Closer to The Music

Belonging to these forecasts you can hear two tracks from the upcoming Paul Stephenson album, who already had recorded two CDs for Stockfisch. Furthermore one song by Zebra Sommerwind, the trio around Fiedelmichel-doyen Thomas Kagermann, featuring German (folk-)songs in contemporary arrangements. Also Stockfisch is pleased to present the German singer Katja Werker with her version of the "Karat" classic "Über sieben Brücken musst du gehen", one of twelve songs she recorded for her upcoming CD. A Stockfisch fellow guitarist from the early years flew over from the US to visit Northeim, Ralf Illenberger (formerly playing with Martin Kolbe). He recorded his solo guitar album with Günter Pauler to be released in 2011. "Closer to the Music Volume 4" offers more than 73 minutes of musical highlights to get in first touch with Stockfisch artists as well as sound and/or just for enjoyable listening.

The inspiration behind Closer to the People was to get Tanita Tikaram closer to her road band: to record the singer/songwriter with a touring combo with serious blues and soul roots. Several of these players have done time with Van Morrison, a comparison that comes in handy for Closer to the People, not because her songs sound like Van's – they don't – but the record trades in jazz and soul influences while also spinning these familiar tropes into the realm of the personal. Tikaram specializes in sculpted, open-ended compositions – even when the tempo quickens her songs seem to unfold gracefully – and that means the hushed arrangements, underpinned by acoustic bass and brushed drums, seem like reflections of the song's soul.

It’s rare to find a ’60s legend still on trailblazing form in their eighth decade. The 73-year-old guitarist finds himself in a golden late-bloom of creativity. In recent years, his solo output has been championed by both press and public, with the impact of 2014’s ‘Something’s About To Change’, 2016’s ‘Where You Are Going To’ and 2017’s ‘Time & Emotion’ setting up some of his best-attended US dates since he conquered that continent with ‘Bridge Of Sighs’ in the mid-’70s.

The music marks a distinct departure from the busy bebop style Gillespie is more closely associated with, as he turns his attention to laid-back music with a funk/smooth jazz feel.

Former Gypsy Rose, Phenomena, and Dogface guitarist Martin Kronlund launches his new musical venture, Kings Crown: a musical alliance featuring the powerhouse british vocalist Lee Small (SHY, Phenomena, Sweet), along with Anders Skoog on keyboards, Berra Holmgren on bass and Pontus Engborg (Glenn Hughes) on drums. Kings Crown were formed in 2021 in Gothenburg, Sweden and the plan was to create a strong sound combining bluesy 1970s Hard Rock (think Deep Purple, Bad Company, Whitesnake, Rainbow), with the Swedish melodic hard rock of the 1980s. Thanks to Kronlund, strong experience in songwriting, and production, they managed to craft an exciting set of songs that were topped and completed with the terrific vocals of Lee Small, who truly shines with his exquisite of clean vocal range. The end result–great melodic Hard Rock with some rather tasty Hammond organs among all the guitars–is an exciting affair for all the lovers of the classic melodic hard rock sound and offers a truly enjoyable and entertaining listening experience.