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.
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New Releases From Sarmiento, Despommier, Shovaly & More
by Bob Osborne
New and more recognisable faces from the jazz world combine to create a varied playlist of recent and forthcoming releases. The variety of material on offer demonstrates the wealth of excellent music out there. Established musicians explore new avenues and newcomers honour the Jazz tradition.Playlist Show Intro 00:00 Lucia Sarmiento “Dreamland" from Escape (Self Released) 00:28 Randal Despommier “ROUND 3AM (A Blues Nocturne)" from South (Sunnyside Records) 06:31 Or Shovaly Plus “Let's Go" from Or Shovaly Plus (Self ...
Continue ReadingMike Boone, Eric Lilley, Jenna McLean, Kasan Belgrave and more.
by Benjamin Boddie
Today's Music--Right Now! Fantastic music by Steven Feifke, Mike Boone, Eric Lilley, Jenna McLean, Kasan Belgrave, Pasquale Grasso, Alan Chaubert, Mafalda Minnozzi, Mark Grandfield, Ariane Racicot, Joe Alterman, Jackson Potter, Theoretical Planets, MTB, Liz Cole, Jeremy Pelt, Stephen Bryant, Mason Razavi, Fred Hersch, Claire Martin, Marina Albero, Ryan Middagh, Dave Stryker, Carl Allen and more. Playlist Steven Feifke “Someday My Prince Will Come" from The Role of the Rhythm Section Vol. II (La Reserve/Bandstand Presents) 00:00 Mike Boone ...
Continue ReadingMeet Omar Thomas
by Cheryl K.
In this hour, an interview with composer, arranger, and educator Omar Thomas. He and his Large Ensemble released Griot Songs on Omar Thomas Music. Also, selections from new releases by flutist Laura Cocks and pianist Ariane Racicot. Playlist Noah Preminger “Unfair World" from Ballads (Chill Tone) 5:23 Kasan Belgrave “Madness" from Dual Citizen (Tribe) 3:53 Laura Cocks “A Thread Held Between Your Fingers" from Fathm (/ Relative Pitch/Out of Your Head) 4:51 Omar Thomas Large Ensemble “Obeah Woman" ...
Continue ReadingDon't Like Jazz? Give Me Six Minutes And Forty-Two Seconds
by Frank Housh
Don't like jazz? I think I understand. For many, jazz seems hyper-intellectual and inaccessible and, to be fair, it too often is. At its best, however, jazz represents the heart of the creative instinct; it began by taking popular songs and changing their harmony and melodies. This “variations on a theme" is nothing new. What jazz added was a unique, improvisational approach that discarded existing rules of interpretation, transforming familiar tunes into something new and different. Let's take ...
Continue ReadingMark Rapp Group At The Jazz Corner
by Gloria Krolak
Mark Rapp Group The Jazz Corner Hilton Head Island, SC January 31, 2025 It was not a Tuesday and it was a full month before Ash Wednesday, the start of the Christian observance of Lent, but it felt like Mardi Gras at The Jazz Corner on Hilton Head Island. Colorful beads draped all the tables and a sousaphone oversaw the stage. The musicians readying to perform are some of the strongest proponents of New ...
Continue ReadingRachel Eckroth & John Hadfield: Speaking In Tongues
by Mike Jurkovic
There is something wistful and empowering about wanderlust pianist/composer/electronics Rachel Eckroth's acoustic sensibility that holds a lot of sway with many of her listeners. This falls into direct opposition to her electronic side which, as cool as it sounds, can lean a tad too easily into the blurry, pop-oriented tendencies of Vangelis, Kraftwerk, or Gary Newman. Sure Eckroth makes these endearing old genres sound exciting now, but it is her pure piano playing that truly does the trick.
Continue ReadingSeattle Jazz Fellowship: A New Age In A New Space
by Paul Rauch
The Seattle Jazz Fellowship, a 501(c)(3) non-profit supporting jazz and jazz culture primarily at the local level, came to life in a backroom bar in the city's arts district on Capitol Hill in October 2021. The city, the nation, the world, was just beginning to fully climb out of the social slumber imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Artists and audiences alike were eager, yet cautious, in their actions to return to some form of normalcy. Vermillion, a community-oriented art space ...
Continue ReadingUnforgettable Bob Perkins’ Backstory: How The Content of His Character Stamped Him In Our Memory
by Victor L. Schermer
On Sunday, January 19, 2025, WRTI Jazz Radio icon Bob Perkins passed away in the early hours of the morning, at age 91, at Jefferson Abington Hospital, near where he lived for many years with his wife, Dr. Sheila K. Perkins. He will always be remembered for his decades-long work as a radio broadcaster and as a devoted presence in the Philadelphia jazz scene. After pursuing various avenues of broadcasting news and jazz, with some serious writing thrown in to ...
Continue ReadingCarl Allen: Tippin'
by Pierre Giroux
Drummer Carl Allen's release Tippin' is an opportune occasion, as it is Allen's first album as a leader in over twenty years. For this storytelling experience, Allen brought together two luminaries of modern jazz: the internationally renowned bassist Christian McBride and the phenomenal horn player Chris Potter. The trio created a cohesive and compelling narrative, resulting in an album that stands out in its ability to balance spontaneity and structure. It is a free-flowing experience that feels both natural and ...
Continue ReadingColeman Mellett: Sing You a Brand New Song
by Fran Kursztejn
If guitarist & singer-songwriter Coleman Mellett was “known" at all, it's for his brief yet exciting contributions to Chuck Mangione's ensemble. He played in Mangione's band between 1999 and the eve of his shocking death in 2009, along with 49 other passengers and crew members on the Colgan Flight 3047. His sensitive, versatile strumming challenged bandmates with a unique blend of jazz, folk and blues styles. The small catalogue of his officially released work reveals an inventive voice both inside ...
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