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Why Is Jazz A Big Deal Everywhere… Except In The US?
by Chris May
Dateline: London, February 20, 2024. A bewildered friend in Los Angeles asks: Why is jazz so under-appreciated in the United States when it is revered everywhere else? Lest we forget, jazz was born and spent its formative years in the US and is arguably the country's most valuable contribution to world culture. But the stats show its home-turf profile dimming. Here in Britain, by contrast, jazz grows ever more popular; it is still niche but less ...
Continue ReadingJohn Donegan - The Irish Sextet: Light Streams
by Ian Patterson
Irish pianist John Donegan may not be a household name, but the Cork musician has walked with giants, playing with the likes of Art Blakey, Art Farmer, Barney Kessel and Ireland's own jazz great, guitarist Louis Stewart. He has also been on something of a roll with his Irish sextet, with Light Streams quickly following on the heels of Shadows Linger (Jayde Records, 2022). And with a third sextet album on the near horizon, Donegan is enjoying an Indian summer. ...
Continue ReadingTim Warfield: One For Shirley
by C. Andrew Hovan
Jimmy Smith and Larry Young have continually set the benchmark for creative endeavors involving jazz and the Hammond B-3 organ, Smith being acknowledged for bringing the technical virtuosity of be-bop to the instrument and Young for expanding the vernacular based on the forward-thinking implications of John Coltrane. Somewhere in between these two, a colorful range of styles proliferated throughout the '50s and '60s, from the cocktail jazz of Milt Buckner to the soulful grooves of “Big" John Patton. But it ...
Continue ReadingKim Dae Hwan / Choi Sun Bae: Korean Fantasy
by Glenn Astarita
Korean Fantasy by Kim Dae Hwan (drums) and Choi Sun Bae (trumpet, harmonica) captures the ethereal essence of a live performance on November 26, 1999, at Aspirante, Hofu City, in Yamaguchi, Japan. This record stands as testament to the label's commitment to presenting a blend of avant-garde jazz and improvisation, and unearthing gems from the archives while also spotlighting contemporary works from a diverse roster of international artists. The album presents a gripping exploration of improvisational acumen, rooted ...
Continue ReadingKristen Lee Sergeant, Ted Nash, Russ Johnson, Audible Spirits & More
by Ludovico Granvassu
This set focuses on Andrew Hill, Herbie Nichols, Bob Dorough and Oliver Nelson, four American originals and various generations of musicians they've inspired.Happy listening!Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Superblue feat. The Huntertones “Naughty Number Nine" SuperBlue: The Iridescent Spree (Edition) 0:16 Host talks 3:27 Kristen Lee Sergeant, Ted Nash “Blue Xmas (To Whom It May Concern)" Holidays (Sunnyside) 5:39 Host talks 9:49 Ben Allison, Steve Cardenas, Ted Nash ...
Continue ReadingSimon Nabatov 3 + 2: Verbs
by John Sharpe
What constitutes a composition? German-based Russian-born pianist Simon Nabatov makes a convincing case that a simple verbal instruction can suffice on Verbs. It is not a claim he makes himself, but the six supposed improvisations each mines such a distinctive seam that, although spontaneously conceived without melody or other formal arrangement, the initial proposition proves enough. Perhaps germane to the achievement is the presence of the pianist's regular trio mates, bassist Stefan Schönegg and drummer Dominik Mahnig, although that is ...
Continue ReadingMike Mele: Guitarist, Composer and Educator
by Doug Hall
On this show, we chat with guitarist Mike Mele, a graduate from Berklee College of Music in 1990 (Cum Laude). Mele is a prominent educator, and has taught guitar lessons through The Music Emporium in Lexington, Massachusetts for over twenty-five years. He has also taught at Berklee College of Music, Tufts University, Sharon Music Academy, Bentley College, and currently is a music teacher at Phillips Exeter Academy. He spent the last thirty years performing with many ...
Continue ReadingSatoko Inoue: Presents Jo Kondo's Works For Piano 2015-2020
by Chris May
Jo Kondo is a composer unto himself, but for ready reference he can be filed in the proximity of John Cage and Morton Feldman, both of whom he got to know in 1978 in New York while in the city on a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation. Satoko Inoue is a concert pianist specializing in modern music. Presents Jo Kondo's Works For Piano 2015-2020 is her second album of Kondo's music for the ezz-thetics label, following Presents Jo Kondo's New ...
Continue ReadingJohn Swana: Philly Gumbo Vol.2
by C. Andrew Hovan
It seems like a lot of up and coming trumpeters these days go for the bop stylings of Freddie Hubbard and Woody Shaw as their main influence. Far fewer look to players like Art Farmer or Kenny Wheeler for inspiration. That's what has made watching the development of Philadelphia trumpet man John Swana so fascinating over the years. While he has the chops needed to communicate in the high-octane language of be-bop, his tone and use of space suggest that ...
Continue ReadingTerry Adams: Terrible [Deluxe Edition]
![Read "Terrible [Deluxe Edition]" reviewed by Dave Linn](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/coverart/large/1915e29cbe092b861b4848bdfe28ad6b.jpg)
by Dave Linn
Terry Adams is best known for his work with the seminal band, NRBQ (New Rhythm & Blues Quartet). Their self-titled debut (Columbia, 1969), included Sun Ra's “Rocket Number Nine." The follow-up was a collaboration with early rock legend Carl Perkins called Boppin' The Blues. In 1974 singer, songwriter, and guitarist extraordinaire, Big Al Anderson and drummer Tom Ardolino joined the band. For the next 20 years that lineup thrilled live audiences around the world. In 1994, Anderson (dismayed by the ...
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