- Joe Farnsworth feat Sarah Hanahan Jamboree, Barcelona Saturday 11 May.
The Swinging Wyntonian, drummer Joe Farnsworth, is in Barcelona with altoist Sarah Hanahan, the great pianist Aaron Goldberg of the Yes! trio and highly rated bassist Alex Claffy.
- Palatino - Paolo Fresu, Glenn Ferris, Michel Benita, Aldo Romano Sunside, Paris Sat 11 May
GIG OF THE WEEK: A rare chance to hear the newly reformed 1990s Label Bleu band Palatino.
- Lars Danielsson's Libretto Unterfahrt, Munich Tuesday 14 May
Sold out.
- Bill Evans & The Vans Band All Stars ft. John Medeski, Keith Carlock, Felix Pastorius Blue Note, Milan Tues 14 May, Wednesday 15 May
- Nduduzo Makhathini Le Duc des Lombards, Paris Tues 14 May
June sees the release of the latest Blue Note album entitled Unomkhubulwane from the formidable South African pianist-composer, a three movement work featuring Makhathini in a trio setting. What we have heard from it so far Makhathini is sounding more like the towering figure of Abdullah Ibrahim than ever with his own cosmic twists thrown in for good measure. Makhathini appears in Paris with bassist Zwelakhe-Duma Bell Le Pere and drummer Lukmil Perez.
- Mica Millar Moods, Zurich Tues 14 May
Such a natural, Manchester singer Mica Millar - think a sister sound close to the sheer natural swagger of the great Lisa Stansfield circa Real Love stripped of any 1990s trappings. Millar's 'Heaven Knows' is a must.
Yaron Herman Quartet Zig Zag, Berlin Wed 15 May
Mario Canonge and Michel Zenino Le Baiser Salé, Paris Wed 15 May
- Eternal Triangle - Trevor Watts, Veryan Weston, Jamie Harris Porgy & Bess, Vienna Thursday 16 May
Also streaming.
- Yellowjackets Bimhuis, Amsterdam Thurs 16 May
We appreciated a good deal 2022's Parallel Motion - so Bob's your uncle in Amsterdam if you bowl up for this gig. You need to have already snagged a ticket as it's sold out. A high water mark in their illustrious discography. Jazz-rock fusion has changed over the years and one of the agents of change is certainly Yellowjackets. If you subscribe as we do to the view that the genre was made coherent most by Weather Report and then developed in myriad ways to eventually change into something far more funky in the hands of the greatest exponents of the form these days Snarky Puppy, the evolution of jazz-rock was later ushered in by bands like Yellowjackets who still act as a bridge back to the original heyday of the genre and face forward through the rugged strength of the ensemble sound and their quality compositions. Parallel Motion was not blood and guts fusion or overly smooth tat. Yellowjackets were and are about neither.
- Carla Cook Quartet Jazzhus Montmartre, Copenhagen Saturday 18 May
Distinguished Detroit singer Carla Cook plays the Danish capital's top jazz club.
- Joel Frahm, Staffan William-Olsson, Pat Bianchi, Joris Dudli Birdland, Hamburg Sat 18 May
Tribute to Pat Martino. Check Hammond organist Pat Bianchi's superb album Three released recently.
- Kahil El'Zabar's Ethnic Heritage Ensemble Jassmine, Warsaw Sat 18 May
Nduduzo Makhathini, photo: Blue Note
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