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.

Album Review

Brand X: Theory of Nothing: Record Live in 1977

Read "Theory of Nothing: Record Live in 1977" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
October 10, 2026

Every so often an archival release arrives that makes you wonder how such music remained unheard for so long. Theory of Nothing: Recorded Live 1977 is one of those releases. Drawn from reel-to-reel tapes discovered in the collection of Brand X keyboardist Robin Lumley, this two-CD set captures the British progressive rock / jazz fusion band during its 1977 U.S. tour, offering a vivid glimpse of the group at its best. The first disc sounds astonishingly fresh, with ...

Album Review

Anton Roolaart: The Ballad of General Jupiter

Read "The Ballad of General Jupiter" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
July 20, 2026

Dutch American multi-instrumentalist Anton Roolaart has inhabited the progressive rock world long enough to have earned his credentials, having spent more than a decade championing artists from Van der Graaf Generator to Camel through his streaming station, ProgRockRadio. His album The Plight of Lady Oona (Self-Produced, 2014) featured collaborations with Renaissance vocalist Annie Haslam and confirmed that his ambitions were genuine. In 2020, Roolaart relocated to Amsterdam after most of a lifetime in the States, and the emotional weight of ...

Album Review

Mark Wingfield: Elemental

Read "Elemental" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
May 3, 2026

British guitarist and composer Mark Wingfield has spent decades forging one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary jazz and fusion. Drawing from a rich palette of influences--including John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix, and global traditions from India, Japan, and Africa--he has built an impressive discography on MoonJune Records and his own Dark Energy Music imprint. One of MoonJune's most reliably rewarding artists, Wingfield consistently pushes the boundaries of jazz, progressive rock, and fusion. Widely ...

Album Review

Soft Machine: Thirteen

by Gary Gomes
May 2, 2026

Soft Machine has seen many incarnations over the years. The initial iteration of the group, from roughly 1966-1980, and 13 albums, saw no two albums with the same personnel. The band was also arguably one of the first fusion bands. Soft Machine's overall approach was more experimental, incorporating elements of free jazz and minimalism in a unique blend, regardless of who was in the shifting pool. In 1984, Soft Machine finally disbanded and was reunified as Soft Machine Legacy with ...

Album Review

Markus Reuter (featuring Fabio Trentini and Asaf Sirkis): Truce <3

Read "Truce <3" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
October 31, 2025

When German touch guitarist Markus Reuter first united with fretless bassist Fabio Trentini and drummer Asaf Sirkis for their debut album, Truce (MoonJune/Unsung Records, 2020), they established a power trio that defied conventional boundaries. The core concept was simple: three masters of their instruments, no pre-composed material and complete trust in the moment. The group's methodology, creating music spontaneously without charts, demands absolute proficiency. On this album, they anticipate one another's next move flawlessly. They are not just ...

Album Review

Soft Machine: Floating World Live

Read "Floating World Live" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
September 18, 2025

Keyboardist Mike Ratledge's “The Man Who Waved at Trains" emerges as a highlight from Soft Machine's 2025 remastered album Floating World Live, representing a crucial period in the Canterbury legends' evolution during their pivotal era with guitar great Allan Holdsworth . Moreover, Drop (MoonJune, 2025), drawn from a 1971 concert, also receives the remastered treatment for 2025. “The Man Who Waved at Trains" highlights Soft Machine at their most reflective, weaving together Ratledge and Karl Jenkins' hypnotic keyboard ...

Album Review

Mark Wingfield: The Gathering

Read "The Gathering" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
February 17, 2025

Mark Wingfield's The Gathering is not for the faint of heart or those who prefer their music neatly categorized. This is not background music--it is a sonic assault course demanding your full attention. Wingfield, a British guitar hero who clearly enjoys pushing boundaries, has assembled a supergroup of instrumentalists who seem to be having as much fun defying expectations as creating them. Gary Husband, a musical chameleon who switches from delicate piano to thunderous drums in the blink of an ...

Liner Notes

Quartet Diminished: Deerand

by Mark Sullivan
December 15, 2024

Deerand is a Persian term which means “duration" of instrument's tones. Quartet Diminished was established in Iran in 2013 by guitarist Ehsan Sadigh. This is their fourth album, following Station Three (Hermes Records, 2021). Their music is stylistically diverse, drawing freely from contemporary jazz, art rock, and avant-garde music. The membership has been relatively stable. Sadigh (electric guitar) has had bandmates Soheil Peyghambar (woodwinds), Mazyar Younesi (piano, voice), and Rouzbeh Fadavi (drums) on most of the group's albums. ...

Album Review

Duo Atanasovski: Liberte Toujours

Read "Liberte Toujours" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
January 25, 2024

Liberte Toujours by Duo Atanasovski is a musical odyssey that skillfully blends jazz, Balkan folk, and classical influences, displaying the extraordinary talents of these Slovenian artists. In this album, Ariel Vei Atanasovski, wielding both guitar and cello, partners with Vasko Atanasovski, a virtuoso of the saxophone and flute. They are joined by the formidable talents of Marko Churnchetz on piano, Jošt Drašler on double bass, and Marjan Stanić on drums and percussion, creating a powerhouse ensemble. This musical ...

Album Review

Soft Machine: Other Doors

Read "Other Doors" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
November 30, 2023

Soft Machine's Other Doors is a compelling exploration into the progressive jazz-rock fusion realm, highlighting the band's evolution and continued dedication to innovative musical expression and capturing the essence of Soft Machine's improvisational brilliance. The record unfolds like a sonic journey, inviting listeners into a world of intricate compositions and virtuosic performances. What sets Other Doors apart is its raw energy and the band's ability to blend various musical elements seamlessly. Tracks such as “Kings and Queens" and the Kevin ...