Lionel Loueke

Mar 24, 2008
LIONEL LOUEKE FEATURED IN THE NEW YORK TIMES

THE NEW YORK TIMES

Sunday, March 23, 2008

A Hybridist Jamming With the World
By NATE CHINEN

LIONEL LOUEKE, a guitarist from the West African country of Benin, was a spellbinding presence at Joe’s Pub a couple of months ago as he started into the title track of “Karibu,” his exceptional major-label debut. His long fingers flickered across the strings, eliciting not just a syncopated groove but also a shifting undergrowth of chords. He was just as busy vocally, clicking his tongue in percussive counterpoint, singing phrases in a floating cadence. It all felt rooted in African folk traditions but also cosmopolitan, progressive, harmonically fluid.

Mr. Loueke, 34, has quickly earned a reputation in jazz circles as a startlingly original voice, the kind of player who gets others talking. He made a splash five years ago as a sideman with the trumpeter Terence Blanchard, and now he tours and records with the pianist Herbie Hancock. When Blue Note signed him last year, it confirmed what many already knew: He’s one of the most striking jazz artists to emerge in some time.

READ MORE HERE.

Feb 20, 2008
LIONEL LOUEKE RELEASES "KARIBU" FEATURING HERBIE HANCOCK & WAYNE SHORTER

LIONEL LOUEKE MAKES BLUE NOTE DEBUT WITH MARCH 25th RELEASE OF KARIBU FEATURING HERBIE HANCOCK & WAYNE SHORTER

LOUEKE FEATURED ON HANCOCK’S GRAMMY-WINNING ALBUM RIVER: THE JONI LETTERS; MAKES TV APPEARENCES WITH HANCOCK ON THE VIEW & THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO

On March 25, guitarist Lionel Loueke will make his Blue Note Records debut with Karibu, a stunning album that takes its title from a Swahili word meaning “welcome.” It’s a fitting name, as the opening title track invites the listener into the musical world of one of the most distinctive new voices in Jazz. Featuring Loueke’s long-standing trio of bassist Massimo Biolcati and drummer Ferenc Nemeth, Karibu is also graced by rare guest appearances by two legends: pianist Herbie Hancock and saxophonist Wayne Shorter.

Loueke is also featured on Hancock’s recent album, River: The Joni Letters (Verve Music Group), a tribute to Joni Mitchell which was just awarded “Album of the Year” at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards. The album also features Jazz legends like Shorter and Dave Holland, as well as superb guest vocalists including Mitchell herself, Norah Jones, Tina Turner, and Corinne Bailey Rae.

Loueke is joining Hancock for several TV appearances this week on the heels of this historic win, including performances on ABC’s The View (aired February 19) and NBC’s The Tonight Show With Jay Leno (to air February 22). Loueke will also be touring again this summer as a member of Hancock’s quartet and also featured as the opening act, including a June 23 performance at Carnegie Hall in New York for the JVC Jazz Festival, and an extensive run of European tour dates from late June through early August.

Loueke and Hancock first met when he decided to audition for the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz where the pianist was a teacher. “I flipped,” says Hancock, recalling the moment he first heard Loueke’s audition tape. “I’d never heard any guitar player play anything close to what I was hearing from him. There was no territory that was forbidden, and he was fearless!”

After several years of touring and recording with trumpeter Terence Blanchard, who was also a teacher at the Monk Institute, Loueke joined Hancock and has been a part of his regular band ever since. Loueke signed with Blue Note Records in 2007, the same label which released Hancock’s own auspicious 1962 debut, Takin’ Off, as well as his other early classics including Maiden Voyage and Speak Like a Child.

Click HERE to check out the Karibu digital player and a video about the making the album.

Dec 18, 2007
BLUE NOTE RECORDS ANNOUNCES THE MARCH 25th RELEASE OF LIONEL LOUEKE - KARIBU

KARIBU is the stunning Blue Note debut from guitarist & vocalist Lionel Loueke. One of the most creative new voices in Jazz today, Loueke's star is on the rise. Born in Benin, West Africa, Loueke possess an instantly recognizable sound that blends his African roots with a modern Jazz concept that he's honed while performing with his mentors, the legends Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter & Terence Blanchard.

KARIBU (Swahili for welcome) features Loueke's trio of bassist Massimo Biolcati & drummer Ferenc Nemeth with very special guests Herbie Hancock & Wayne Shorter making rare sideman appearances, on a set of seven Loueke originals & distinct versions of John Coltrane's "Naima" & the standard "Skylark."

"Mr. Loueke is a gentle virtuoso."
-The New York Times