Lionel Loueke
Welcome to my Official Website
New album: The Journey
Lionel's Bio
Originally from the small West African nation of Benin, guitarist Lionel Loueke has enjoyed a meteoric rise over the past ten years.
AWARDS
2007 Participation as guitarist on the GRAMMY Award-winning
recording,“River: The Joni Letters” (Album of the Year)
2008 Up & Coming Musician of the Year Jazz Journalists Association (Jazz Award)
2010 World Music Album of the year - EDISON JAZZ/WORLD
– Lionel Loueke (Mwaliko, Blue Note Records)
2013 Instrumentalist des Jahres International – ECHO Jazz
Gitarre (Heritage, Blue Note Records)
TESTIMONY
“Among the young musicians I’ve heard recently, he is the one that stands out for me”
Herbie Hanckook
“...I was immediately intrigued by his background and musical influences, for he was
seemingly at home not just in his native Benin, but also in the world of the New York jazz
scene.”
Kevin Dawe | The New Guitarscape...
“Among the international artists merging jazz and their native cultures is the Beninese
guitarist Lionel Loueke.”
Nate Chinen
Starting out on vocals and percussion, Lionel Loueke picked up the guitar late, at age 17. After his initial to exposure to jazz in Benin, he left to attend the National Institute of Art in nearby Ivory Coast. In 1994 he left Africa to pursue jazz studies at the American School of Modern Music in Paris, then went to the U.S. on a scholarship to Berklee College of Music. From there, Loueke gained acceptance to the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, where he encountered his Gilfema bandmates Biolcati, Nemeth, Parlato and other musicians with whom he would form lasting creative relationships.
In 2008 and 2009, Lionel Loueke was picked as top Rising Star guitarist in DownBeat magazine's annual Critics Poll.
Praised by his mentor Herbie Hancock as "a musical painter," Lionel Loueke combines harmonic sophistication, soaring melody, a deep knowledge of African music, and conventional and extended guitar techniques to create a warm and evocative sound of his own. JazzTimes wrote "Loueke's lines are smartly formed and deftly executed. His ear-friendly melodicism draws both from traditional African sources and a lifetime of closely studying the likes of Jim Hall and George Benson, and his rhythmic shifts come quickly and packed with surprises."
After graduating from Berklee College of Music, Lionel Loueke was accepted to the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz in Los Angeles where he had the opportunity to study his greatest mentors: Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and Terence Blanchard.
Soon after his time at the Monk Institute, Lionel Loueke began focusing exclusively on nylon-string acoustic guitar, an instrument on which he's developed a signature voice.
Lionel Loueke released his first album In a Trance (2005) on Space Time Label, then three albums on Obliqsound Label as a leader (Virgin Forest - 2006) and with Gilfema (Gilfema - 2005, Gilfema + 2 - 2008)
His first release on Blue Note Label Karibu (2008), featuring the trio with Hancock and Wayne Shorter as special guests, won widespread critical praise.
His sophomore release for Blue Note, Mwaliko (2010), followed up acclaimed Karibu offered a series of searching, innovative, intimate duets with Angelique Kidjo, Esperanza Spalding, Richard Bona and Marcus Gilmore - artists and allies who continue to have a profound impact on Loueke's vision as a bandleader.
Hailed as a "gentle virtuoso" by Jon Pareles of The New York Times, guitarist/vocalist Lionel Loueke follows up with Heritage (released in August 2012), co-produced by piano great and Blue Note label mate Robert Glasper. Lionel Loueke, long known for his nylon-string acoustic guitar, releases here a more electric album.
In 2015, Loueke chose to record Gaía, his remarkable rock-infused fourth Blue Note album, live in the studio with an intimate audience in attendance.
Loueke has appeared on numerous standout recordings such as Terence Blanchard’s Grammy-nominated Flow (2005) and Hancock’s Grammy-winning River: The Joni Letters (2008). Lionel appeared on recordings by such legends as Jack DeJohnette (Sound Travels), Charlie Haden (Land of the Sun), Kenny Barron (The Traveler) and Gonzalo Rubalcaba (XXI Century). He has also appeared on recordings by Esperanza Spalding, Joe Lovano, Gretchen Parlato, Avishai Cohen, Kendrick Scott and other leading peers.
He has also toured the world as a member of Hancock’s band for more than ten years and starts touring with Chick Corea this year after recording his last album to be released.
Lionel Loueke is also a member of Blue Note’s 75th anniversary all-star band with Robert Glasper, Derrick Hodge, Kendrick Scott, Ambrose Akinmusire and Marcus Strickland.
