Category Archives: Front

Rickie Lee Jones (US)

2023 / Norway

Next Step AS presenterer;
Rickie Lee Jones
7. juli 2023 – Kongsberg Jazz festival, Kongsberg 

Rickie Lee Jones’ upcoming album Pieces of Treasure is a reunion with her lifelong friend, legendary producer Russ Titelman, co-producer of Jones’ star-making debut and Pirates.  Throughout her career, the Grammy-winning singer songwriter has interpreted an extraordinarily wide range of songs and has recorded celebrated jazz-leaning albums including Girl at Her Volcano and Pop Pop, but until now, she had never devoted an entire album to the American Songbook.  

“This album is as much about being human, the view of surviving—which means aging, and loving relentlessly—as it is about anything,” says Jones.

Pieces of Treasure will be out April 28 on BMG Modern Recordings. Hear the first single “Just in TIme,”  featuring Mike Mainieri on vibraphone.  Her acclaimed memoir Last Chance Texaco is out now. 

Blood Sweat & Tears (US)

2023 / Norway

Next Step AS presenterer;
Blood Sweat & Tears

22/9 Sandnes Kulturhus, Sandnes
23/9 Festiviteten, Haugesund
24/9 Grieghallen, Bergen
27/9 Ringerike Kultursenter, Hønefoss
28/9 Røverstaden, Oslo
29/9 Drammen Teater, Drammen
30/9 Gregers, Hamar

“Blood Sweat and Tears was born from a selfish notion that we could combine the sophistication and musical skill level of jazz music with the energy and universal appeal of rock vocal music.  Instead of incessant whiny guitar interludes, we would have improvised, spontaneous jazz solos.  Horn arrangements were not an afterthought, they were fully integrated into the songs themselves, some written by band members and others that would come from many different resources.  These are the ideas that formulated the concept of BS&T 

Over the years more than a one hundred and seventy-five musicians have flowed through the ranks of the various iterations of the BS&T.  The most commercially successful version of the band was in fact, our second line-up. 

What endures today is the evolution of that concept… along with an amazing roster of the most talented and entertaining musicians we have ever had.

BS&T has never stopped touring. It didn’t go away.  You can call it a renaissance, or the newest version of… but it is simply Blood Sweat and Tears at its best“.

Bobby Colomby

Dance Me – Musikk av Leonard Cohen (CA)

2023 / Norway

Next Step AS presenterer
DANCE ME – MUSIKK AV LEONARD COHEN
// Andonis Foniadakis, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Ihsan Rustem

Upcoming shows 2023;

Dance Me – Music av Leonard Cohen er en eksklusiv kreasjon inspirert av det rike og dype arbeidet til den Montreal-baserte poeten, artisten og låtskriveren Leonard Cohen. Godkjent av Cohen i løpet av hans levetid, og under kunstnerisk ledelse av Louis Robitaille og dramaturgien til Eric Jean, fremkaller denne medrivende hyllest til den berømte artisten de store eksistenssyklusene i fem sesonger, som beskrevet i Cohens dypt reflekterende musikk og dikt.

Tre internasjonalt anerkjente koreografer – Andonis Foniadakis, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa og Ihsan Rustem – ble betrodd å sette bevegelse til Cohens legendariske sanger. Deres mektige og dype koreografiske verden som reflekterer Cohens enestående verk, bringes til live av selskapets 14 artister. Omgitt av et team av berømte designere, kombinerer Dance Me kraftige sceniske, visuelle, musikalske, dramaturgiske og koreografiske elementer som hyller en av Montreals største ambassadører. Dans, musikk, lyssetting, scenografi og videografi samles i dette uforglemmelige showet, som Ballet Jazz Montréal har fått eksklusive danserettigheter for i fem år.

“Dance Me – Musikk av Leonard Cohen er smart, skråstilt og erfaringsbasert. Det skyller over deg som en dusj av sang og tanke. Det hører hjemme i pantheonet av kanadiske danseskatter.» — Paula Citron, Ludwig van Toronto – Toronto, CA

Ballets Jazz Montréal vil gjerne takke fru Judy Bronfman for hennes dyrebare støtte under opprettelsen av showet.

Elona Planman (SE)

2020 - / Norway

NEXT STEP AS
present
ELONA PLANMAN ‘s EVIGHETS-TURNE 2022-

25 Mars 2022 Lidköping Folketshus, SE
29 Mars 2022 København Trinitatis Natkirke, DK
25 Mai 2022 Arendal Folkeakademiet, NO
02 Juli 2022 Egersund Visefestival, NO
09 Juli 2022 Sommarljus Visfestival, Boden, SE
10 Juli 2022 Piteå, SE
16 Sept 2022 Fuzzy, Molde, NO
17 Sept 2022 Fuzzy, Molde, NO

Elona Planmann er på evighetsturné og tar evigheten på alvor.

