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

Julie Kjaer 3: Dobbeltgaenger

Read "Dobbeltgaenger" reviewed by John Sharpe

by John Sharpe
August 8, 2016

An increasingly visible presence on the London scene, Danish saxophonist Julie Kjaer's latest move can only accelerate that prominence. For her third outing as leader she has enlisted the support of two of Europe's most accomplished improvisers in bassist John Edwards and drummer Steve Noble, who can also be heard fuelling the likes of Peter Brötzmann and Alan Wilkinson among others. Both thoroughly buy into her concept of rhythmic and timbral exploration. Edwards propounds an expressive physicality, manifest in string ...

Album Review

Paul Van Kemenade: Close Enough

Read "Close Enough" reviewed by Budd Kopman

by Budd Kopman
August 8, 2016

Close Enough from alto saxophonist Paul van Kemenade was a Downbeat magazine “Best of 2011" and it is no small wonder why. Sub-titled “alto Paul van Kemenade in different settings," the nine tracks range widely in both style and personnel, including a Renaissance vocal ensemble, a duo with cello, three horns and a bass as well two different more standard quintets. Through it all, Kemenade's playing is marvelous, bringing together a sly wit and sense of humor, much intelligence and ...

Album Review

Cortex: Live in New York

Read "Live in New York" reviewed by Mark Corroto

by Mark Corroto
August 8, 2016

Do you remember when you first heard Ornette Coleman's The Shape Of Jazz To Come (Atlantic, 1959)? It could have been fifty years ago or five, but its life force remains. Its music was/is nearly impossible to ignore. The same can be said of the Norwegian quartet Cortex's Live In New York. It sizzles with a barely contained energy, one that has yet to be harnessed or become world-weary. This release is their fourth and the second for ...

In The Biz

Arun Shenoy: Change Brings New Opportunities

by Kathy Sanborn
August 7, 2016

In the Biz is devoted to the business of making jazz music. We will feature established and emerging jazz artists and discover how they successfully maneuver in the often-challenging world of music today. This is the first article in the series. I recently spoke with Singapore-based jazz composer and record producer Arun Shenoy. His 2012 album, Rumbadoodle, launched Shenoy into international fame and garnered the talented musician a first Grammy nomination. His brand new A Stagey Bank Affair ...

Album Review

Virginia Genta: Rough Enough

Read "Rough Enough" reviewed by Nicola Negri

by Nicola Negri
August 7, 2016

Virginia Genta is a young Italian saxophonist that has already established herself on the international free jazz scene with the hard working, constantly touring Jooklo Duo (with David Vanzan on drums) and through countless collaborations with important figures in improvised music, from Sonny Simmons and Famoudou Don Moye to Thurston Moore and Kawabata Makoto. This new record--about 10 minutes of music released in a beautifully packaged 7" on Holidays Records--consists of a solo tenor sax improvisation referencing both 1960s Fire ...

Album Review

Mike Melito: New York Connections

Read "New York Connections" reviewed by C. Andrew Hovan

by C. Andrew Hovan
August 7, 2016

Every town has its homegrown talent worthy of wider recognition. This is definitely true when it comes to Rochester native Mike Melito. Since the age of 16, the drummer has held down the drum chair for countless combos and national acts in and around upstate New York. That he has the chops and know-how to make it in New York City is obvious, but Melito has opted to stay around his home environs and has no problem maintaining a thriving ...

Album Review

Steve Lehman & Sélébéyone: Sélébéyone

Read "Sélébéyone" reviewed by Karl Ackermann

by Karl Ackermann
August 7, 2016

Steve Lehman's critically acclaimed albums have been topping national polls for more than half a decade. It's all the more an achievement when considering Lehman's unique, cerebral and ever-changing approach to artistic creation. His most recent project, Sélébéyone takes its name from this new group that Lehman founded in 2015. It incorporates elements of spectral music--where compositions are influenced by sound waves and mathematics--rap, hip hop, electronics, and of course, jazz. The overall vibe, however, jazz rap/hip hop.

Album Review

Dinosaur: Together, As One

Read "Together, As One" reviewed by Roger Farbey

by Roger Farbey
August 7, 2016

Dinosaur is a new British jazz “supergroup" of sorts, featuring up and coming virtuoso trumpeter Laura Jurd and keyboardist extraordinaire Elliot Galvin. It's no surprise that Jurd received the United Kingdom's Parliamentary Jazz Award for “Instrumentalist of the Year" in 2015. Galvin released his second, highly acclaimed album Punch in 2016, also on Edition Records, and is surely in poll position as the presumptive heir to the brilliant Django Bates in the British jazz keyboardist stakes. The quartet is completed ...

Album Review

Cha Wa: Funk 'n' Feathers

Read "Funk 'n' Feathers" reviewed by Chris M. Slawecki

by Chris M. Slawecki
August 7, 2016

"Party in a box" is an overused expression, of which yours truly is more guilty than most. But there's no better way to describe or explain the celebratory, communal and thoroughly excellent funky joy that radiates like the brilliant sun from Funk 'n' Feathers. Funk 'n' Feathers may be Cha Wa's debut release, but their music has been around forever. “The music is based on the Mardi Gras Indians, the brass bands, and the street culture of New ...

Live Review

Peter Gabriel and Sting at the Pepsi Center

by Geoff Anderson
August 6, 2016

Peter Gabriel/Sting Pepsi Center Denver, CO July 12, 2016 The field of mergers and acquisitions has been a profitable one for many capitalists over the last few decades. Indeed, profit is the driving force behind these transactions. Occasionally you'll hear some mumbling about economic efficiencies and synergies, but mainly it's about profits. Especially for the consultants reaping handsome fees from these endeavors. But a merger for art's sake? That doesn't seem very Wall ...