These experiences all inform Loueke's extraordinary work as a leader.
On Tour
On Tour
Tue Apr 9 2019 | 6:30pm
Cotton Club - TOKIA 2F, TOKYO Bldg.,
Tokyo, Japan
Lionel Loueke Trio feat. Massimo Biolcati & Ferenc Nemeth
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Tue Apr 9 2019 | 9:00pm
Cotton Club - TOKIA 2F, TOKYO Bldg.,
Tokyo, Japan
Lionel Loueke Trio feat. Massimo Biolcati & Ferenc Nemeth
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Tue Apr 10 2019 | 6:30pm
Cotton Club - TOKIA 2F, TOKYO Bldg.,
Tokyo, Japan
Lionel Loueke Trio feat. Massimo Biolcati & Ferenc Nemeth
More infos
Tue Apr 10 2019 | 9:00pm
Cotton Club - TOKIA 2F, TOKYO Bldg.,
Tokyo, Japan
Lionel Loueke Trio feat. Massimo Biolcati & Ferenc Nemeth
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Tue Apr 11 2019 | 6:30pm
Cotton Club - TOKIA 2F, TOKYO Bldg.,
Tokyo, Japan
Lionel Loueke Trio feat. Massimo Biolcati & Ferenc Nemeth
More infos
Tue Apr 11 2019 | 9:00pm
Cotton Club - TOKIA 2F, TOKYO Bldg.,
Tokyo, Japan
Lionel Loueke Trio feat. Massimo Biolcati & Ferenc Nemeth
More infos
Tue Apr 12 2019 | 6:30pm
Cotton Club - TOKIA 2F, TOKYO Bldg.,
Tokyo, Japan
Lionel Loueke Trio feat. Massimo Biolcati & Ferenc Nemeth
More infos
Tue Apr 12 2019 | 9:00pm
Cotton Club - TOKIA 2F, TOKYO Bldg.,
Tokyo, Japan
Lionel Loueke Trio feat. Massimo Biolcati & Ferenc Nemeth
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Sun May 05 2019 | 5:30pm
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
New Orleans, LA
Herbie Hanckock Group feat. Vinnie Colaiuta, James Genus, Lionel Loueke, Terrace Martin
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Wed May 08 2019 | 8:00pm
Concerts - Yvré l'Evêque
Route de Changé, 72530, Yvré l'Evêque, France
Michel Portal / Lionel Loueke Trio feat. Christi Joza Orisha
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Fri May 31 2019
Riverside Theatre
Perth, AU
Herbie Hanckock Group feat. Vinnie Colaiuta, James Genus, Lionel Loueke
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Sun June 02 2019
QPAC Concert Hall
Brisbane, AU
Herbie Hanckock Group feat. Vinnie Colaiuta, James Genus, Lionel Loueke
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Wed June 05 2019
Wellington Jazz Festival
Wellington, NZ
Herbie Hanckock Group feat. Vinnie Colaiuta, James Genus, Lionel Loueke
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Fri June 07 2019
Canberra Theatre
Canberra, AU
Herbie Hanckock Group feat. Vinnie Colaiuta, James Genus, Lionel Loueke, Terrace Martin
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Sat June 08 2019
Melbourne International Jazz Festival
Melbourne, AU
Herbie Hanckock Group feat. Vinnie Colaiuta, James Genus, Lionel Loueke
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Sun June 09 2019
Melbourne International Jazz Festival
Melbourne, AU
Herbie Hanckock Group feat. Vinnie Colaiuta, James Genus, Lionel Loueke
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Mon June 10 2019
Sydney Opera House (Early Show)
Sydney, AU
Herbie Hanckock Group feat. Vinnie Colaiuta, James Genus, Lionel Loueke
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Mon June 10 2019
Sydney Opera House
Sydney, AU
Herbie Hanckock Group feat. Vinnie Colaiuta, James Genus, Lionel Loueke
Sold Out
Tue July 30 2019 | 8:00pm
Wolf Trap
Vienna, VA
Herbie Hanckock Group feat. Vinnie Colaiuta, James Genus, Lionel Loueke, Terrace Martin
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Thur Aug 01 2019
Beacon Theatre
New York, NY
Herbie Hanckock Group feat. Vinnie Colaiuta, James Genus, Lionel Loueke, Terrace Martin
Fri Aug 02 2019
Newport Jazz Festival
Newport, Rhode Island
Herbie Hanckock Group feat. Vinnie Colaiuta, James Genus, Lionel Loueke, Terrace Martin
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Sat Aug 03 2019
Newport Jazz Festival
Newport, Rhode Island
Herbie Hanckock Group feat. Vinnie Colaiuta, James Genus, Lionel Loueke, Terrace Martin
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Sun Aug 04 2019 | 7:30pm
The Met
Philadelphia, PA
Herbie Hanckock Group feat. Vinnie Colaiuta, James Genus, Lionel Loueke, Terrace Martin
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Tue Aug 06 2019 | 7:30pm
