Articles by Jane Kozhevnikova
Carlton-Macpherson-Pass-Valenti Quartet Interview Series: Kate Pass
by Jane Kozhevnikova
This is the second article in the series of interviews (read the Alana Macpherson) featuring four Australian jazz musicians: Jessica Carlton (trumpet), Alana Macpherson (saxophone), Kate Pass (double bass) and Talya Valenti (drums). They formed a quartet in 2021 and released the album Undeniable (Self Produced, 2022). All About Jazz had the honor of meeting the musicians via Zoom and talking about their careers, projects and plans. This article is dedicated to Kate Pass, a bassist and ...
Continue ReadingAmaury Faye: Arise (Suite)
by Jane Kozhevnikova
As they say, better than mountains is only the mountain that you have not climbed yet. Amaury Faye, a promising pianist from France, reaches new heights in his 2023 album Arise. It is an instrumental suite inspired by mountains. Arise has a vast range to offer to its listeners, from quiet valleys to extreme peaks. Arise showcases the multiple talents of Faye as a pianist and composer. This album can easily become a soundtrack to a film ...
Continue ReadingMonika Herzig: Both Sides of Joni with Janiece Jaffe
by Jane Kozhevnikova
It is always challenging to create an album based on songs by someone as great as Joni Mitchell. Monika Herzig, pianist and composer, went for this challenge inspired by vocalist Janiece Jaffe. Although they recorded the project together, Jaffe passed away unexpectedly after heart surgery in November 2022. Shocked and devastated by the passing of her friend of 31 years, Herzig committed to finish the project and share it with the world. The album Both Sides of Joni ...
Continue ReadingCarlton-Macpherson-Pass-Valenti Quartet Interview Series: Alana Macpherson
by Jane Kozhevnikova
This interview is the first in a series to feature the Carlton-Macpherson-Pass-Valenti quartet from Australia: Jessica Carlton (trumpet), Alana Macpherson (saxophone), Kate Pass (double bass) and Talya Valenti (drums). They formed a quartet in 2021 with Carlton's move to Perth from Melbourne and Macpherson's temporary return from Austria. The quartet's debut album, Undeniable (Self Produced, 2022), followed soon after. All About Jazz had the honor of meeting the musicians of the quartet individually via Zoom at the end of 2022 ...
Continue ReadingMarína Ósk: One Evening in July
by Jane Kozhevnikova
Who knew back in the early days of jazz that the songs written back then would later become standards and inspire people in the “far far away" 2022? Marína Ósk, a promising emerging musician from Reykjavík, Iceland, has found her composer's voice in writing lyrical jazz pieces which sound like some songs of the “Great American Songbook." One can sense that Ósk's album One Evening in July (TengTones, 2022) was deeply influenced by recordings of Ella ...
Continue ReadingSvetlana Marinchenko: Making Jazz Between Times
by Jane Kozhevnikova
So many people around the world have been influenced by the art of John Coltrane. Svetlana Marinchenko, a pianist from Moscow who now lives in Germany, is surely one of them. After listening to his album A Love Supreme (Impulse! Records, 1965), she decided to dedicate her life to music. Since then, she has recorded three albums and traveled the world performing her original pieces. It was a great pleasure to have this conversation with her and learn more about ...
Continue ReadingKevin “Bujo” Jones: Jazz as a Part of The Continuum
by Jane Kozhevnikova
Jazz musicians can be found working in any other music styles, probably because jazz gives great flexibility and freedom of expression that can be easily applied to any music. Kevin “Bujo" Jones, a percussionist born in Englewood, New Jersey, and residing in Grand Rapids, Michigan, feels equally comfortable playing jazz and non-jazz. Moreover, he does not separate jazz from soul, r'n'b and gospel, but views those styles as a part of the same continuum. Throughout his career, Jones ...
Continue ReadingEri Chichibu: Discovering the Path from Psychology to Jazz and Crossing Reality
by Jane Kozhevnikova
Sometimes people decide to pursue a career in music early in their lives, but many artists go with a “normal" career until their passion for music wins. That happened to Eri Chichibu, a Japanese composer, arranger and pianist who started as a psychology major in Japan. She holds a bachelor's degree in Jazz Composition and Film Scoring and a minor in Video Game Scoring from Berklee College of Music. She won the 2020 and 2019 ASCAP Foundation Herb Alpert Young ...
Continue ReadingLeah Crane: Lucky to Be Me
by Jane Kozhevnikova
Hailing from Indianapolis and based in Chicago, versatile singer Leah Crane released Lucky to Be Me in 2022 after working on it since 2019. Joining her on the album is Paul Langford, a Chicago-based singer, arranger, keyboardist, producer and conductor. The album also features Rob Dixon on saxophone, Daniel Duarte on guitar, Shawn Sommer on bass and Tom Hipskind on drums. Lucky To Be Me has a variety of instrumentation ranging from a duet to an ...
Continue ReadingJosé Valentino: The Entrepreneurial Approach To Jazz And Beyond
by Jane Kozhevnikova
May jazz be commercial? Should a musician stick to one career or sustain many passions? What is the best way for musicians to set their rates? How to choose the right opportunities? These questions can raise many debates. José Valentino Ruiz (stage name José Valentino), a Latin Grammy-and Emmy Award-winning producer, composer and performer, answers these questions regularly at the University of Florida as the inaugural professor of music business & entrepreneurship at the School of Music and Co-Chair of ...
Continue Reading
