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.

266

Album Review

Dion Parson featuring the 21st Century Band: People Music

Read "People Music" reviewed by Elliott Simon

by Elliott Simon
July 6, 2004

The most successful efforts at intertwining world/folk music with jazz artfully maintain an “of the people/by the people" feel. The best of these in turn feature a core group of talented musicians who within this structure use the complex improvisational techniques and instrumental voicings of jazz to explore new musical territory. People Music , led by drummer Dion Parson, is just such a session. Parson has surrounded himself with inventive jazz musicians who also continue to maintain a ...

216

Album Review

Ron Blake: Up Front and Personal

by David A. Orthmann
June 1, 2000

Up Front and Personal, tenor and soprano saxophonist Ron Blake’s long overdue debut as a leader, exhibits a healthy respect for the jazz tradition and a willingness to step into the future. The disc features Blake and a kinetic rhythm section consisting of pianist Shedrick Mitchell, bassist Reuben Rogers, and the drums and cymbals of Greg Hutchinson. This is an unusually cohesive band in which the members take obvious delight in inspiring one another. Tenor titan Johnny Griffin plays on ...