Roy Thompson Hall
Toronto, ON
Herbie Hanckock Group feat. Vinnie Colaiuta, James Genus, Lionel Loueke, Terrace Martin
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Wed Aug 07 2019 | 7:30pm
Rose Music Center at The Heights
Huber Heights, OH
Herbie Hanckock Group feat. Vinnie Colaiuta, James Genus, Lionel Loueke, Terrace Martin
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Thur Aug 08 2019 | 6:00pm
Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre
Detroit, MI
Herbie Hanckock Group feat. Vinnie Colaiuta, James Genus, Lionel Loueke, Terrace Martin
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Wed Aug 14 2019 | 7:30pm
The Mission Ballroom
Denver, CO
Herbie Hanckock Group feat. Vinnie Colaiuta, James Genus, Lionel Loueke, Terrace Martin
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Fri Aug 16 2019 | 6:45pm
Marymoor Park
Redmond, WA
Herbie Hanckock Group feat. Vinnie Colaiuta, James Genus, Lionel Loueke, Terrace Martin
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Sat Aug 17 2019
Oregon Zoo
Portland, OR
Herbie Hanckock Group feat. Vinnie Colaiuta, James Genus, Lionel Loueke, Terrace Martin
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Tue Aug 20 2019 | 8:00pm
Humphreys Concerts By The Bay
San Diego, CA
Herbie Hanckock Group feat. Vinnie Colaiuta, James Genus, Lionel Loueke, Terrace Martin
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Wed Aug 21 2019 | 8:00pm
Hollywood Bowl
Los Angeles, CA
Herbie Hanckock Group feat. Vinnie Colaiuta, James Genus, Lionel Loueke, Terrace Martin
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Fri Aug 23 2019 | 7:00pm
The Greek Theatre
Berkeley, CA
Herbie Hanckock Group feat. Vinnie Colaiuta, James Genus, Lionel Loueke, Terrace Martin
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Listen and Purchase Journey
Lionel's Videos
Lionel Loueke's Discography
2015 | Gaïa
Blue Note Records
2014 | Virgin Forest
ObliqSound
2012 | Heritage
Blue Note Records
2010 | Mwaliko
Blue Note Records
2008 | Karibu
ObliqSound
2005 | In a Trance
Space Time Records, Ward Records
2004 | Incantation
On Tour
Lionel Loueke's Collaborations
2018 | Obsession
Céline Rudolph - Lionel Loueke
2018 | Chinese Butterfly
Record Label
Chick Corea & Steve Gadd
2018 | Newvelle Season Two
Newvelle Records
John Patitucci, Kevin Hays - Lionel Loueke, Jon Cowherd, Chris Tordini*, Aruán Ortiz and Rufus Reid
2018 | OLD SOUL
Robi Botos
2017 | Hope
Newvelle Records
Kevin Hays, Lionel Loueke
2017 | KINFOLK
Ropeadope Records
Nate Smith
2017 | Circle Of Shimes
ACT
Marius Neset
2017 | Our Point Of View
Blue Note Record
Blue Note All - Stars
2017 | Pannon Blue
BMC
Kristóf Bacsó Triad & Lionel Loueke
2017 | The Vampires Meet Lionel Loueke
Earshift Records
The Vampires
2017 | Země
Animal Music
LUBOS SOUKUP
2017 | La Diversité
Éditions Record
Nicolas Kummert
2017 | Sound Portraits From Contemporary Africa
SWR
Kyle Shepherd
2016 | Speaking in Tongue
Sunnyside
Luciana Souza
2016 | The Dream Room
Laura Mvula
2015 | Imagine That
Aznic Records
Daniel Freedman
2014 | EVE
429 Records
Angelique Kidjo
2016 | Aziza
Dare2 Records
Dave Holland
2014 | Time's Tales
Okeh
Jeff Ballard Trio With Lionel Loueke & Miguel Zenon
2014 | Coalition
Kenny Werner
2013 | EGGUN
Omar Sosa
2013 | Cross Culture
Blue Note
Joe Lovano UsFive
2013 | Magnetic
Blue Note
Terence Blanchard
2012 | Sound Travels
Golden Beam, eOne
Jack DeJohnette
2012 | Biosphere
Enja Records
Florian Weber
2012 | Triumph
Dreamers Collective Records
Ferenc Nemeth
2011 | XXI CENTURY
SPassion Productions
Gonzalo Rubalcabar
2010 | The Imagine Project
Hancock Records/Sony Music
Herbie Hancock
2010 | Õÿö
Proper Records, Razor & Tie
Angelique Kidjo
2010 | BAILADOR
Classics & Jazz France
Michel Portal
2010 | Radio Music Society
Heads Up International, Universal Music Group International
Esperansa Spalding
2010 | Live from Soho
Razor & Tie
Angelique Kidjo
2009 | Choices
Concord Jazz, Universal Music Group International
The Terence Blanchard Group
2009 | In A Dream
ObliqSound
Gretchen Parlato
2009 | Kelenia
Motéma Music
Oran Etkin
2008 | The Traveler
Universal, EmArcy, Sunnyside Communications, Inc.
