This evening’s program will be under the aegis of Soul Music with, on the Masséna stage, Charles Bradley at 7:30 PM followed by Macy Gray at 8:30 PM, and finishing with Seal and his Commitment tour starting at 10 PM. On the side of the théâtre de verdure, the winners of the Nice Jazz Off, Jérôme Vinson Trio, will open the proceedings at 7:30 PM preceding Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue at 8:15 PM, ending with Avishai Cohen at 10 PM.
Charles Bradley
Monday, July 11 – 7:30 PM – Masséna Stage
Charles Bradley is one of the most prominent representatives of the Brooklyn Soul scene. At 62, he is releasing a raw debut album reminiscent of the old-school style. His voice bears the true testimony of a life filled with struggles. A raspy voice and deep feeling make him a soul man like no other. He truly lives soul music from the inside.
From Maine to Alaska, he has traversed the American continent, juggling small jobs while pursuing his passion on anonymous stages.
This was until his encounter with the producer of the Dap-Kings and founder of Dunham Records. His rugged timbre with poignant beauty and intense energy on his album “No Time for Dreaming.”
Macy Gray
Monday, July 11 – 8:30 PM – Masséna Stage
“The Sellout,” the first album in over 3 years from the Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, will be released simultaneously by Concord Records in the United States and Universal Music Group internationally. “The Sellout,” featuring twelve new songs, was co-written and produced by Gray in Los Angeles throughout 2009. The album was mixed by the four-time Grammy Award winner Manny Marroquin, credited with top 10 singles from Lady Gaga, Jay Z, Rihanna, Alicia Keys, Kanye West, and John Mayer.
Among the collaborators on this album are T.I., Bobby Brown, Kaz James of Bodyrockers, and Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum, former members of Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver, respectively.
“The Sellout is about finding my salvation in being just myself rather than what others thought I should be,” says the punchy singer. “I was at a stage in my career where I tried everything that was asked of me and, in doing so, I lost sight of my true nature.” Dazzling melodies and personal lyrical insights irradiate “The Sellout,” which is an authentic statement made with confidence by one of contemporary music’s most gifted creative forces.
Seal “The Commitment Tour”
Monday, July 11 – 10:00 PM – Masséna Stage
Seal, whose full name is Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adelo Samuel, was born on February 19, 1963, in London. Singer-songwriter. His musical range is highly varied, spanning pop, rock, soul, and even house…
Two years after his incredible album of covers “Soul,” certified diamond with nearly a million copies sold, Seal makes a very intimate return in 2010 with “Commitment,” going back to his first loves.
On this latest 11-track opus, he finds the perfect tone to sing about love and feelings in a soft pop-soul style. Seal’s voice is characterized by its very distinctive and smooth timbre. In this registry, he offers the best of his talent, interpreting the sound of the ballads from his beginnings. On this latest project, his collaboration with the American producer David Foster adds a color that reflects unparalleled expertise.
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue
Monday, July 11 – 8:15 PM – Théâtre de Verdure Stage
The new album by Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews, Backatown, is the work of a rare artist: one capable not only of commanding unreserved respect among jazz legends but also of exuding an energy that captivates both the public and international rock stars (like Lenny Kravitz, who appears on the album)…
With an unprecedented mix of rock, funk, jazz, hip-hop, and soul at his disposal, he had to create a name for the sound that is his signature: Supafunkrock! Troy Andrews is the kind of musician that comes along only once per generation, and Backatown is the most recent—and clearest—testimony of an art as singular as his raw talent.
Expert in trombone and trumpet, Troy Andrews also plays other instruments: he applies the same talent and fierce discipline to his own soul-tinged vocal instrument, as demonstrated by this album, where he is surrounded by his band Orleans Avenue—Mike Ballard (bass), Pete Murano (guitar), Joey Peebles (drums), Dwayne Williams (percussion), Dan Oestreicher (baritone saxophone)—all virtuosos, and prestigious guests: Allen Toussaint (on his composition “On Your Way Down”), Lenny Kravitz (guitar and vocals on “Something Beautiful”), and Marc Broussard (vocals on “Right to Complain”).
Avishai Cohen
Monday, July 11 – 9:30 PM – Théâtre de Verdure Stage
On his latest trio album “Gently Disturbed,” the last opus released under the label he founded (Razdaz Recordz) before signing with Blue Note, Avishai Cohen closes as a symbol the musical banquet with a piece called Structure in Emotion—a melody dear to him since it already appeared on the first album he recorded for his own label back in 2003, “Lyla.”
Because while Avishai Cohen’s music delivers a torrent of emotion(s), it never falls into mawkishness, misplaced lyricism, or bombastic art. No, the structure of the pieces, their intimate architecture, reveals itself as surprising, with twists and delayed effects, like one might say of a peaceful and salvific melodic bomb. His compositions hold emotion in check to better let it flourish, ensuring its energy does not get lost on its way to the listeners’ eardrums.
With “Seven Seas,” the Jerusalem-born artist now living in Tel Aviv, who has become one of the most popular jazz artists of the last decade, pushes this artistic approach to its limit. At 40, we might speak of the famous “album of maturity,” if that didn’t carry such a “serious” connotation. No, one is not serious at 40, and Avishai Cohen still retains his “gently disturbed” side. Let’s rather talk about the album of diversity, and perhaps we will get closer to the reality of an odyssey-album: with its title as a nod to the legendary “Seven Seas,” “Seven Seas” stands as the most thrilling and eventful adventure in the Israeli musician’s discography.
