those standards for many years, and his new trio emerges with a powerful offering that should reinforce his status as a jazz-based titan. This formation enlists familiar, longtime collaborator Elchin ...
In Memoriam: A Song for Boris Neisser

by Phillip Woolever
It was over a decade ago when I first encountered jovial Boris Neisser, the late administrative sparkplug of Dusseldorf's schauinsland-reisen Jazz Rally. He was flat on his back on a nicely carpeted opera house floor, grinning up at ornate ceiling chandeliers after a late night Sunday concert by Jan Akkerman and a competent Russian group called ...
John Zorn Reflektor Series at Elb Philharmonic

by Phillip Woolever
John Zorn Elb Philharmonie John Zorn Reflektor Series Hamburg, Germany March 17-20, 2022 John Zorn recruited an extraordinary rotating group of musicians to convey his vast and varied vision during a full capacity, crowd-pleasing residency at the majestic Elbphilharmonie complex in Hamburg's robustly revitalized Hafen City district.
Alma Naidu: Alma

by Phillip Woolever
Alma Naidu, a 26 year old songwriting vocalist based in Munich, has crafted a first rate debut showcasing an abundance of talent and a top-notch supporting team. German drummer Wolfgang Haffner produced this introductory gem and adds percussive precision in contributing a consistently subtle touch of the sticks. Well-aligned arrangements help keep the focus on Naidu, ...
Jan Lundgren: Into the Night

by Phillip Woolever
This excellent album is part of a series of modern jazz projects with a twist, featuring live recordings by many of the German label ACT's top artists, in unique, uncategorized, and often first time formations. The album comes from a 2020 set at the Ystad Festival in Sweden, which homegrown pianist Jan Lundgren founded ...
Hogo Fogo: Repeat

by Phillip Woolever
The debut release by this electronics-based quartet from Denmark arrives with a smooth sounding formula that indicates good things ahead. The group has promise but at times over the album's 43 minutes things remain a bit too close to the title, Repeat. While there's plenty of talent in the band, drummer Michael Dalgas, guitarist Spencer Gross, ...