Jazz Articles
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Hal Galper: Adventures In The Zone
by Paul Rauch
This article was first published on All About Jazz on October 20, 2020. The career of Hal Galper has earned the pianist acclaim as both a performer and educator. Perhaps most importantly, it has drawn attention to his contributions to the music as a true innovator. While other pianists of his era gained more recognition, Galper sought out a career path where acclaim would be genuine among his peers and his audience, and not measured by the value ...
Continue ReadingOpa and The Blackbyrds: Coveted 1970s Jazz-Funk
by Mark Sullivan
Opa released only two albums before disbanding in the early 1980s. While neither of their albums found commercial success during their initial releases (despite the high-profile personalities involved), both titles gained underground followings over the following decades. The Blackbyrds' City Life celebrates its golden anniversary. “Happy Music," the dancefloor-ready title track and the group's heavily sampled signature hit, “Rock Creek Park" are the showpieces. The LP re-releases are a gift to DJs and samplers who have had to do serious ...
Continue ReadingStefan Keune / Sandy Ewen / Damon Smith: Two Felt-Tip Pens: Live At Moers
by Mark Corroto
This recording from the Moers Festival in May 2023, Germany, is dedicated to the late Hans Schneider. Bassist and label curator Damon Smith has made it a lifelong practice to seek out and collaborate with his musical heroes, a list that includes Jaap Blonk, Roscoe Mitchell, Henry Kaiser and Vinny Golia. Naturally, that list also honors pioneering bassists like Joëlle Léandre, Peter Kowald, Bertram Turetzky--and Schneider, who passed away in 2024. Joining Smith for this performance are American ...
Continue ReadingIvo Perelman: Armageddon Flower
by Mike Jurkovic
Ekphrastic by design, Armageddon Flower, the forty-seventh bold, forward-thinking testament pairing saxophonist Ivo Perelman and pianist Matthew Shipp is the duo's new zenith in a tireless exploration dating back nearly thirty years. It is another view from the pinnacle of their brotherhood that includes such watermark recordings as the symbiotic Live In Nuremberg (SMP, 2019), Fruition (ESP, 2022), Magical Incantations (Soul City Sounds, 2024) and the fanciful, Brazilian flavored Bendito of Santa Cruz (Cadence, 1996) which started it all.
Continue ReadingJimmy Lyons: Live From Studio Rivbea (Jimmy Lyons)
by John Sharpe
Alto saxophonist Jimmy Lyons was underappreciated even at the height of his powers, but to those with ears attuned to the radical innovations of the loft jazz era, he was a galvanizing presence. That his legacy remains under-lit is due in part to his long-standing tenure in Cecil Taylor's incandescent orbit. Lyons was more than a foil; he was Taylor's most empathetic interlocutor, the tether to bebop logic amid Taylor's eruptive torrents. But a fatal cocktail of perfectionism ...
Continue ReadingDominik Wania & Christophe Monniot Duo at The 18th Summer Jazz Academy
by Marek J. Śmietański
A collection of photos from the Dominik Wania & Christophe Monniot Duo concert at Wytwórnia in Lodz on June 29, 2025 featuring Dominik Wania and Christophe Monniot. ...
Continue ReadingA Few Of My Favorite 2025 Jazz Things (So Far), Part 4
by Ludovico Granvassu
Halfway through 2025, we're thrilled to share the jazz tracks that have impressed us most. Here's the fourth part of our curated selection highlighting the artistry and innovation that continue to make jazz a living, breathing force. Happy listening! Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Simon Spiess Helio “Lumbago" Helio (u n i t) 0:16 Host talks 7:49 Misha Mullov-Abbado “Traintracker" Effra (Ubuntu) 9:01 Host talks 18:01 Tal ...
Continue ReadingElla Feingold & Charlie Hunter: Sanford N’ Anybody
by Ludovico Granvassu
Here is music from an album I have been eagerly waiting for, featuring a too-good-to-be-true new collaboration between two of the most distinctive guitar voices around: Ella Feingold and Charlie Hunter. With these kinds of stellar pairings, tempering anticipation with caution is not unwise--but not this time. Feingold and Hunter aren't just virtuosos--they're conversationalists. And on Different Strokes for Different Folks, they are in a deep dialogue speaking fluent funk in all its rich dialects. Often the groove ...
Continue ReadingA Few Of My Favorite 2025 Jazz Things (So Far), Part 5
by Ludovico Granvassu
The curtain has been up on 2025's jazz scene, and the first act has been quite compelling. We've been spotlighting the tracks that have stolen the show, and we're not quite done yet. Here's part 5 for you. Happy listening! Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Tobias Meinhart “Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" Sonic River (Sonic River) 0:16 Host talks 4:55 Jasper Blom Quartet + Metropole Orkest ...
Continue ReadingMeet Ola Onabulé
by Cheryl K.
In this hour, an interview with British-Nigerian singer-songwriter Ola Onabulé and his Rugged Ram Records release Proof of Life. Also, cuts from new releases by trombonist and composer John Yao and His 17-Piece Instrument, singer-songwriter Paloma Dineli Chesky and guitarist Toby Wren's Standards Trio. Playlist John Yao and His 17-Piece Instrument “The Other Way" from Points in Time (See Tao Recordings) 4:57 Michael Buckley “Sloppy in Time" from EBB and FLOW (Livia) 6:16 [excerpt] Ola Onabulé “Scoops" from ...
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