Kenny Barron
2008 | Persona
ObliqSound
Massimo Biolcati
2008 | Gilfema + 2
ObliqSound
Lionel Loueke, Ferenc Nemeth, Massimo Biolcati, John Ellis, Anat Cohen
2007 | River: The Joni Letters
Verve Records, ООО «Юниверсал Мьюзик»
Herbie Hancock
2007 | After The Big Rain
Anzic Records
Avishai Cohen
2006 | Possibilities
Hear Music, Hancock Music, Vector Recordings
Herbie Hancock
2005 | Flow
Blue Note, Universal, Gala Records
Terence Blanchard
2005 | Gretchen Parlato
Gretchen Parlato
2005 | Gilfema
ObliqSound
Lionel Loueke, Ferenc Nemeth, Massimo Biolcati
2003 | Land Of The Sun
Verve Records, Gitanes Jazz Productions, Universal
Charlie Haden with Gonzalo Rubalcaba
On Tour
Lionel Loueke From it Mentors
"When I listened to Lionel, I hear not only the beauty, richness and intricacy of the traditional music of our country Benin but also the cutting edge of contemporary sounds" - Angelique Kidjo
"From the time I first met Lionel it was obvious to anyone in the room that this guy was something special. He’s been the shining example of what Jazz is. The combination of respecting the history but not forgetting where you're from. Those two things combined have manifested into something truly unique." - Terence Blanchard
"Lionel never ceases to amaze me. As his bandmate in the Herbie Hancock group, I'm captivated and shaking my head in disbelief every night. His voice is so unique and vitally important; there is none like him. His guitar and his voice are other-worldly. His music will go right to your core. Listen!" - Vinnie Colaiuta
"Lionel is one of the most inventive AND soulful guitarists of his generation. His music is complex but it’s so heartfelt that it never seems academic. I’ve known him for a long time personally, but I’m also a real fan. Each album he releases reminds me of how really special he is." - Marcus Miller
"An absolutely beautiful voice, backed up by incredible guitar chops; there's no doubt he's got the soul and science to prove it!! Keep on keepin' on my brother." - Quincy Jones
"Your music is miraculous. You own everything you do on your instrument and with your voice - it’s all yours and nobody else’s. I enjoyed making music with you so much, and hope we can create more soon again." - Chick Corea
"Lionel’s Loueke is one the most expressive, beautiful musicians on the scene today.. His new release The Journey is full of his love and passion for all of us to embrace.. Lionel’s music simply makes you feel good !" - Joe Lovano
"Lionel Loueke is one of a rare handful of guitarists that move effortlessly between his West African roots and modern American Jazz. His new recording is a musical gift!" - Paul Simon
"Lionel Loueke is one of the most original, essential and inspiring musicians on our planet today." - Sting Listen and Purchase
On Tour
Lionel Loueke In Press
What do the press say about Lionel Loueke ?
