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

Buster Williams: Pinnacle

Read "Pinnacle" reviewed by Andrew Schinder

by Andrew Schinder
May 7, 2026

Bass legend Buster Williams has built a long, prolific career traversing the innerwebs of diverse jazz styles and sub-genres, developing into a beloved sideman and one of the finest rhythmists of jazz's modern period. Williams' bass can elevate any material, and he has contributed to some of the most treasured recordings in the jazz canon, in particular supporting Kenny Barron, Woody Shaw and, of course, Herbie Hancock. But Williams has an exceptional discography of his own, if a bit overshadowed by ...

Radio & Podcasts

Don Slepian, AEOLUS, Les Paul, Martin Denny, Arthur Lyman, Chick Corea and more

by Lawrence Peryer
May 7, 2026

This episode originates from Kona, on Hawaii's Big Island, and the music follows suit. Every track this hour has some connection to the region: made in Hawaii, recorded in Hawaii, or inspired by Hawaii.We move through mid-century exotica and lounge, contemporary slack-key and ukulele, as well as a few surprises. It's a portrait of a musical geography, from 1949 to the present.Playlist Lawrence Peryer [mic break] 00:00 Don Slepian “March of the Spirits" from Electronic Music ...

Radio & Podcasts

Dida Pelled Wishes You Would...

by Leo Sidran
May 7, 2026

Dida Pelled became deeply immersed in jazz as a teenager in Tel Aviv, obsessing over guitarists like Grant Green and Wes Montgomery. But when she moved to New York nearly two decades ago, her artistic identity began to expand.In addition to establishing herself as a guitarist on the city's club scene, Pelled gradually stepped forward as a singer, songwriter, and bandleader, exploring a wider range of sounds and influences, from indie and Americana to straight-ahead jazz. She also ...

History of Jazz

That's Club Harlem in West Philly, NOT Club Harlem in Atlantic City

by Richard J Salvucci
May 6, 2026

History can be a funny thing. The established story--the received wisdom--can be difficult to contest. And yet, there are subtle indications that something is not quite right. The weight of prejudice, self-interest, and or sheer inertia may stand in the way of getting things right. And material circumstances change too, especially over a lengthy period of time. Such would seem to be the story of the Club Harlem in Philadelphia, a kind of footnote to the history of jazz in ...

Live Review

Harold López-Nussa at Whale Theatre

by Ian Patterson
May 6, 2026

Harold López-Nussa Whale Theatre 25th Bray Jazz Festival Greystones, Ireland May 01, 2026 Whilst many of the ancient Irish traditions associated with May Day have waned, the time-honored custom of gathering with friends to make merry on first day of summer never loses its appeal. And so, the pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes of Greystones were bustling on this sunny Friday afternoon. Most, however, will have been blissfully unaware that a Cuban jazz pianist was in town.

Album Review

Christian Dillingham: As It Relates To Now

Read "As It Relates To Now" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
May 6, 2026

Bassists who spearhead recordings encounter a fundamental challenge. The apparatus that anchors the ensemble remains the most difficult to position at the forefront without the result appearing as a gimmick. Christian Dillingham evades this pitfall on As It Relates To Now not through excessive technical displays, but by ensuring every choice carries weight. The double bass does not merely exist for exhibition; it governs the proceedings. The selection of a trio--comprising Dillingham, Greg Ward on alto saxophone, and ...

Album Review

Michael Formanek: New Digs

Read "New Digs" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
May 6, 2026

Michael Formanek has never been content to anchor a bandstand and call it a career. Over decades of work--from sideman stints with Stan Getz and Joe Henderson to the long-running Thumbscrew trio with Mary Halvorson and Tomas Fujiwara--he has operated as a composer and architect, building rooms rather than merely inhabiting them. New Digs recorded over two days in Torres Vedras, Portugal, stands as an ambitious project via this seven-piece trans-Atlantic ensemble shaped by a precise sonic design.

Radio & Podcasts

Brian Citro, Meg Okura, and Dinah Washington

by Jerome Wilson
May 6, 2026

This show has a couple of detours into the world of blues and includes music by Brian Citro, Ellen Rowe, Chris Rea, Meg Okura and Dinah Washington. 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 Conrad Herwig “Search for Peace" from The Latin Side of McCoy Tyner (Savant) 1:10 The Interplay Jazz Orchestra “Strasbourg / St. Denis" from Bite Your Tongue ...

Album Review

Sam Robinson: 'Chasin' the Dream'

Read "'Chasin' the Dream'" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
May 6, 2026

Chasin' the Dream is the fourth album as leader by Chicago-based trumpeter Sam Robinson who keeps chasin' his dream of success as a jazz musician and composer even while holding down a full-time gig as a middle school French teacher and trebling as a husband and father. Although that is a lot of grub to pile on anyone's plate, Robinson shows here that there is no way the jazz entrée can cause him any discomfort. In other words, ...

Radio & Podcasts

Black Nile, Bria Skonberg, Arturo Sandoval and an interview with Jeff Lederer and Mary LaRose

by Hobart Taylor
May 6, 2026

This week's show features an interview with Jeff Lederer and Mary LaRose about their new release in conjunction with the Wildebeest Wind Quintet, “There's A Yearnin.'" The album consists of newly resurfaced scores by Ornette Coleman, Eric Dolphy and Oliver Nelson with new lyrics by Mary LaRose.Playlist Host Speaks 00:00 Yazz Ahmed “Dawn Patrol" from Shinrin-Yoku (Night Time Stories) 01:06 Black Nile “Exposure" from Indigo Gardens (MASS MoCA) 08:03 Host Speaks 12:00 Angelique Kidjo} Nadi Balance (feat. Fally ...