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.

Live Review

2016 Lakeland Jazz Festival

by C. Andrew Hovan
March 29, 2016

2016 Lakeland Jazz Festival Lakeland Community College Kirtland, Ohio March 18-20, 2016 The Cleveland area has a long history of jazz pedagogy in relation to two well-established community colleges. Cuyahoga Community College's annual jazz featival, the better known program, dates back to 1980 and for many years was a spring tradition before shifiting to its current summer schedule. Preceded by eight years, Lakeland Community College has the distinction of being the longest running jazz festival ...

Getting Into Jazz

If I'm Lucky

by Mark Barnett
March 28, 2016

Getting Started If you're new to jazz, go to our Getting Into Jazz primer for some hints on how to listen. CD Capsule Gorgeous improvisations on some beautiful yet rarely played songs by tenor saxophonist Zoot Sims and pianist Jimmy Rowles. Background Zoot Sims was one of several tenor saxophonists who played in the spare, “cool" style originated by the legendary Lester Young. This meant a smooth, breathy tone without ...

Getting Into Jazz

How To Listen: An Introduction to Getting Into Jazz

by Mark Barnett
March 28, 2016

What should I listen for? As we go through the individual CDs, you'll get specific pointers about what to listen for in the tracks I've highlighted. But in general, you'll notice that much of this music follows a standard format. After a brief introduction, one chorus of the song is played by the group's leader--generally a horn player, pianist or guitarist--more or less as it was written. Then that player begins to improvise on ...

Album Review

Sari Kessler: Do Right

Read "Do Right" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

by Dan Bilawsky
March 28, 2016

In just under five minutes--the running time for producer/percussionist James Shipp's album-opening arrangement of “Walk On By"--Sari Kessler successfully makes the case that jazz singing is her real métier. That particular truth may not have materialized until recent times, as Kessler walked away from a career as a clinical psychologist to pursue a life in music only a short while ago, but it's as clear as day now. And with no less an authority on the art of vocal jazz ...

Live Review

Roy Haynes Fountain of Youth Band Featuring Pat Metheny at the Blue Note

by Koby Hayon
March 28, 2016

Roy Haynes Fountain of Youth Band Featuring Pat Metheny Blue Note New York, NY March 13, 2016 Jazz luminary Roy Haynes has forever captivated audiences with his innovative playing and his concert (and 91st birthday celebration) on March 13th, at New York City's Blue Note was no different. The drummer, staying true to his eccentric and incessantly youthful style, began the evening by eliciting the audience to join him in singing “The Gambler," ...

Album Review

Irene Schweizer / Han Bennink: Welcome Back

Read "Welcome Back" reviewed by John Sharpe

by John Sharpe
March 28, 2016

For such an assuredly rhythmic player Swiss pianist Irene Schweizer shows an unexpected affinity to drummers, who feature disproportionately as partners in her discography. But even so Welcome Back constitutes only the second entry to pair Schweizer with maverick Dutch drummer Han Bennink, following their eponymous debut (Intakt, 1996), which was itself preceded by years of engagement stretching back further still. In spite of their impeccable avant-garde credentials (both have been at the forefront of European improv for the last ...

Album Review

Bonefish Johnny: Sings the Blues

Read "Sings the Blues" reviewed by James Nadal

by James Nadal
March 28, 2016

The blues comes in many shades and modes, and is ingrained into the character of those who follow its calling. South Florida may not come readily to mind when one thinks of the blues, but singer/guitarist Bonefish Johnny (John Stacey) has been playing his brand of sugarcane soul in the regions bars and juke-joints for over thirty years. Sings the Blues is a personal statement, a testament to those who came before, and a confession of paying dues.

Album Review

Stick Men featuring David Cross: Stick Men + David Cross: Midori

Read "Stick Men + David Cross: Midori" reviewed by Geno Thackara

by Geno Thackara
March 28, 2016

It was a short-lived but perfect pairing. Stick Men is an inventive rock trio, progressive in the truest sense of the word, including current King Crimson members Tony Levin and Pat Mastelotto and rounded out by the always-mercurial Markus Reuter. David Cross had served as Crimson's violinist in their early '70s jazzy-avant-proto-metal phase (though his tenure in the band never overlapped with the others'). When scheduling allowed them to come together for four Japan shows in April 2015, it proved ...

Album Review

Gabriela Martina: No White Shoes

Read "No White Shoes" reviewed by Mark Sullivan

by Mark Sullivan
March 28, 2016

Swiss-born, Boston/New York based vocalist/composer Gabriela Martina makes her debut with No White Shoes, a collection of mostly original music with diverse influences. Jazz, rock, funk, pop, gospel and even Alpine roots music contribute to the eclectic mix. The opener “Narcissus" refers to the symbolism of the album's cover photo, with Martina's face obscured by a mirror. The songwriting and singing both recall Joni Mitchell--one of pop music's greatest eclectic artists--and Finnish guitarist Jussi Reijonen turns in a memorable rock ...

Album Review

Myles Wright: The LA EP

Read "The LA EP" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
March 27, 2016

Composer / arranger Myles Wright deserves full credit for truth in advertising, as The LA EP is precisely that--an abbreviated CD with three selections whose playing time is roughly twenty-four minutes. On the other hand, Wright doubles the listener's pleasure by including with the album a well-produced Blu-Ray DVD (in black and white) so one can see as well as hear wright's ensemble scrimmaging in the studio, which is always a pleasure. In spite of the CD ...