In early May 2025, I arrived in the late afternoon at Faro Airport, to attend the 8th edition of the Algarve Smooth Jazz Festival and the 30th festival in total being organized by Christian Bössner and Sandra Hoffmann. The weather was sunny with a few clouds, temperatures were a bit chilly. This location in Portugal has established itself as a great place to hold the festival, the Pine Cliffs Resort in Albufeira serves our needs well with their vast premises and amenities. I was looking forward to meet my international music friends and artists I have known for so long. I took a taxi to the hotel, checked into my room and got some dinner, then went to the Salão Pinhal, a nice indoor venue with bars in the rear and outside, where all the shows would take place.
We were greeted by festival host Oli Silk who introduced the first act, saxophonist Michael Paulo and guitarist Paul Brown, being accompanied by Leo Asal on drums, Marius Goldhammer on bass and Jay Rowe on keyboards. They went through their catalog of songs, like “Brother Earl”, “Sugarfish” and “Bumpin’”, Paul Brown paid also a tribute to the late Jeff Golub with his interpretation of “Dangerous Curves”, I always enjoy his bluesy playing. A highlight of the show was Michael Paulo’s rendition of Santana’s “Europa”, pouring all his heart into the song. The two worked very well together and provided a great show.
Next was songstress Avery Sunshine, she accompanied herself on the keyboards, her band consisted of her husband and musical collaborator Dana “Big Dane” Johnson on guitar, Westley Joseph on drums and Orefo Orakwue on bass. Avery Sunshine is always fun to watch with her powerful singing style and her facial expressions, she was in top form and ready to play, this woman is a force of nature. She breezed through her catalog, most notably singing “So Glad To Know You”, the title track from the album she won a Grammy for in 2025. Very nice was the gospel song “Blessin’ Me” which brought a spiritual note to the concert. They also did their nod to Tina Turner with “Nutbush City Limits”, which had the band cooking. This show was well appreciated and ended the first evening of the festival.
The party continued with DJ Richard Edwards, with people dancing, having a few more drinks and a good time in general.
Wednesday I did my usual stroll along the beach to the next town Vilamoura, it took me 1h and 40mins, the distance is approximately 4 miles and needs a minimal level of fitness. There I had a couple of beers before returning with an Uber to the hotel. The beachfront offers stunning rocks and great nature.
Wednesday night, the festival continued with the show of flautist Alexander Zonjic and keyboardist James Lloyd, they were supported by Jay Rowe on keyboards, Leo Asal on drums, Marius Goldhammer on bass and Christoph Lindner on guitar. Alexander Zonjic released his first album in 1978 and played with Bob James for years, while James Lloyd is a founding member of Pieces Of A Dream, so we were in for a treat. They kicked it off with “Doin’ The D”, a groovy number that brought things up to speed right away, followed by the Bob James classic “Nightcrawler”, during this number James Lloyd walked into the audience with his keytar strapped on, pleasing the crowd. Next was “Leave It With Me” by Alexander Zonjic, followed by another Bob James classic “Angela” that went down very well with the appreciative crowd. As a tribute to Detroit, they did “Motor City Sway”, followed by James Lloyd’s “Granted Wish”, a song that took 12 years and the initiative of James Lloyd’s wife to make it onto an album. They wrapped it up with “Memphis Underground”, ending a high energy show by two consummate class acts.
Next was another flautist, the beautiful Kim Scott who was here to party. The band consisted of Mark Jaimes on guitar, Westley Joseph on drums, Orefo Orakwue on bass and Oli Silk on keyboards. She opened with a great cover of Herb Alpert’s “Rise”, before she delved into her own material with “Like Butter” and “Block Party” (with some sax work by Patrick Clahar), raising the heat and having people groove along. For “Best Part”, she alternated between the alto and c-flute, which was very cool, the song also featured a nice bass solo by Orefo Orakwue. For a change, she delivered a vocal track singing “Every Breath You Take” by Police. Then she did her current single “Alma de Lisbon” which was inspired by an earlier journey to Portugal, featuring excellent piano work by Oli Silk and a great drum solo by Westley Joseph, making this a highlight of the show. She wrapped it up with “Magic City Streets” and “Freedom”, playing well beyond midnight.
After this show, we went to the Midnight Jam hosted by Michael Paulo, where the fun continued.
In the afternoon, we were entertained by DJ Richard Edwards during 3 hours of music and artist Q&As at the Miramar, a beautiful outdoor bar overlooking the sea, with his “Afternoon Chill” program. We got a premium selection of music, and an interesting interview with keyboardist Brian Simpson, talking about the various stages of his career. I always enjoy these sessions and look forward to learn new about new releases.
In the evening, BPM aka bassist Brian Bromberg, guitarist Paul Brown and saxophonist Michael Paulo were appearing at the Salão Pinhal, supported by Jay Rowe on keyboards and Westley Joseph on drums. The three pulled off a great show, going through songs like “Paradise”, “Coup De Ville” and “Eastside Party”, providing catching smooth jazz of the highest order. A very nice song was the heartfelt “Here Is Happiness” by Michael Paulo, which was dedicated to his later father, Hawaiian musical legend Rene Paulo who passed away two years ago. They slowed it down with “You’re All I Need”, followed by “24/7”, one of the signature songs of Paul Brown, with nice contributions by Jay Rowe on keys. They did “Gridlock”, followed by “Black Pearl” which had a bit of a different vibe, supposedly be a cross between Weather Report and Grateful Dead. Next was “Seriously?” by Brian Bromberg, before they got really funky with “Minneapolis, 1987” which gave Brian Bromberg an opportunity to slap and pluck his bass, finishing with their rendition of EWF’s “September”, having people dance next to the stage.
After the intermission, it was time for saxophonist Marcus Anderson and his twin brother Marcel Anderson on vocals. The band consisted of Lindner/Asal/Goldhammer/Rowe. But before the show started it was time for some advertising, since Marcus Anderson is not only a great musician, but also a versatile businessman. Not only does the man sell his own coffee (AND Coffee), but he also launched a new unisex fragrance (called “Encore”), in addition he organizes a three-day music festival called “Jazz ANDCoffee Escape” in Durham, NC. After the uptempo opener, he did “Care For You” playing his sax, which also had great guitar and keyboard solos, before he switched to the flute to finish the song. Another great track was “Farewell” which originally was a collaboration with his mentor Donald Hayes.
Then his brother Marcel Anderson entered the stage to sing Marvin Gaye’s “I Want You” and “What’s Going On”, with nice flute work by Marcus, then doing the Bee Gee’s “How Deep Is Your Love”, before he left the stage again. Keeping the groove, Marcus put a bunch of flowers into his sax to stroll through the audience to please several females with his playing, handing out roses (and let the women smell the scent of his fragrance, making sure, we would not forget about his newest endeavor). Then they raised the heat again with some funk, doing Prince’s “Kiss”, “Georgy Porgy” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”, supported by brother Marcel, turning the concert into a veritable party. Again, they played well beyond midnight.
After that show, it was time for the midnight jam hosted by Oli Silk, with a bunch of artists sitting in, allowing the fun to continue.