Paris Dakar by Nighthawks blends jazz, grooves, rock, and cinematic soundscapes into 11 tracks full of openness, vitality, and global inspiration.
Nighthawks return with their new album Paris Dakar, released on 24 October 2025 on Spinner Ace Records. The band once again proves how warmth, energy and openness can merge into a distinctive sound that is both approachable and profound. Their music, often described as nu-jazz, expands far beyond labels, weaving grooves, improvisation and cinematic atmospheres into a coherent whole.
The opener Finally Timeless sets the tone: electronic textures blend with Hammond organ, guitar and hip-hop beats before Reiner Winterschladen's trumpet takes the lead as a storyteller. Across eleven tracks, the group balances playfulness and depth, moving easily between noir moods, rock pulses and global influences. Recorded over several years by bassist and producer Dal Martino, the sessions yielded vast amounts of material that were distilled into essential pieces.
Besides Martino and Winterschladen, the band features Jörg Lehnardt on guitars, Thomas Alkier on drums and Jürgen Dahmen on keyboards and percussion. Guests such as Dominic Miller, Bernd Winterschladen and Elva La Guardia add further colors. Tracks like Vapor Bega preserve the warm, embracing side of the Nighthawks sound, while Manu Dibango stems from pure improvisation and reflects Martino's earlier journey to Dakar. Young, featuring Miller, introduces soaring guitar lines, opening new dimensions of the band's long friendship with him.
The album invites listeners to imagine their own stages of a rally-like journey without prescribing meanings. Its cover photo, taken at the Strait of Gibraltar, underlines the connecting spirit at the heart of the music. Herb Alpert, with his eternally youthful Tijuana Brass, waves warmly into the world of Paris Dakar, embodying an openhearted jazz era. Nighthawks, with Paris Dakar, affirm with generosity and openness just how innovative and adaptable their music remains.
Track Listing
Finally Timeless Tarifa Calling Vapor Bega Young Paris Dakar Blue Bar Morning Manu Dibango Anorak
