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

Leon Foster Thomas: Metamorphosis

Read "Metamorphosis" reviewed by James Nadal

by James Nadal
July 10, 2016

Being one of the newest percussion instruments on the planet, (circa 1939) the steel pan is actually on a similar timeline with the development of modern jazz. Taking into consideration strong African influences and a hybridization process, they appear to be a natural combination. Pan Master Leon Foster Thomas has taken the instrument most associated with his homeland of Trinidad, right into the heart of jazz composition and performance with Metamorphosis, in a bold rhythmic and melodic encounter.With ...

Album Review

Christy Doran: In The Corner Of The Eye

Read "In The Corner Of The Eye" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
July 10, 2016

Celebrated Irish guitarist Christy Doran's penchant to keep reinventing his musical self is quite evident due to the disparate bands and solo projects he's undertaken for several decades. Whether imparting a jazz fusion spin on Jimi Hendrix with the band Call Me Helium Plays the Music of Jimi Hendrix (Double Moon, 2005) or experimental jazz and improvisational efforts with keyboardist John Wolf Brennan and other notables, Doran's hefty discography yields a kaleidoscopic perspective. The program on In The ...

Multiple Reviews

Montreux Through The Decades: Blues, Soul & Funk Recordings, Part 1

by Ian Patterson
July 10, 2016

As part of All About Jazz' tribute to Montreux Jazz Festival, which is celebrating its 50th edition in 2016, and to its founder, the late Claude Nobs, this second batch of live recordings features ten memorable blues, soul and funk concerts captured between 1973 and 2004. The first batch featured ten jazz recordings from concerts between 1968 and 2012, while a third batch will feature rock, folk and pop recordings. Albert King Blues at Sunrise: ...

Live Review

Del & Dawg at the Ryman Auditorium

by William Levine
July 9, 2016

Del & Dawg Ryman Auditorium Nashville, TN June 30, 2016 When the old-school country DJ Eddie Stubbs introduced the concert's starring duo, he acknowledged the lack of a suitable category, especially for David Grisman's career, which from the beginning grew well beyond classic bluegrass mandolin and steadily embraced jazz, rock, and folk styles. “Americana" is a rather bland, excessively broad marketing term, and “acoustic contemporary," besides sounding badly dated these days, seems ...

Album Review

Dan Cray: Outside In

Read "Outside In" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

by Dan Bilawsky
July 9, 2016

Encounters with the wonders of nature have a way of snapping everything into perspective and tamping down humanly worries and concerns. Too often we spend time absorbed and obsessed with working from the inside out, projecting ourselves into the world. But sometimes it's better to simply go the other way and let the beauty that exists on the outside infiltrate and influence the human spirit and direction. Pianist Dan Cray's second release on the Origin imprint, strongly informed by a ...

Live Review

Journey, the Doobie Brothers and Dave Mason at the Nikon at Jones Beach Theater

by Mike Perciaccante
July 9, 2016

Journey, the Doobie Brothers and Dave Mason Nikon at Jones Beach Theater Wantagh, NY June 27, 2016 Journey was formed in San Francisco in 1973 by former members of Santana (Neal Schon on lead guitar and Gregg Rolie on keyboards and lead vocals) and Frumious Bandersnatch (bassist Ross Valory and rhythm guitarist George Tickner). Prairie Prince of The Tubes served as the original drummer. When Prince left to rejoin the Tubes he was replaced by ...

Album Review

Catherine Sikora: Jersey

Read "Jersey" reviewed by Hrayr Attarian

by Hrayr Attarian
July 9, 2016

Saxophonist Catherine Sikora makes a bold and singular statement with her solo album Jersey. Each of the 13 tracks is both a fully realized and poignant stand-alone monologue as well as an essential link in an intimate and deeply personal artistic expression. A serene, logical progression of notes transforms the calm “The Knowing of Sums" into a passionate and blue-tinged improvisation. Energetic and crisp lines weave a graceful melody that returns to the opening quietude. The ardent and ...

Album Review

Michael Jefry Stevens: Flow

by Budd Kopman
July 9, 2016

Pianist Michael Jefry Stevens has been involved in many projects in his career over the past forty years. The Generations Quartet started out as a trio six years ago, consisting of Stevens with his long-time musical partner, bassist Joe Fonda and newcomer, drummer Emil Gross. The trio became a quartet with the addition of saxophonist (and Renaissance Man) Oliver Lake, perhaps best known for founding the World Saxophone Quartet with saxophonists David Murray, Julius Hemphill and Hamiet Bluiett.

Album Review

The Dave Brubeck Quartet: Time Out

Read "Time Out" reviewed by Sacha O'Grady

by Sacha O'Grady
July 9, 2016

Dave Brubeck emerged after the Second World War as a pianist whose eclectic style owed itself to several different schools of piano playing. Throughout the 1950's, Brubeck enjoyed as much commercial success as any jazz musician could have wished for, becoming one of the biggest acts in the business. Famous mostly for his experiments with rhythm, influenced equally as much by Bach as he was by swing, his compositions would betray sophisticated time signatures intertwined with classical references.

Live Review

Freihofer's Saratoga Jazz Festival 2016

by R.J. DeLuke
July 8, 2016

Freihofer's Saratoga Jazz Festival Saratoga Performing Arts Center Saratoga Springs, NY June 25-26, 2016 Plenty of fine music was presented at the 2016 version of Freihofer's Saratoga Jazz Festival by musicians young, old and in between. On piano, for instance, it ranged from Joey Alexander, who turned 13 on the day he performed, to Chick Corea, who turned 75 two weeks before he performed. But special kudos for the weekend ...