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

Ron Kadish: Tales From Under

Read "Tales From Under" reviewed by James Nadal

by James Nadal
July 5, 2017

As a journeyman bassist, Ron Kadish has traveled the long road, while always returning to his home base of Bloomington, Indiana, where he settled in 1993. As a local educator and active musician, he has steadily built up his performance resume and compositional dossier, which come to light in Tales From Under . His many collaborations and affiliations with a myriad of artists has given him a unique perspective, and this record is a glimpse at his world.

Album Review

Dave Kline: Shifting Borders

Read "Shifting Borders" reviewed by Geannine Reid

by Geannine Reid
July 5, 2017

Violinist Dave Kline is pushing the contemporary voice of strings to new heights, while maintaining a sophisticated yet approachable city sound. Kline's original compositions are intricate and push the violin as a lead instrument in an ensemble setting, assertively bending the borders of undiscovered territory with great result. This idea led to his new album entitled Shifting Borders. While this refers to the musical twists, turns and combinations, it also captures Kline's personal journey across the globe, and encompasses his ...

Live Review

Freihofer's Saratoga Jazz Festival 2017

by R.J. DeLuke
July 5, 2017

Saratoga Performing Arts Center Freihofer's Saratoga Jazz Festival Saratoga Springs, NY June 24-25, 2017 Freihofer's Saratoga Jazz Festival celebrated its 40th anniversary this year and it was done in fine fashion. Acts from the very first festival in 1978 (A George Wein creation) appeared, as well as young up-and-coming artists. The latter has become a staple of the festival. Producer Danny Melnick (who worked for Wein for many years) goes out of his way to ...

Bailey's Bundles

Bailey’s Bundle – El Dudas – Some Great Songs, Volumes 1 & 2

by C. Michael Bailey
July 5, 2017

Hungarian clarinetist Lajos Dudas “El Dudas" has been a reeds fixture in Europe since the early 1980s. He is equally capable of performing rock, jazz, shythm & blues, and classical music. In 1998, Dudas released a standards recording called Some Great Songs. He then took his precious time creating his Volume 2 early in 2017. Here is a consideration of them. Lajos Dudas Some Great Songs Double Moon Records 1998 Lajos Dudas likes ...

Film Review

Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary

by Victor L. Schermer
July 4, 2017

John ColtraneChasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary Meteor 17 and Crew Neck Productions2017 Because it is poised to contribute to the image of John Coltrane in popular culture for years to come, a thoughtful appraisal of this film is very important. Promoted at major film festivals and released to theaters worldwide, Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary, directed by John Scheifeld (noted for The U.S. vs. Lennon (Liongate, 2006)--and other films about iconic cultural figures ...

Live Review

Joseph Leighton Trio at Jazzhole

by Ian Patterson
July 4, 2017

Joseph Leighton Trio Jazzhole, Top of the Town Omagh, N. Ireland June 24, 2017 Jazzhole may not be the most enticing name for N. Ireland's newest jazz venue. Then again, who's to say? For in spite of, or perhaps because of the borderline pejorative/boho-chic ambiguity of the name, around forty people turned out on a Saturday night to see the trio of Joseph Leighton, one of Ireland's most promising jazz six-stringers.

In Pictures

Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival 2017

by Gregory Savage
July 4, 2017

The phrase, “the festival will go on come rain or shine," never rang more true than at the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival. Even with on and off showers, the streets were packed with jazz lovers every night. The lineup, from top to bottom, was impressive. There was a great mixture of seasoned and emerging artists. With over 300 events including several free shows, the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival has built a strong reputation as a world class jazz ...

Album Review

Jon Davis: Happy Juice

Read "Happy Juice" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

by Dan Bilawsky
July 4, 2017

Everyone has their own version of happy juice. For some, it's the drink; for others, it's literature; for many, it's film; and for a certain breed, it's jazz, that most potent and unpredictable of aural intoxicants. It's the people that fall into that last group who are most likely to quickly uncork this one and take glee in polishing it off once and again. As pianist Jon Davis sees it, some of the most significant pianistic vintners ...

Album Review

Ambrose Akinmusire: A Rift in Decorum: Live at the Village Vanguard

Read "A Rift in Decorum: Live at the Village Vanguard" reviewed by Mark Sullivan

by Mark Sullivan
July 4, 2017

Live recordings at the venerable Village Vanguard are immediately part of a storied tradition. Fully aware of the spirit of the place, trumpeter/composer Ambrose Akinmusire brought his longtime quartet with pianist Sam Harris, bassist Harish Raghavan and drummer Justin Brown--but he took the unusual step of performing all new, original compositions. This is his third Blue Note album as a leader, following When the Heart Emerges Glistening (2011) and the imagined savior is far easier to paint (2014). He also ...

Album Review

Shelly Berg and David Finck: The Deep

Read "The Deep" reviewed by Dr. Judith Schlesinger

by Dr. Judith Schlesinger
July 4, 2017

So it happens that pianist Shelly Berg and bassist David Finck were hired by Chesky Records to play on a Livingston Taylor album. After they finished that session, with the high-end audiophile equipment still in place, David Chesky suggested the two stay and make a duo album themselves. And so they did, virtually on the spot. Since Berg and Finck play so well together, and know a lot of tunes, it was easy to come up with a ...