1,000 notes, 1,000 words, Milteau
Jean-Jacques Milteau is a harmonica player well known to French blues fans, but it would be unfair to reduce his artistic adventure to this simple musical definition. For 50 years, his enthusiastic and inspired spirit has taken him on the streets of the world in contact with creators and artisans rooted in their traditions. Key […]
In Cully, Switzerland, Ghanaian swing electrifies the audience
On April 11, 2024, Cameroonian bassist Étienne Mbappé led an orchestra of young virtuosos from HEMU (Haute École de Musique de Lausanne) who returned from Ghana, where they smelled the scent of a particularly rich and vibrant culture. This attempt to restore the heritage and play on the sensations of this African trip was crowned […]
Monty Alexander’s 80th birthday
Monty Alexander was born on June 6, 1944, the day of the Allied landings in Normandy. On the occasion of his 80th birthday, the Jamaican pianist is releasing a new album with the appropriate title D-day. This CD consists of works heard during the war years and original melodies guided by a sense of hope. […]
José James remembers 1978
1978 was a good vintage. The American singer José James is convinced of this. This year, Prince released his first album, George Clinton made Funkadelic shine, Fela Kuti became an indispensable agitator, the Jacksons believed in their future… This year José James was born and the musical mood that accompanied his childhood, continues to inspire […]
The blues flair of veteran Bobby Rush
According to him, Bobby Rush was born on November 10, 1933 in Homer, Louisiana. His fate encompasses African American history in the 20th century. From early childhood he was forced to work odd jobs, deprived of a normal education and mistreated by racial segregation. He fought back by playing the blues with passion and vigor […]
1984-2024, Banlieues Bleues at 40 years old!
In Seine-Saint-Denis, the Banlieues Bleues festival has become an unmissable spring event. All the greatest musicians have performed there, with the intention of bringing some of their cultural wealth to an audience often neglected outside Paris’ borders. So Miles Davis, Chuck Berry, Art Blakey, Al Green, BB King, Abbey Lincoln, Dizzy Gillespie, Miriam Makeba, Nina […]
The Ruf Records label is celebrating its 30th anniversary!
In 1994, African-American bluesman Luther Allison was looking for a new label to release his albums. He then contacted his agent in Europe, Thomas Ruf. Since he can’t find a record deal that meets his expectations, he decides to start his own record label. This is how Ruf Records was born, whose slogan “When the […]
Bob Marley, the film of his life
Since February 14, 2024, a biographical film has revived the message of universal peace left behind by the late Jamaican singer Bob Marley. “One Love” by Reinaldo Marcus Green focuses on a very specific period of this musical and social epic, the years 1976 to 1978. At this time, Jamaica was in the midst of […]
Son House, the resurrection of a blues pioneer
Born in Clarksdale, Mississippi, in 1902, singer and guitarist Edward James House was long deprived of the fame that should have made him a mainstay of American popular culture. At that time, racial segregation severely limited the chances of existing as an artist. Tired of fighting every day to maintain his place in society, Son […]
Jowee Omicil, revolutionary freedom
Free jazz was certainly the most daring form of political expression of the 20th century. He defied time and geographical boundaries and played with artistic codes to better sublimate them. Montreal saxophonist Jowee Omicil felt this call for creative freedom during the lockdown in 2020. His Haitian roots then guided his effervescent intellect and inspired […]