Jazz Articles

Various: To Grover, With Love

by AAJ Staff
July 1, 2001

Grover Washington, Jr. was one of those jazz musicians, like George Benson or Herbie Mann, whose clarity of conception and uniqueness of sound crossed over into the realm of pop music for wider acclaim and, of course, for greater financial reward than life as a jazz musician would have provided. Beyond Washington’s wide appeal, he still was admired by his jazz peers, not only for his generosity and community spirit in his hometown of Philadelphia, but also for his considerable ...

Jafar Barron: The Free-Bop Movement

by Joel Roberts
May 1, 2001

Philadelphia trumpeter Jafar Barron offers an impressively cohesive mix of bebop, hip hop and spoken word on his debut album on Q Records. But jazz purists (at least those with open ears) need not fear - this is a jazz album, albeit one that draws on both rap and electronics.

Barron's approach most directly paralells that of Steve Coleman's M-Base Collective and, to a lesser extent Ornette Coleman's “free funk." Barron and his colleagues - including brother Farid, a member ...

Jafar Barron: The Free-Bop Movement

by Joel Roberts
April 1, 2001

Philadelphia trumpeter Jafar Barron offers an impressively cohesive mix of bebop, hip hop and spoken word on his debut album on Q Records. But jazz purists (at least those with open ears) need not fear - this is a jazz album, albeit one that draws on both rap and electronics.

Barron's approach most directly paralells that of Steve Coleman's M-Base Collective and, to a lesser extent Ornette Coleman's “free funk." Barron and his colleagues - including brother Farid, a member ...

Down To The Bone: Spread The Word

by Rob Evanoff
March 1, 2001

Ever have a rump quaking groove reach down to the bone and move you? Literally! Well, either you have or you haven’t but you would definitely know if you had. I tell you what...check out Down to the Bone’s third album for even just a paltry 30 seconds and you’ll soon be willing to spread the word.

Have I not enticed your sensibilities? Probably not, since you’re still reading. When was the last time you heard a CD so alive ...