- Shakatak Nochtspeicher, Hamburg Monday 15 and Tuesday 16 Apr
1980s London hitmakers pop jazz funkateers Shakatak are touring their latest album Eyes of the World.
- Gretchen Parlato and Lionel Loueke New Morning, Paris Tues 16 Apr
Influential singer Parlato and Herbie Hancock guitarist Loueke continue their linger long, deep song Lean In tour.
- Mark Turner Quartet Fasching, Stockholm Tues 16 Apr
Tenor of our times Turner in Stockholm with Jason Palmer, Joe Martin and Jonathan Pinson. Hear the American on his duo album with Danish guitar geezer Mikkel Ploug bringing home the bacon on Nocturnes among a spate of recent prodigiously satisfying recordings.
Vibe Factor - Omar Sosa, Joo Kraus, Diego Piñera Moods, Zurich Tues 16 Apr
Tonbruket Tonne, Dresden
Big Dan Berglund from e.s.t. daringly as ever in the lead with the completely different Tonbruket more than a decade together who are currently touring Light Wood, Dark Strings.
- Judy Niemack Wed 17 Apr and Thurs 18 Apr A-Trane, Berlin
Features Gwilym Simcock (Pat Metheny, Lighthouse Trio, The Impossible Gentlemen) and Kurt Rosenwinkel with on bass Nik Lukassen and drums Roland Schneider joining the influential classic jazz singer Niemack in Berlin.
- Julian Lage Trio Bimhuis, Amsterdam Wednesday 17 Apr
Speak To Me released earlier this year, the latest from US guitarist Julian Lage was produced by Joe Henry the genius behind Solomon Burke late-period classic Don't Give Up on Me (Anti, 2002) that had glorious versions of Van Morrison's 'Fast Train' and 'Only a Dream' (one of Van's best songs of the period lyrically on a par with the wondrous 'Little Village') on it among much else. 'Serenade' is when Speak To Me gets really interesting four tracks in. Dwelling on originals of the guitarist's, Lage, an icon of the music already and still a thirtysomething peruses in the bedrock of the personnel the kind-of-Peru azure textures found in the beat of Jorge Roeder and bespoke rattle and rumbling grooves of Dave King of The Bad Plus and Chris Speed Trio pedigree here with him in Amsterdam. Among the gems '76' has a dazzling harmonic set-up in the intro and a loose baggy beat to it - just one of the things that makes this fairly essential and among the best jazz releases so far in 2024. And don't forget to chug along to 'Northern Shuffle'.
- Dave Holland Trio Unterfahrt, Munich Thurs 18 Apr
The In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew legend bass great Dave Holland here in the hometown of ECM with saxist Jaleel Shaw who was excellent on Postcards From Everywhere in 2017 and the Elvin Jones of our times drummer Eric Harland fabulous with Aaron Parks and Matt Brewer on Volume One. Holland's Another Land (2021) was worth the wait coming after the enforced Lockdownian hiatus and is far earthier than when Holland is with a pianist as chief harmonic foil. Kevin Eubanks on that record injected a certain razor edged bluesiness when required but he was also astute at opening up a lot of space, say on 'Gentle Warrior'. In terms of sheer riffery 'Mashup' is unbeatable. Read an interview with the Wolverhampton wanderer big Dave found on Leroy Lives. The Holland trio also play the Jazzhus Montmartre earlier in the week on the 16th.
- Rotem Sivan Trio Le Duc Des Lombards, Paris Thursday 18 Apr
Dream Louder reviewed in January proved compelling from Israeli guitarist Rotem Sivan - his style landing somewhere between John Scofield and Peter Bernstein - on an album that twists and turns from space laden pastoral ('The Tree') to bluesy down home funkiness like you'll find on 'The Hamish', this latter one named for bassist Hamish Smith and featuring vocals from Sami Stevens, or the feverishness of 'Dragon' with its drum 'n' bass underpinning. No newcomer Sivan has been making records for more than a decade. Originals sit alongside covers of the Beatles' 'Blackbird', Appalachian folk tune 'West Virginia Mine Disaster' and Kurt Weill's 'Mack the Knife.' In Paris down le Duc with Smith and Dream Louder drummer Miguel Russell.