For noen tar det en evighet før en vet hva en skal gjøre med livet. For andre er evigheten en turné som aldri skal ta slutt. Elona Planman er aktuell med platen Drömtåget, og med den bærer det ut på turné. Målet er hundre konserter før nyttår i år, men om målet blir nådd er ikke det viktigste for henne.

Hvor lenge skal turneén vare? Jo evig, forteller hun. I denne utgaven av Grenseløst forteller Planman om hvorfor hun har lagt ut på evighetsturné. Hun forteller også om livet, evigheten og musikken.

Planman startet med fiolin når hun var barn, men en dag forstod hun at det var gitar og munnspill hun skulle spille resten av livet. Du får i dette intervjuet høre hvordan veien gikk til studio og utgivelsen av Drömtåget.

Hvordan tenker Planman når hun skriver musikk? Hvordan gikk veien fra å være punker til visesanger? Du får også høre om hennes fremtidstanker, og det å en dag ha eget band.

Meningen med livet
Det å spille gitar er livsviktig for Planman, det er avgjørende for å leve forteller hun i dette intervjuet.

Planman fant en kanal for å få ut sin kreativitet. Hun mener at det er viktig at alle finner noe som gir utløp for den kreative kraften som ligger i deg, hvis ikke kan det lede over til destruktivitet som alkohol og narkotika, mener hun.

Hun forteller at det er viktig å velge livet, finne det som er viktig, hvis ikke kan det få alvorlige følger for hvordan livet utvikler seg.

Det viktigste for henne er å gjøre det man tror på, og ha tro på at de fleste mennesker vil noe godt med livet i det samfunnet man er en del av, uansett om en av og til kan lure på hva som egentlig skjer i en verden med mye brutalitet og ondskap.

Rhythm Kings (UK)

2020 / Norway

Next Step presents:
RHYTHM KINGS SEP/OCT 2020

In 1996 a group of musicians were assembled to form a supergroup. Musicians involved in this project were numerous and included many household names. Players such as Peter Frampton, Graham Broad ,Gary Brooker, Geraint Watkins ,Andy Fairweather-Low, Mike Sanchez, Georgie Fame, Frank Mead ,Martin Taylor, Nick Payn , Albert lee and Chris Stainton. The one female addition was Beverley Skeete.Thus the Rhythm Kings were born.

Over the years the line-up changed and special guests included Dennis Locorriere ( the voice of Dr Hook) Eddie Floyd, Mary Wilson, and Gary U.S Bonds. Even soul legends like Solomon Burke, Ben. E. King, Percy Sledge and Sam Moore were party to the ‘Rhythm Kings’ Magic.

After many years of touring members went their separate ways .but with the success of Beverley’s solo project she managed to convince some of the original key players to join her in reforming a smaller version of the band in order to resume touring again. After a few sold out shows it was evident that there is still a market for excellence such as the Rhythm Kings.

Mette Marckmann & Trille Band (DK)

2020 / Norway

Next Step presents:
METTE MARCKMANN & TRILLE BAND OCT/NOV 2020

Trille, der gik bort som 71-årig i oktober 2016, var en af de første danske sangskrivere, der beskrev verden fra en kvindes perspektiv og turde dele sine tanker om kærlighed, ensomhed og kvindeliv fra en meget personlig vinkel. Trille var en mester i at beskrive angsten og håbet, troen og usikkerheden, hverdagens poesi og kærligheden – det store i det nære og det nære i det store.

Bodil “Trille” Nielsen

Trille overbragte inden sin død sin velsignelse til Mette Marckmanns projekt, og når hun går på scenen, venter der publikum en uovertruffen og nærværende musikalsk oplevelse. Mette Marckmann bringer Trilles sange op til nutiden og beviser, at de stadig er aktuelle.

 

Gennem en lang række af Trilles allerbedste og mest elskede sange ”Hej Søster”, ”Min lille Sol”, ”Et lille lys i Mørket” og mange flere, kan man opleve og genopleve Trilles følsomme, frække, kloge og kærlige poesi og musik.

Musikken spilles af netop de musikalske troldmænd, som i sin tid lagde grunden på Trilles plader og til hendes koncerter, Ole Fick (guitar), Øyvind Ougaard (piano) og Mads Vinding (bas), og publikum kan næppe være i meget sikrere hænder.

