With the release of his new CD Compass, Joshua Redman returned to Berlin on Wednesday night. JazzRadio's Michaela Wagner was overwhelmed of the endless power of his trio consisting of Reuben Rogers on bass and Gregory Hutchinson on drums. The trio played music from Redman's new album as well as some older original material and just a couple of standards.

And what you got was high-energy jazz playing at its best that, according to Wagner, left the audience stunned. Mr. Redman played experimentally, funky, bluesy, jumping the intervals, rhythmically challenging and always sustaining the sweeping power that he also shows on his record. JazzRadio staff member Marco Herrmann had the chance to speak with the saxophonist on the afternoon of the concert and here's what Redman remarked on the overall concept of the album which features two bassists and two drummers and the track Identity Thief.



Redman also commented on his writing:


I guess you could say that after his debut in 1991 and lots of accolades in the ensuing years that Joshua Redman finally has arrived with his own unique voice. Catch him on Saturday at the Cully Jazz Festival in Switzerland or on Sunday at the Roxy in Ulm before he heads back home to California with a two-week run of concerts on the US West Coast.

The 24 year old bassist is the new prodigy on her instrument playing not only jazz, but Blues, Soul, Funk, Brazilian and Afro-Cuban as well. She was the youngest instructor ever at the prestigious Berklee School of Music in Boston and has played with Joe Lovano, Patti Austin, Pat Metheny, and Charlie Haden. And she's a great singer as well!

Her last album Esperanza is featured here on JazzRadio and you can see and hear this exceptional talent tomorrow night in a double bill concert at the Kammermusiksaal at the Berlin Philharmonie. Also on the bill is German Quartet Triband which is one of the hottest bands currently in Germany. The Berlin-based group is part Jazz, part Soul, part Rock and Pop. Finest trademark here is the unique voice of Sandy Wollasch.

Show starts tomorrow at 8pm.

The Jazz Century is the name of a new exhibition at the Quai Branly Museum which will run until June 28th.The exhibition is designed for both the jazz enthusiast as well as the curious visitor. Curator Daniel Soutif explains in an interview released through AP, The influence of jazz goes beyond music. Visitors will have the chance to see portraits by famous jazz musicians and record sleeves, a time line from the origins of jazz up to contemporary jazz, video clips, melodies of different time periods and lots of jazz-related objects. Also, what you find there are jazz magazines, posters, letters, cartoons, paintings and lots of music as well.An abstract simply called Jazz which Man Ray used to carry around in his wallet is also among the many interesting objects at the museum.

Marcus Gastreich reports on last night's concert at the Altes Pfandhaus in Cologne:

Play anything in C! – What? – Just anything! A-one, tick, a-three, tick….

And then the groove locomotive started towards the sunset: Janis Siegel (the voice of the Manhattan Transfer) performed after a relentless applause from the audience. How the band magically swayed on Ellington's In A Mellow Tone after they were given the key by Ms. Siegel was just one of the mysteries of this evening which simply had to seduce the audience.

Ms. Siegel is the voice of the Boy from New York City, of Chanson d'Amour, but also of the jazz ballad - she handles it all and the Altes Pfandhaus in south Cologne is one of the newer achievements of the Rhine metropolis' cultural scene.

What would have been a real challenge anywhere else - star meets 50 guests - Janis Siegel had no problem at all with this situation and this can only happen when atmosphere and setting fit. And it was fitting in this surrounding with a wooden oval stage, the seat benches, the wine or, pardon me, the Kölsch in a close-up view to the star.

Shortly before organiser Alexander Sandman made his announcement, someone in the audience said that only the open fire is missing. Janis Siegel opened with Love is The Tender Trap and then continued with songs from the Great American Songbook. Cologne's own Martin Sasse, piano, John Goldsby, bass, and Hans Dekker, drums, played a fast version of Gershwin's The Man I Love and Ms. Siegel proved with Jeepers Creepers that she's one of the chosen few with a license to scat.

This was even topped by her virtuosic rendition of Sing Joy Spring.

The biggest in-door jazz festival worldwide, the Northsea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam in the Netherlands, has announced the first few artists for this year's line-up. The Festival takes place at the tried and tested Ahoy venue in the heart of Rotterdam after moving from capital The Hague a few years ago. The 2009 edition will be held on the weekend of Friday, July 10th to Sunday, July 12th. And although only a few artists have been confirmed up until now, you can bet that this year again will feature every major artist, every up-and-coming talent, lots of local acts, some soul and pop artists as well but mainly this is the best overview you can get when trying to find out what's going on in the current jazz scene. Already confirmed and this is a little sensation I might add is the performance of
legendary songwriter/composer/pianist/arranger Burt Bacharach who has written a lot of milestones and unforgettable gems for Dionne Warwick and The Carpenters like Walk On By or I Say A Little Prayer only to name a few.

John Scofield will perform with his new project, Piety Street, in tow, an album that was recorded in New Orleans and has a lot of the traditional Gospel, R&B, and Blues stuff. Also on the stages in July will be singer Duffy and singer/songwriter James Taylor who also has a fine new covers album out. BB King will once again visit the festival as will Herbie Hancock in a duet performance with classical piano wunderkind Lang Lang. They will be accompanied by the Neue Philharmonie Westfalen. Rounding out the already confirmed artists are Jamie Cullum, Anthony Braxton with his Curtain Wall Trio and McCoy Tyner with Bill Frisell.