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 Coming Soon page. Read our daily album reviews.
Sign in to customize your My Articles page —or— Filter Article Results
Stefano Di Battista: La Vita è Bella
by Scott Lichtman
"La vita è bella" ("life is beautiful" in Italian) is one tune whose title truly captures its essence. Alto saxophonist Stefano Di Battista leads his quintet through this peppy, hummable bebop piece, a remake of the movie theme of the same name. As the drummer's brushwork flies by at 160bpm, Di Battista and trumpeter Matteo Cutello unleash blazing solos that “Charlie and Dizzie" would be proud of. If you're looking for 3 minutes of straight-ahead jazz sunshine, this may make ...
Continue ReadingThe Fox
by Richard J Salvucci
There was once a legendary trumpet player named Jack Purvis who was a disciple of Louis Armstrong. Purvis was an excellent player, but he was in and out of trouble for most of his life. So he spent some time in jail. In fact, so much time that Purvis once led (documented in the Fort-Worth Star Telegram, March 30, 1938) a broadcast from a Texas prison in Huntsville. Purvis led many lives, and was sometimes spotted in odd places like ...
Continue ReadingArve Henriksen: The Touch of Time
by Scott Gudell
Nordic trumpeter Arve Henriksen has played jazz, metal, folk, eclectic world music--with a nod to Japanese flute--and more. That caused at least one DJ to tell Henriksen “you are the musical chameleon." He will politely acknowledge that statement but has consistently returned to his chosen ground zero of ambient jazz dominated by subtle improvisation. When Henriksen started playing in the '80s, he often collaborated with other musicians based, like him, in Norway. Since he began recording at the turn of ...
Continue ReadingMatthew Shipp: New Concepts in Piano Trio Jazz
by Mark Corroto
Jazz fans are much like baseball geeks; they collect facts and statistics. The baseball fan will know a player's numbers such as on base percentage, at bats, home runs and stolen bases, whereas the jazz fan, maybe better said the jazz fanatic, will note recording dates and lineups, titles, releases and recording engineers. The baseball fan will utilize those statistics to predict what a player will do in a clutch situation as in the bottom of the ninth with two ...
Continue ReadingAll New Releases From Ephemeris, Science Friction, Toine Thys Orlando, And More
by Bob Osborne
All new releases from Ephemeris, Tim Berne Science Friction, Toine Thys Orlando, Dun-Dun Band, Ellie Lee, Håkon Skogstad, Francisco Mela featuring Leo Genovese and William Parker, Dan Weiss, Sam Wilson, and, Paul Dunmall with Paul Rogers and Mark Sanders.Playlist Show Intro 00:00 Ephemeris “Gnomon" from Ephemeris (Marsken Records) 00:53 Tim Berne Science Friction “Deadbeat Beyoncè--SciFry" from No Tamales On Wednesday (Screwgun) 18:54 Toine Thys Orlando “El Curandero" from Betterland (Hypnote) 44:42 Dun-Dun Band “No. 20 (Once Raw: The ...
Continue ReadingRespect the Rabbit! (Owen Broder Interview)
by Patrick Burnette
For some fans, the story of jazz saxophone begins with John Coltrane. This episode, the boys interview Owen Broder, who gives propers to Coltrane's old boss, Johnny Hodges. Mainstay of the Duke Ellington band and lover of lettuce and tomato sandwiches, the Rabbit (as he was known) possessed the most sumptuous sound ever heard from an alto saxophone and knew every microtone of the territory between each note of the scale. Owen talks about his Hodges Front and Center duology, ...
Continue ReadingWestgaard / Hernandez / Strid: The Knapsack, The Hat, and The Horn
by Glenn Astarita
The Knapsack, The Hat, and The Horn is a compelling exploration of free improvisation and acoustic sounds. The album, recorded in a single day in Gävle, Sweden, features Hein Westgaard on acoustic steel string guitar, Katt Hernandez on violin and Raymond Strid on drums. It dives into a rich soundscape that merges elements of hypnotic folk motifs, chamber music and abstract sonic territories, creating a unique listening experience that feels both adventurous and deeply personal.The music draws inspiration ...
Continue ReadingBob Weir and Others at the Jazz Foundation of America Gala Concert at the Apollo Theater
by Paul Reynolds
Bob Weir, Marshall Allen, Jazzmeia Horn, Dee Dee Bridgewater, et al.The Apollo Theater Jazz Federation of America Gala New York, NY March 28, 2024 At gala concerts for worthy groups, it's understandably easy for the music to play second fiddle to the organization itself--and the desire to support it. But ,carefully curated, these events can yield memorable and unique performances and other moments. So it was last Friday at the Apollo ...
Continue ReadingJonah Parzen-Johnson: You're Never Really Alone
by Karl Ackermann
You're Never Really Alone is the seventh solo album from baritone saxophonist Jonah Parzen-Johnson. “Solo" is misleading as Parzen-Johnson's nuanced use of electronics has consistently added the kind of multiple dimensions that belie the work of a single player. This album, in contrast, is wholly acoustic but showcases Parzen-Johnson's remarkable ability to create enigmatic, deeply moving and mystical soundscapes and narratives. Even without his customary electronic enhancements, Parzen-Johnson utilizes the full range of sounds available from the baritone ...
Continue ReadingGiuseppe Doronzo: Futuro Ancestrale
by Mark Corroto
A mesmerizing approach to an improvising trio yields Futuro Ancestrale, which was recorded during a performance at Amsterdam's Bimhuis in June of 2022. This trio brings together Italian baritone saxophonist Giuseppe Doronzo, guitarist Andy Moor and American drummer Frank Rosaly. Doronzo (Aterraterr and AVA Trio) and Rosaly (Rempis Percussion Quartet and ¡Todos de Pie!) have relocated to Amsterdam and both can be heard in the small orchestra All Ellington. They have found the creative scene in Amsterdam to be very ...
Continue Reading
