18 Concerts in 6 European countries, performed over 24 days. Layla’ Zoe’s 2019 ‘Retrospective’ Tour was an intense affair time-wise. It was also pretty intense musically, as this live release of the band’s appearance last November in Bremen proves.
Blues Caravan – Hot at the Harmonie
It’s hard to believe that this is the 15th Blues Caravan Tour. It’s always fun to chat with fellow Caravan fans and argue over which was the best. Oli Brown? Samantha Fish? Ana Popovic? Candye Kane? You could argue until the cows come home (and we do) but collectively the 2020 show has to be amongst the very best. Jeremiah Johnson, Ryan Perry and Whitney Shay. Add the bass talents of Roger Innis and drummer extraordinaire Amanda Dal radiating a good time. Musicians truly in harmony at the Harmonie? It makes me want to run away from home and join a band – THIS band.
Folk Club Bonn – 10th Anniversary is a piece of cake
“I was expecting a full room- but not one packed to overflowing!” Head of Bonn’s Culture Department (Kulturamt) Susanne König was clearly taken by surprise at the popularity of Bonn’s Folk Club at Dotty’s. She was there to celebrate the Club’s 10th Anniversary, along with Bonn’s Rock & Pop Representative Hans-Joachim Over and some of the best young musical talents in Bonn. In all some 17 acts took part. Why so many? Because when the discussion came regarding who to invite at the Club AGM before Christmas, someone foolishly said “We should invite the best in Bonn, everybody, they won’t all want to come” – except they did!
Over The Border 2020
Bonn presents itself as an International City, and the yearly ‘Over the Border’ Festival proves this in mouthwatering musical style.
The Festival this year will run from 20th through to 30 March and take place in various locations: Harmonie, Pantheon, Telekom Forum, Rheinbühne and there is also a concert by Noami Waisfeld in Dottendorf (great to see this establishing itself as a venue). There will be more details to come about the shows and the performers – one of these is already a popular live performer in Bonn – Sven Hammond is famous for his explosive live shows at the Harmonie in recent years.
Sven Hammond
20.3 – Local Ambassadors + Special Guest (Pantheon)
21.3 – Yasmin Levy – Songs from a forgotten Culture (Telekom Forum)
21.3 – Jamaran feat. Jahcoustix 20 year Anniversary (Harmonie)
24.3 – Eze Wendtoin – Bukina Faso meets Goethe (Rheinbühne)
25.3 – Noemi Waysfeld (Dottendorf)
26.3 – Jupiter & Okwess (Harmonie)
27.3 – Legendary Kizomba star DonKikas (Harmonie)
27.3 – Jowee Omicil & Band with Guest Thiago Gois Band (Pantheon)
28.3 – Falakumbe The sensational Cumbia Band (Harmonie)
30.3 – Sven Hammond & Guests (Harmonie)
The Festival has as Patron Lord Mayor Ashok-Alexander Sridharan and partner the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
For ticket details click HERE
Erja Lyytinnen – Harmonie 02.02.2020
Girls certainly do wanna have fun. This girl does at any rate. Erja Lyytinen has been a top-line purveyor of quality slide guitar for some years now, but she still hits the stage with an infectious enthusiasm that would put many a newcomer to shame. Since her last appearance at Bonn Harmonie there is also a new disc to enjoy – ‘Another World’ with it’s slick packaging is a sign of slick playing onstage. Is that good or bad? There are unlikely to be any complaints about the standard of playing or the enthusiasm from tonight’s equally enthusiastic audience for sure. It’s a very different Erja Lyytinen though from the one I saw here some years ago with Davide Florene, Roger Innis and Miri Mietinen, where the line generally greyed only between Blues and Rock. The current Erja Lyytinen set blurs into Jazz, Pop and Soul with heavier Rock overtones than before.
Erja Lyytinen interview from 2018
As a taster for her show on Sunday (2 Feb) at Bonn Harmonie, HERE is a link to my 2018 interview with Erja before her appearance there in 2018.
Voyager IV – 30 January The Harmonie
Folk Club Jan 2020
Bonn Folk Club 109 was a Singers Night. So why was almost every inch of ‘stage’ floor filled with Harps? Because it’s Folk Club, that’s why – where, outside of the rule ‘No Amplification’, nothing is written in stone,and everything is the better for it. Join me for meet #109, in the event room at Dotty’s in Dottendorf.