- Mette Juul Jazzhus, Montmartre, Copenhagen Thurs 18 Apr
''Welcoming you to the present time, each one must make it alone; even the old clichés have meaning totally new to me - it's suddenly good to be home,'' the words of Norma Winstone, from the Towner/Winstone song 'Celeste'. While Celeste (issued by Naxos-Prophone last year) from classic jazz singer Mette Juul, above, the striking thing we found overall was the way Juul connects with a Norma Winstone sensibility. And that is not just because she covers 'Distance' that Norma interpreted in classic fashion in one of her best ever recorded performances. But also more directly because of the Ralph Towner 1970s title track the piece 'Celeste' that Winstone set lyrics to and recorded in the 80s firstly with John Taylor and the late Tony Coe on Somewhere Called Home.
- Joyce Elaine Yuille & The Elio Coppola Trio Feat. Jerry Weldon Blue Note, Milan Thurs 18 Apr
Cast your minds back to 2015 when Yuille released the terrific Welcome to My World. The New York City-born singer, a former backing singer for Gloria Gaynor, was on the Schema label release joined by an empathetic band on an album of mainly new jazz and soul-flavoured material. Covers of Donny Hathaway’s ‘Tryin’ Times,’ a song that appeared on 1970’s Everything is Everything, and Marvin Gaye’s ‘It’s Madness’ also featured. Yuille's influences include Sarah Vaughan and Phyllis Hyman, and she has an attractively expressive low toned jazz and soul voice.
- Allan Harris Bix, Stuttgart Friday 19 Apr
Read an interview - Sea of Love in Sugar Hill - with singer Allan Harris. Bix is the place to be on the 19th as Harris continues to keep it real and show his considerable Gregory Porter-esque class.
Emil Viklický Trio, Agharta, Prague Fri 19 Apr
Reggie Jonas Jr Trio Budapest Jazz Club, Budapest Fri 19 Apr
- Christian McBride Jassmine, Warsaw Fri 19 Apr
Among the top 5 jazz bassists in the world - the others we reckon are Dave Holland in action this week, Ron Carter, Dezron Douglas and Thomas Morgan - Christian McBride [photo: above, right, with Jason Moran of the Bandwagon] plays Warsaw club Jassmine with guitarist Ely Perlman, keyboardist Mike King, drummer Savannah Harris and Nicole Glover on the tenor saxophone whose Plays has just been released. McBride excited us on Jo Harrop's 'The Heart Wants What the Heart Wants' that also featured Swansea wiz Andy Davies letting his horn judder and, yep, local pun, enter the veritable mumbles. Recently we reviewed the Philadelphian icon's duo album with his fellow bass goliath Edgar Meyer on But Who's Gonna Play the Melody and loved the James Brown loving don's work on 2021's LongGone with Joshua Redman in the saxist's reunited classic 1990s Moodswing combination.
María Grand and Marta Sánchez Sunside, Paris Saturday 20 April
Acclaimed avant saxist-singer Grand and David Murray pianist Sánchez play from the duo's new Biophilia album, Anohin
Julian Lage Trio Mojo club, Hamburg Sat 20 Apr
Mario Corvini New Talents Jazz Orchestra feat. Enrico Pieranunzi Casa del Jazz, Rome Sunday 21 Apr
Playing material from 2023's Entropy Italian piano icon Pieranunzi also sizzled with Jasper Somsen and Giovanni Mirabassi on the glorious dance of Traveller's Ways that we recently reviewed.
Victoria Geelan Arthur's, Dublin Sun 21 Apr in the afternoon
Out of the Derry scene led by Omagh singer Victoria Geelan with Downpatrick ace pianist Neil Burns, known for his work with The Henry Girls, bassist Rohan Armstrong (gigging with The Good Noise's Caolán Hutchinson and James Anderson last year) and drummer Andrew McCoubrey in a Sings Nina presentation for all the mighty Dubs in the room.
Dave Holland, top, photo: Edition, plays Copenhagen and Munich coming up
Tags: gigs