"Loueke is a true original... Loueke sounds spectacular chopping and slashing through burbling funk and heavy riffage... his deeply connected trio generates an immediacy that should be the envy of working bands everywhere." - DownBeat
"Mr. Loueke hails from Benin and has spent the last decade or so finding mainstream avenues for his sinuous, effervescent style... Subtlety has always been a hallmark of this band, and, in some respects, ͞Gaïa͟— full of tripwire rhythmic intricacies that register as casual, even natural — underscores that strength... No other band has quite this sound, and it hasn’t stopped evolving." - New York Times
"This studio-live reunion with bassist Massimo Biolcati and drummer Ferenc Nemeth opens a powerful new Loueke chapter, in which African-angled world-music, jazz and rock blend seamlessly. The band switch between Hendrix-like wails, kora-like chimes and power-trio rock in a blink, and the songs are consistently strong." - The Guardian
"State-of-the-art guitar-trio jazz." - Financial Times
"The new album is stellar... [GAÏA] capitalizes on jazz’s amoeba-like ability to engulf and incorporate other music." - JazzTimes
"Guitarist Lionel Loueke brings a presence to jazz unlike any other... GAÏA finds Loueke with longtime trio-mates bassist Massimo Biolcati and drummer Ferenc Nemeth in an intimate session that captures his musicality and spontaneity... this is one of Loueke's most memorable releases." - AllAboutJazz
"a spirited set of raucous and gritty tunes... Gaïa is this trio's baptism in fire, and it is, without a doubt, the most intense music Loueke has produced yet." - AllAboutJazz
"GAÏA finds West African guitarist Lionel Loueke reunited with his longstanding trio of bassist Massimo Biolcati and drummer Ferenc Nemeth for the first time since 2010's Mwaliko... These trio members need no collaborators, extra production, or overdubs; they can -- and do -- deliver almost endless variations on all the stylistic genres they choose. The kinetic energy and obvious delight expressed by these players in such intimate and idea-rich conversation make GAÏA Loueke's most satisfying release to date" - AllMusic
"After more than a decade of making breezy, Afro-tinged jazz in a variety of settings, guitarist Lionel Loueke gets down to cases on Gaïa, strutting his jazz chops, idiosyncratic phrasing and panoply of tones in a trio setting... Until now, Loueke built a reputation as a solid, sometimes inventive, sideman and a solo artist capable of interesting, often satisfying, work. With Gaïa, he has cemented his reputation as a player." - Creative Loafing
"one of the most exciting new voices on jazz guitar, a finger-picker who combines deep feeling for pulse and intuitive phrasing with cutting-edge approaches to rhythm and melody." - New York City Jazz Record
"His potent new album Heritage...revels in the heavy influence that funk and Afrobeat have had on him. It has a punchy drum sound, woozy electric bass and guitar work that toggles between sharp and slithery.... What sharpens the picture is the writing, which skews refreshingly songlike, girded with sophisticated but intuitive harmony... It’s a variable feast, light-handed about its cultural implications but invested in emotional connection. Mr. Loueke has never had a problem conveying warmth, but his expressive gifts have rarely been marshaled as smartly as they are here, on an album that upholds groove as the ultimate truth." - New York Times
"intensity is of the most smoldering, in-control variety. Loueke’s new album, Heritage almost makes sport of his profound cool." - New York Magazine
"Heritage reflects the guitarist’s musical roots and personal odyssey from his native Benin in West Africa to France and then the United States, where he has established himself as one of the most distinctive new artists on today’s jazz scene." - Associated Press
"...this guitarist weaves jazz and African grooves... from George Benson-esque ruminations to blues jams and Afrobeat funk." - Men’s Journal
"...an album that’s contemplative, sincere and downright comforting." - Okayplayer
"...one of the more interesting releases of 2012. Trading his usual nylon strings for steel and inviting Robert Glaser to co-produce the album, the guitarist sails into new sonic territory here, with a new ensemble—and without sacrificing any of the rhythmic extemporizing that characterizes his sound." - DownBeat
"Glasper’s penchant for obscuring the lines between contemporary and traditional finds a welcoming home in the work of the unceasingly exploratory guitarist Loueke...But for all Glasper’s influence, make no mistake, this is Loueke’s show, his most fully realized leader set to date... Highly entertaining, thoroughly invigorating stuff." - JazzTimes
"Lionel Loueke's Heritage deftly intertwines modern jazz constructs with traditional African themes in a highly personal exploration of these two cultural streams which define Loueke's upbringing and musical identity. The result is a gracious, elevating and welcoming sound that still challenges preconceived notions." - AllAboutJazz
