Charles Bradley’s life was never easy. He grew up with his grandmother in Florida until his mother brought him to New York. Charles ran away when he was only 14. He lived on the street for two years, learned to be a cook, became a chef, often changed jobs and occasionally performed with a band. As a James Brown impersonator he was more successful, which lasted for 30 years. When his brother was shot by his own nephew, Charles put this experience into a song. The big boss of the legendary soul label, Daptone, heard the song and immediately signed Charles. Charles was already 52, but it still took ten more years before his debut album “No Time For Dreaming” was released in 2011. The world was beside itself with enthusiasm: Charles Bradley is James Brown, Otis Redding and Sam Cook all in one: pure deep soul. Bradley is the “Screaming Eagle Of Soul”, and the major stages of the world are now his home.

One of the biggest rock bands of the 70s and 80s let it rip like back in the day. The cult band Foreigner, which has sold over 60 million records, was at the top of the charts with two bandleaders: distinctive singer Lou Gramm and fiery guitarist and songwriter Mick Jones. Both know how to create ecstasy in audiences even in the biggest stadiums. Lou Gramm had to take a hiatus after battling a difficult illness. Mick Jones, however, is still the mastermind of the group. To BALOISE SESSION, Foreigner return with an authentic and powerful performance.

Swiss rock band Krokus redefined the meaning of alpenglow with their wailing guitars. Founded in 1975 by Chris von Rohr, the band went from being the opening band for other acts to becoming an internationally recognized Swiss hard rock band, often even compared to the legendary AC/DC. A big part of their success is due to the indestructible voice of front man Marc Storace, who is back, blasting full force into the microphone since 2006, after a long odyssey when the Krokus nearly wilted. The result of the new freshness of Krokus is the album Dirty Dynamite. Bassist and producer Christ Von Rohr says: No, we did not spend our time puttering about on golf courses, we wanted to produce our best album, the opus magnum of the new Krokus era». He and his men have succeeded. It is a joy and a unique opportunity to see two genuine rock legends once again.

The four neighbourhood boys started by jamming together at local festivals, first covering Beatles and Stones classics until they started to write their very own songs, quickly finding that they had great compositional talent. They have thrilled live audiences at major festivals with their melodious, powerful and emotionally charged pop anthems. Irrespective of their great chart successes, they have retained their independence and have continued to experiment in solo projects. Their performance at the BALOISE SESSION reunites Pegasus and proves that these Biel/Bienne natives are amongst the most innovative pop bands in Switzerland.

Amy Macdonald – singer of worldwide hits like Mr. Rock’n’Roll, This Is The Life, Run or Don’t Tell Me That It’s Over give proof of how good pop music works: With music and lyrics that come from the soul and breathe authenticity. Amy Macdonald is in full command of her craft, in spite of being constantly surrounded by the glamour of show business. She is instinctive and direct in concert, and even though she has sold over four million records, her modesty makes her accessible and appealing. Her songs speak of her closeness to every day life, and anyone can relate to the stories they tell.

The name Gruntz stands for powerful innovation and the highest quality, not only for people in the Basel music scene. The fact that the internationally renowned jazz great George Gruntz, who died last year, was the great uncle of the young James Gruntz, does not necessarily make it easier for this newcomer to develop his own identity, however, he has managed just that. After building a solid foundation with his education at the Zurich Jazz School, he has the courage to set himself apart from his family legacy with simple, catchy songs, designing his very own musical world.

What about music? This is the question that Lisa Stansfield’s disheartened fans have been asking themselves for years. After the album ‘The Moment’ in 2004, the singer left music behind, although she had managed to transport eighties pop into the nineties with her debut ‘Affection’ and the worldwide hit ‘All Around The World’ in 1989. As the ‘British Queen of Soul’, she sold more than 20 million albums. After 2004, the Englishwoman preferred performing on theater stages and in TV film series, until she revealed in an interview in 2012 that she was writing songs again. She embarked on a successful tour with these new songs just a few months later. Now, Lisa has finally returned to her fans with her album ‘Seven’. The question of music has finally been answered: Lisa sings soul with such power that it feels like she never took a break.

After the frenzy of punk and new wave, it was almost a relief when, surprisingly it was an English band that came onto the scene with such suave coolness that they brought elegant lounge evenings back into style in 1984. «Whose Side Are You On?» asked Matt Bianco with their debut, before answering the question with their worldwide hit «Half A Minute», convincing us to be on the side of beautiful singing, smooth Latin rhythms and sophisticated pop music. The band was successful with two more albums before Matt Bianco broke up. Although the core duo Mark Reilly and Mark Fisher continued to regularly release albums, Matt Bianco disappeared into the fringe of music history, until the band brought back the original line up in 2004 with the album «Matt’s Mood» which helped to initiate the eighties revival. Ever since then, discerning pop fans enjoy spending their evenings in the lounge or at one of the rare concerts of Matt Bianco.