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.
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Daniela Soledade: Pretty World
by Edward Blanco
Brazilian singer and composer Daniela Soledade presents her sophomore release Pretty World continuing a family tradition of exploration into light bossa nova music. Recognized as a proponent for a new bossa nova sound, her unique hushed-styled vocals distinguish this singer from the other vocalists of the genre. Born in Rio de Janeiro where the album was recorded, Soledade co-wrote two originals ("Beijo No Arpoador" and “Nothing Compares") with guitarist and producer Nate Najar and sings lyrics in English and Portuguese. ...
Continue ReadingNate Najar: Jazz Samba Pra Sempre
by Edward Blanco
Pioneered by Brazilian guitarist Joao Gilberto and popularized by Baden Powell, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Roberto Menescal and others in the early '60s, the bossa nova sound resonated strongly with the American jazz audience, and the Stan Getz / Charlie Byrd album Jazz Samba (Verve Records, 1962) became one of the driving forces behind this genre. Guitarist Nate Najar, who was heavily influenced by the music of Byrd, unveils his fourteenth album as leader with Jazz Samba Pra Sempre (Jazz Samba ...
Continue ReadingThe Nate Najar Trio: I'm All Smiles
by Matthew Warnock
Nylon-string guitarist Nate Najar channels the creative and energetic spirit of the late, great guitarist Charlie Byrd on I'm All Smiles. The album features Najar alongside Steve Boisen on bass, Chuck Redd on drums and Duduka Da Fonseca on percussion. While Najar gives ample evidence of his advanced solo guitar ability, those moments are always carefully inserted to provide contrast to the highly interactive ensemble sections. The result is an album full of tonal and improvisational twists and turns, creating ...
Continue ReadingNate Najar: The Cool Sounds of Nate Najar
by Matt Merewitz
Despite a chic album cover reminiscent of 1950s west coast jazz, and a well groomed young guitarist to boot, there is less substance on the Floridian’s latest effort than there could be. Cool is definitely the word to describe Nate Najar’s second album as a leader on his own independent Blue Line jazz label. “Cool” can get old quickly, however. Saturated with this coolness, Najar’s band, despite great talent, lacks originality.
The guitarist is clearly influenced by masters ...
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