Herbie Hancock guitarist-vocalist the great George Benson and Franco influenced Beninese player Lionel Loueke, who is to appear in the Pizza Express Jazz Club, London on 24-25 September, has a new single out in August called The Journey. Tracks are: the gorgeous ballad ‘Molika’ – which lands initially a little in a Dominic Miller space before going out in the live version above and which also includes a fine double bass solo from Massimo Biolcati and crucially extensive band interplay – then Gbê, and finally Dark Lightning.
According to Music Works International subsequent album collective personnel include Cyro Baptista, Mark Feldman, Ferenc Nemeth, Massimo Biolcati, John Ellis, Vincent Ségal and Gaga bassist Lanar ‘Kern’ Brantley join Lionel.
In a club Loueke is even better than in a concert hall. Back in 2012 he wowed the Vortex playing with bass guitarist Michael Olatuja and Mark Guiliana on ‘Tribal Dance’ written by Robert Glasper. The humanity, warmth, and jazz complexity sent spirits soaring.
Nemeth and Biolcati go way back with Lionel (the three are sometimes referred to as Gilfema) to Berklee days.
Ahead of the Pizza dates check the Moods Zürich gig streaming two days earlier to enter the preparatory zone. Tickets.