”Mette Marckmann er eminent som afløser for Bodil “Trille” Nielsen. Jeg har aldrig hørt hende synge før, og meget passende vil min telefon skrive “tryllebandt” i stedet for Trilleband. Det er præcis det, hun gør med Ole Fick, Mads Vinding og Øyvind Ougaard ved sin side.” – Simon Staun, Fyens.dk

Det er med stor glæde, at NEXT STEP AS kan præsentere publikum for Trilles vedkommende sangskatt til det norske publikum igjen.

Blood, Sweat & Tears (US)

2021 / Scandinavia

Next Step presents:
BLOOD SWEAT & TEARS SCANDINAVIA 2021

No one can argue BS&T invented a new style of music.

Blood, Sweat & Tears is not the first band to ever use a horn section, but they are the first to fuse it with rock, jazz, and some blues thrown in for good measure.

From the first ensemble in the late sixties practicing in a loft on Bleeker Street in New York’s Greenwich Village and having crowds clapping on the street below between songs, founding member and drummer Bobby Colomby knew they were on the right course. Since then, the band has never stopped touring for over 50 years.

The first Blood, Sweat & Tears album, “Child is Father to the Man”, was released to little fan fair. After band member changes and replacing a lead singer, the second album self-named “Blood Sweat & Tears” was a success, rising to the top of the charts for 7 weeks and yielding 3 top 5 singles. The album received the Grammy Award for “Album of the Year” in 1970 beating out the Beatles’ “Abby Road”. That album went on to earn quadruple Platinum status with sales well over 4 million units.

Blood Sweat & Tears went on to receive 10 Grammy nominations and won 3. Other prestigious awards and recognitions include: The Playboy Jazz & Pop award, the “Blood, Sweat & Tears” 1969 album induction into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002, and in 2008 they were recognized as an Honorary Ambassador of Peace Republic of Korea.

Blood Sweat & Tears performed on Sunday August 17, 1969 at Woodstock same day as Jimi Hendrix among other great bands. And 50 years later at Bethel Woods,NY the site of Woodstock 2019.

Blood Sweat & Tears has had many firsts. They are the first rock band to tour behind the former Iron Curtain, and the first rock band to play Las Vegas among major protest from fans who felt the band sold out.

Blood Sweat & Tears has had many configurations over its 50 plus years of touring but one thing for sure is that the music is timeless, and fans are never disappointed. BS&T tours with the greatest musicians available, stars in their own right (most coming off major tours with other artists). BS&T still headlines jazz festivals all over the world. BS&T only performs about 60 shows a year so it’s a rare treat to see them live.

Bobby Colomby found our latest Vocalist Keith Paluso you may remember Keith from 2018 season of “The Voice” Critics say Keith is the best singer since David Clayton-Thomas.

Bobby’s other find is Dylan Elise Bobby found Dylan on Youtube and flew him from New Zealand to join the band.

The band members are always looking to inspire the next generation of musicians so don’t be shy walk up and talk to them.

To this day Bobby Colomby (founding member) still hand picks the musicians for every tour. Colomby still uses the same theory: “Great Musicians Make Great Music”.

Please enjoy the show.

Martin Taylor / Ulf Wakenius (UK/SE)

2020 / Norway

Upcoming Norway tour 2020
18. – 28. november

Martin Taylor, Ulf Wakenius & Eric Wakenius

Three of the greatest jazz guitarists in the world, Martin Taylor, Ulf Wakenius & Eric Wakenius have joined forces for an unforgettable live show. They bring with them a unique legacy in European jazz from years of touring with Stephane Grappelli and Oscar Peterson. Martin Taylor worked with Stephane Grappelli for 11-years, filling the guitar chair for Django Reinhardt while Ulf Wakenius worked with Oscar Peterson for 10-years, filling the guitar chair for Joe Pass, Herb Ellis and Barney Kessel. Eric Wakenius a new force and an incredible talent on guitar and vocals. In addition to that Taylor and 2x Wakenius have also collaborated with greats including Pat Metheny, Herbie Hancock, Jeff Beck, George Harrison, Mike Brecker, Jamie Cullum, Martha High, Ray Brown and Michel Legrand to name just a few.

Pat Metheny, On Martin Taylor
“Martin Taylor s one of the most awsome solo guitar players in the history of the instrument”

Jeff Beck, On Martin Taylor
” He out-shred ´s all of us together…I´ve never seen anything like it”

Oscar Peterson, On Ulf Wakenius
” Ulf Wakenius is one of the greatest guitar players i the world today”

John McLaughlin, On Ulf Wakenius
” He plays the guitar like he was born with it already in his hands”

John Scofield, On Eric Wakenius
” Eric is incredible!”

Mike Stern, On Eric Wakenius
” I love what you do!”

Chippendales (US)

2019 / Norway