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

Cecil Taylor: Fragments: The Complete 1969 Salle Pleyel Concerts

Read "Fragments: The Complete 1969 Salle Pleyel Concerts" reviewed by Jack Kenny

by Jack Kenny
May 2, 2026

Hosting a recording by Cecil Taylor represents a new departure for producer Zev Feldman. He is candid about the challenge: “Words fail me to describe the great genius of Cecil Taylor and I could never do him justice, but luckily we have Phil Freeman's erudite words." Freeman contributes a substantial essay to the release. Even after fifty years, Taylor's music remains dense, unrelenting, forceful, and challenging. Time has not diminished its impact. The glorious vivacity is undimmed.

Album Review

Bennie Wallace: French Postcard

Read "French Postcard" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan

by Dan McClenaghan
May 2, 2026

In 2001, saxophonist Bennie Wallace released a breakout album, Moodsville (Groove Note). It was Wallace in the quartet setting, with Mulgrew Miller on piano, Peter Washington on bass, and Lewis Nash on drums--an all-star cast. What was striking about the sound was its immediacy, its authenticity. It was a bunch of time-tested Great American Songbook tunes and jazz standards laid down with an insouciant grace and relaxed confidence. No bells and whistles, but rather an unpretentious trip into the tradition ...

Radio & Podcasts

Nathan Paul: Life's Notes

by Daniel Peck
May 2, 2026

Nathan-Paul Davis grew up a pastor's son here in Cleveland, and knows how to deliver sound medicine to the people. His velvety lo-fi sounds are a vibe-heavy soul party, fusing modern trap, '70s funk, and fiery southern gospel.And Fusion is an apt word for this performance, which he terms Life's Notes. This show is steeped in improvisation, borders on free jazz but really is best described as an hour of experimental Fusion.Featuring Garret Folger on trumpet, ...

Album Review

Soft Machine: Thirteen

by Gary Gomes
May 2, 2026

Soft Machine has seen many incarnations over the years. The initial iteration of the group, from roughly 1966-1980, and 13 albums, saw no two albums with the same personnel. The band was also arguably one of the first fusion bands. Soft Machine's overall approach was more experimental, incorporating elements of free jazz and minimalism in a unique blend, regardless of who was in the shifting pool. In 1984, Soft Machine finally disbanded and was reunified as Soft Machine Legacy with ...

Radio & Podcasts

Steve Wilson, Harry Skoler, Yvonne Rogers, Jed Levy-Phil Robson, Udeigwe

by Cheryl K.
May 2, 2026

During this week's two-hour program of jazz and improvised music--saxophonist Steve Wilson; clarinetist Harry Skoler; vocalist/composer Marie-Paule Franke; pianist/composer Yvonne Rogers; pianist/composer/arranger John Beasley; saxophonist Jed Levy and guitarist Phil Robson; gayageum player/vocalist/composer DoYeon Kim; pianist Antonio Farao and trumpeter Stephane Belmondo; and vocalist/keyboardist/composer Lawrence Udeigwe. Playlist Johnny Griffin “Main Spring" from The Congregation (Blue Note) 6:31 Steve Wilson “The Surest Things Can Change" from Enduring Sonance (Smoke Sessions) 6:35 Godwin Louis “Thy Will Be Done" from Psalms ...

Live Review

Live From Tallinn: The Necks, Phlox & The Jimi Tenor Band

by Martin Longley
May 2, 2026

The Necks Paavli Kultuurivabrik Tallinn, Estonia April 25, 2026 The Necks revel in their improvisatory nature, but they do observe a handful of self-imposed parameters. Their free-form excursions customarily evolve over the span of around an hour, and their gigs usually involve a pair of sets, mostly navigating contrasting approaches. Here they are at Tallinn's major alternative venue, which adopts a standing-space stance, just as if we're inhabiting a rock gig. This eternally-running Australian trio ...

Live Review

Sound-ing Paint

by John Eyles
May 2, 2026

Sound-ing Paint St. Paul's United Reform Church, Newton Road London, United Kingdom April 11, 2026 Readers who are familiar with the Dutch-born, London-resident artist Gwendolyn Kassenaar will not be surprised by her latest venture which combines art and improvised music. Many will have made first contact with her when she painted or sketched their image during a skronk performance at which they were a performer or an audience member. Others will have encountered her when ...

Rising Stars

Introducing Saxophonist Paloma Ximena

by Sanford Josephson
May 1, 2026

In May 2022, Rio Americano High School in Sacramento, CA, was a finalist in Jazz at Lincoln Center's Essentially Ellington competition, and sophomore Paloma Ximena won two solo awards: Outstanding Clarinetist and Outstanding Alto Saxophonist. “That was really the start of my career," she said. “That was the moment when I really decided to pursue music." During the fall of 2021, Ximena was playing competitive soccer as a goalie and “trying to go to college for soccer. But ...

In Pictures

Jamie Cullum at The Great Theatre—Polish National Opera

by Marek J. Śmietański
May 1, 2026

A collection of photos from the Jamie Cullum concert at The Great Theatre--Polish National Opera in Warsaw on April 20, 2026 featuring Tom Varrall, Loz Garratt, Brad Webb, Rory Simmons, Tom Richards and Aisha Stuart, Marc Henderson. ...

Cool Vic Files

Case File: The Ambulance Job

by Cool Vic, The Music Dick
May 1, 2026

Case File: The Ambulance Job QuestionOk Vic, Reader Kevin Doucette thinks Angine de Poitrine might secretly be members of Misc. Both are Quebec acts, both get weird, and Misc's album Partager l'ambulance means “Share the Ambulance," while Angine de Poitrine means chest pain. Coincidence... or somebody leaving breadcrumbs? --Rosa, Lansdale, PA AnswerRosa from Lansdale, You have a nice train station... the curvaceous “R5" line, if I'm not mistaken... anyway... Coincidence is what ...