Jazz Articles
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How Creedence Clearwater Revival Saved Jazz
by Kyle Simpler
By 1970, Creedence Clearwater Revival was arguably the biggest rock and roll group in America--if not the world. Songs like “Proud Mary" (Fantasy 1969), “Green River" (Fantasy 1969) and “Born on the Bayou" (Fantasy 1969) dominated both Top 40 and album-oriented radio, and their music continues to thrive decades later, becoming a staple of classic rock radio, film, and television. Their unique blend of country, blues, and rock and roll resonated with listeners across the board. But what many do ...
Continue ReadingKurt Elling and Peter Erskine at the Michigan Theater
by C. Andrew Hovan
Kurt Elling Celebrates Weather Report featuring Peter Erskine Michigan Theater 49th Performance of the 146th UMS Season Ann Arbor, Michigan April 11, 2025 With two Grammy Awards to his name and a long list of press accolades--including holding the top spot in the DownBeat Critics and Readers Polls for over a decade--vocalist Kurt Elling could easily rest on his laurels. But instead, he continues to push creative boundaries, embarking on projects that many would ...
Continue ReadingFreddie Hubbard: On Fire--Live From The Blue Morocco
by Jack Kenny
Freddie Hubbard is a conundrum. His style has varied significantly over the years, as though he were unsure of himself at a deep level. There were the Blue Note years, then the funk years, where he gained money and lost credibility. The all-encompassing technique was displayed in so many contexts, with Art Blakey, Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane and Eric Dolphy. Hubbard's casting around indicates an unresolved idea of what to do with his gifts. He was, after all, born at ...
Continue ReadingDonovan Haffner: Alleviate
by Neil Duggan
Saxophonist Donovan Haffner's musical journey began early. He was touring Italy and the UK with Moses Boyd when he was only 18 years old. He has gone on to play with Jay Phelps, Charlie Stacey and the Balimaya Project as well as graduating from the Royal Academy of Music. Haffner now takes the next step in his career with his debut album, Alleviate, which showcases nine of his distinctive compositions. He describes his style as “a combination of ...
Continue ReadingJeff Rupert, 3 Cohens, and Last Exit
by Jerome Wilson
This show features a wide variety of jazz musicians, such as Jeff Rupert, Bobby Kapp, 3 Cohens, Donald Byrd, and Last Exit. Playlist Henry Threadgill Sextett “I Can't Wait Till I Get Home" from The Complete Novus & Columbia Recordings of Henry Threadgill & Air (Mosaic} 00:00 Mathis Picard “The Creation of the World" from Live at the Museum (Outside In) 00:53 Bobby Kapp “Trance Dance" from Synergy (Tweed Blvd) 4:38 Craig Davis “Opus No. 5" from Tone ...
Continue ReadingChicago Edge Ensemble: Paradoxes In Freedom
by Mark Corroto
Listening to guitarist and bandleader Dan Phillips' music can feel like trying to keep a scorecard to track all the musical lines he weaves together. Fortunately, despite his wide-ranging influences and concepts, he structures his compositions in a way that remains accessible, always grounded in the rich jazz traditions of Chicago. Paradoxes In Freedom marks the fourth release from his Chicago Edge Ensemble. The lineup remains mostly intact from their previous album, The Individualists (Lizard Breath, 2023), with ...
Continue ReadingKevin Sun, Valerie June,Brandon Woody, Mina Choi with George Cables and Gustavo Cortinas
by Hobart Taylor
New music from Kevin Sun, The Ostara Project, The Nano Brothers and a tune from Zoh Amba.Playlist Valerie June “Calling My Spirit" from Owls, Omens, and Oracles (Concord) 0:00 Hot 8 Brass Band “Respect My Mind" from Big Tuba (Tru Thoughts) 2:00 Ostara Project" Papa" from Roots (Rhea) 6:23 Host Speaks 11:07 History Dog “Field Recordings" from Root Systems (Otherly Love) 12:42 Brandon Woody “ Beyond The Reach Of Our Eyes" from For The Love Of It All ...
Continue ReadingSavina Yannatou: Letting the Voice Go Where It Goes
by Katchie Cartwright
Savina Yannatou flies through vast reaches of space and time as she works, like the swallows and warblers who traverse the Sahara, stopping in Greece on their annual pilgrimage to breeding grounds in the North, thousands of miles away. She is an artist “beyond category," to borrow Duke Ellington's phrase, whose programs and performances combine Mediterranean songs with sources as disparate as Early Music and free jazz. The sounds she creates are her own, kaleidoscopic yet distinctive. Over the years, ...
Continue ReadingTake Five with Saxophonist/Singer/Guitarist Vanessa Collier
by AAJ Staff
Meet Vanessa Collier Vanessa Collier's sixth album Do It My Own Way was recently released on Phenix Fire Records. Recorded on analog gear with the musicians largely in one room, Do It My Own Way is sonically inspired by the classic Memphis soul sound of Stax and Hi Records, especially that of the Staples Singers. The second single “Wild As a Rainstorm," which dives deep into soul territory, powerfully gives advice to women and people who feel left out to ...
Continue ReadingBrent Jarvis: Dragonfly
by Jack Bowers
As a composer, Canadian pianist Brent Jarvis' ear is irrestibly drawn to harmonies and rhythms from well south of his usual orbit; more spefically, to the island of Cuba, from where Jarvis draws the lion's share of his inspiration for Dragonfly, his sixth recording as solo pianist or leader of a group. On this studio date, Jarvis supervises a rhythmically fine-tuned sextet, one of whose members is percussionist Jose Sanchez, and another of whom--trumpeter Miguelito Valdes--plays congas, ...
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