"Loueke’s lines are smartly formed and deftly executed. His ear-friendly melodicism draws both from traditional African sources and a lifetime of closely studying the likes of Jim Hall and George Benson, and his rhythmic shifts come quickly and packed with surprises." - JazzTimes
"Take a gifted West African teenager, hit him with some George Benson, move him to the U.S., and soon you have rising jazz guitarist Lionel Loueke. Karibu is a jamboree of sprung rhythms, splashed with African and Brazilian flavors, in which Loueke scat-sings, drums on his guitar, mouth-clicks and plays some wicked jazz." - TIME
"Mr. Loueke is a gentle virtuoso. As a singer, he has a husky, sincere baritone and a melting falsetto that he uses to scat-sing along with his guitar solos. He’s also a full-fledged jazz guitarist, and he uses both electronics–guitar synthesizer, looping devices–and African roots. In one piece, unassisted by any technology beyond microphone and amplifier, he sang, made percussive tongue clicks and played syncopated guitar chords and leads. He multiplied himself, one way or another, in nearly every song." - The New York Times
"[Loueke] is one of the most striking jazz artists to emerge is some time...a spellbinding presence...a startlingly original voice...Karibu [is] his imaginative and vivid Blue Note debut." - The New York Times
"Lionel Loueke sings and his music rolls along with a feel-good sense of joy...he always radiates a groove...[but] he is also a sophisticated jazz player...Karibu is a thoughtful mix of hybrid grooves, straightahead guitar soloing, free-improv and a couple standards...Virgin Forest was excellent. But Karibu is better, a solid showcase of a new Afro-jazz star who clearly will be with us for a long time." **** - DownBeat
"Inventiveness has always been one of Lionel Loueke’s hallmarks... his daring imagination has made [Karibu] one of the year’s finest jazz releases. A typically resourceful Loueke groove meshes a lilting melody and rich harmonic progression over a quietly propulsive Afro-Brazilian rhythmic bed... His trio seems telepathically attuned." - VIBE
"...an ear-opening delight...this year’s first major jazz revelation." - Billboard
"..a bebop griot... Loueke is at a point in his career where he is no longer a mere talented young player, he is becoming a landmark." - Bloomberg News
"Lionel Loueke masterfully conjures moods and creates alluring soundscapes through a series of stirring duets... a revelation." - JAZZIZ
"Guitarist Lionel Loueke is shaking up the New York jazz scene with a sound that combines post-bebop fusion, lyrical ballads and even African rhythms and melodies. Mwaliko [is] his best work yet... Mwaliko solidifies his standing as a truly original voice in today's jazz." - NPR All Things Considered
"The guitarist Lionel Loueke grew up in Benin, absorbing the guitar traditions of Mail and Nigeria as well as samba and jazz. He sings in a gentle baritone; he also clicks and whistles and makes his guitar speak in a similar way: in taps and scratches, damped single-notes as if struck on a thumb piano, and chords with ringing Impressionist harmony... Mr. Loueke uses the range of his technique, and in the on-rush of ideas, there’s something startling at about every other beat." - The New York Times
"His is a dialect that speaks for the diversity and globalization that is 21st-century jazz... There's no mistaking 'Mwaliko' as pulsing, modern jazz... it strips exotic sounds of their alienating weirdness to reveal something intimate and fascinating underneath... a style capable of ravishing things, especially in spare settings." - NPR Music
"Loueke tips his hat to jazz masters no and then, but the combination of his African roots, nylon string guitars and venturesome spirit—along with his trademark, percolating vocals—project a personality that’s unmistakably his own." - Washington Post
"...music of startling beauty. The approach of Loueke’s trio is melodic and intense, but gentle; it also builds a bridge between the disparate African and American legacies that even the most hardened cynic will delight in. That’s surely why Loueke is fast becoming a major force in the jazz world, and one you can’t miss." - Washington City Paper
"Loueke’s trademark clicking vocals and the pedal effects of his nylon-stringed acoustic guitar give the duets body, while his comfort across post-bop, fusion, and African music sets up fascinating encounters." - Boston Globe
"[Loueke] stands at the juncture of several cultures, his work embracing the folkloric music of his native Benin, the mesmerizing chants of West African antiquity and the impulses of thoroughly contemporary American jazz... Loueke offered an extended solo of remarkable complexity and tonal beauty, unspooling haunting phrases with his voice, percussive clicking effects with his tongue and multiple melodic lines on guitar. Here was Loueke’s art at its most persuasive." - Chicago Tribune
"Guitarist Lionel Loueke knows how to cover a lot of ground and make it all sound of a piece... as accessible as it is uncompromising." - Boston Phoenix
"...one of the most exciting musicians in jazz... one of the great jazz discs so far of 2010." - Buffalo News Discography
On Tour
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