Premieres
June 25
José James
June 25, 21:00
Since bursting onto the international scene in the late 2000s, José James and his honeyed voice are as bewitching as ever in this 2019 performance at Jazz à Vienne. Flitting between raw soul, soul-folk, hip-hop, and jazz, James is one of the few vocalists capable of keeping the crossover created by Ray Charles in the ‘50s alive. After sensitive and intelligent odes to Billie Holiday and John Coltrane, this time James pays tribute to a living legend of American popular music: soul man Bill Withers. James performs Bill Withers's unforgettable songs, accompanied by Marcus Machado (guitar), Aneesa Strings (bass, vocals), and Aaron Steele (drums).
De La Soul
June 25, 22:00
There is a packed crowd for this De La Soul set at the 2019 Garorock Festival, and with good reason: they witness an unmissable concert by an incomparable group! Having released regular albums since 1989’s 3 Feet High and Rising, the Long Island hip-hop stalwarts of De La Soul have been doing the rounds on a suitably named Gods of Rap tour alongside Public Enemy and the Wu-Tang Clan. With an opening that includes call and response, mic checks and arms waving in the air, the audience gets more than a touch of vintage appeal, something that has led to terms like “heritage rap” being associated with the group. But despite their long and influential career, the De La Soul impact has perennial relevance for much of contemporary music. They pushed boundaries back then and they continue to venture out further. In this performance, we can hear how their sound generously combines jazz, rock, afrobeat, disco and more into a unique blend that is all their own.
