Jazz Articles
Our daily articles are carefully curated by the All About Jazz staff. You can find more articles by searching our website, see what's trending on our popular articles page or read articles ahead of their published dates on our future articles page. Read our daily album reviews.
Sign in to customize your My Articles page —or— Filter Article Results
Candice Ivory: When The Levee Breaks: The Music Of Memphis Minnie
by Doug Collette
Candice Ivory is more than a little ambitious to conceive and execute an album comprised wholly of material by blues icon Memphis Minnie. But to her credit, she has been quite resourceful in enlisting some formidable resources in the effort: guitarist/bassist Charlie Hunter serves as a player and the album producer, the latter role he also filled on the album of the steel guitarist here DaShawn Hickman. Needless to say, camaraderie abounds throughout the dozen cuts, beginning with ...
read moreDaShawn Hickman with Charlie Hunter: Drums, Roots & Steel
by Doug Collette
When keyboardist John Medeski (of Medeski, Martin and Wood) produced the The Campbell Brothers' Can You Feel It? (Ropeadope, 2005), he helped bring deserved attention to the woefully unrecognized field of “sacred steel," a musical style and African-American gospel tradition that features the steel guitar. Now, seventeen years later, guitar wunderkind Charlie Hunter makes a similar effort by overseeing and playing bass on DaShawn Hickman's Drums, Roots & Steel. Bringing the familiar “Saints" (...go marching in...) and “Just ...
read moreGary Vogenson: Shot of Hope
by Doug Collette
If the title of Gary Vogenson's Shot of Hope was not so pertinent to the post-quarantine world, he might well have named it Don't Misunderstand Me Too Quickly. At a quick glance, song choices such as the traditional “The Cuckoo" and Dan Penn and Chip Moman's soul/R&B standard “Do Right Woman" seem predictable. But, juxtaposed as they are with some (overly?) familiar material from the canon of the Grateful Dead among others, this baker's dozen of tracks turns into a ...
read moreMaurice Tani: The Lovers card
by James Nadal
The term Renaissance man could and should be applied to Maurice Tani. A certified jack of all trades in the San Francisco music scene for over forty years, Tani has extensive experience in the recording industry as singer, songwriter, guitarist, bassist, and producer. Recent alt-country/roots music releases with his band 77 El Deora, have garnered him a local following for both his records and live performances. Tani is right at home where the blues relaxes into Americana, and can sing ...
read moreThe Sons Of The Soul Revivers: Live! Rancho Nicasio
by James Nadal
Founded in 1970, by Walter Morgan Jr., The Sons Of The Soul Revivers carry on the traditional gospel legacy started by their father Walter Sr., with the original Soul Revivers, in the 1960's.Walter Jr. is joined by his brothers James and Dwyane, supported by their regular backing band, taking the music to that sacred space where religion encounters rhythm. Produced under the auspice of Little Village Foundation, founded by keyboardist Jim Pugh as a commitment to discovering and recording original ...
read moreJohn Blues Boyd: The Real Deal
by James Nadal
For those who love the blues, the thrill of discovering a new artist is still special. Blues singer John “Blues" Boyd just released The Real Deal--at 71 years young--as a testament that the blues continues to be a vital American art form that will never die. Born in Greenwood, Mississippi, Boyd picked cotton as a youngster, worked at hard labor, and loved to sing. Relocating to the Bay Area in the 1980's he was a roofer, sat in at local ...
read moreAireene Espiritu: Back Where I Belong
by James Nadal
How can someone go back to where they have never been? How can a ukulele playing folk singer accomplish searing blues and soul vocals with such sincere expression and emotion? These are just two of the mysteries surrounding Aireene Espiritu. Her release Back Where I Belong, reveals the answers, and much more. Though Espiritu has been gigging around the Bay Area for decades, it was at a performance in Oakland (amongst 200 artists) that she caught the ear ...
read moreWee Willie Walker: If Nothing Ever Changes
by James Nadal
Amidst all the hype, posturing and polished glam in today's music industry, when an unpretentious soul singer rises to the occasion and steps up to the microphone, it is a joyous occasion. With impeccable gospel, R&B, and soul credentials, vocalist Wee Willie Walker has been paying dues since his first recording for Goldwax Records in 1967. After shuffling between Memphis and Nashville, he wound up and persevered in the Minneapolis music scene, singing for various acts, and in 2002 put ...
read moreRon Thompson: Son of Boogie Woogie
by James Nadal
The Little Village Foundation is a non-profit record label started up under the direction of keyboardist Jim Pugh, who recently retired after twenty-five years with Robert Cray. The mission of this organization is to seek and record obscure yet prodigious musicians who have not received proper recognition and respect. Oakland guitarist Ron Thompson certainly falls into this category, and Son of Boogie Woogie hopes to give him nudge into the much deserved spotlight. Ron Thompson is the rare ...
read more
Giveaway
Days remaining: 15
