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

Michael Formanek’s Ensemble Kolossus: The Distance

Read "The Distance" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan

by Dan McClenaghan
February 21, 2016

Here's a surprise. Bassist Michael Formanek is probably best known for his two recent ECM Records dates, Rub and Spare Change (2010) and Small Places, a couple of modernistic quartet sessions featuring saxophonist Tim Berne, pianist Craig Taborn and drummer Gerald Cleaver. These are tight and intense sets, architecturally solid, free-like outings that may have helped bring Taborn and Berne into the ECM fold for their own leader slots on the label. With a modest--in terms of numbers--discography as a ...

Album Review

Dayeon Seok: Blurry Day Starry Night

Read "Blurry Day Starry Night" reviewed by Mark Sullivan

by Mark Sullivan
February 21, 2016

Korean-born drummer Dayeon Seok (who now lives in New York) is open to a wide variety of jazz and improvisational music. Seok came to the United States in 2008, earning a Bachelor's degree at Berklee College of Music in Boston and a Master's degree at New York University (NYU). This EP presents three impressionistic originals, lyrical music that is intended to evoke visual images. The core quartet is comprised of guitarist Sung-Ho Choi, pianist Seong Yeob Lee, bassist Jeong Lim ...

Album Review

Samo Salamon Bassless Trio: Unity

by Mark Sullivan
February 21, 2016

Adventurous Slovenian guitarist Samo Salamon is one of the most wide-ranging jazz guitarists working today, and one of the most prolific. This is his 19th album as a leader, and his third employing the “bassless trio" format, following Little River (Sazas, 2015) and Duality (Samo Records, 2011). British saxophonist Julian Argüelles (Loose Tubes, Django Bates, Carla Bley) has recorded with Salamon once before on Nano (Goga Records, 2007), while American drummer John Hollenbeck (The Claudia Quintet) makes his first appearance. ...

Album Review

Terry Adams: Talk Thelonious: NRBQ + Terry Adams plays Terry Adams Arrangements of Thelonious Monk Songs

Read "Talk Thelonious: NRBQ + Terry Adams plays Terry Adams Arrangements of Thelonious Monk Songs" reviewed by Chris M. Slawecki

by Chris M. Slawecki
February 21, 2016

Thelonious Monk's music has been more misunderstood and misinterpreted than most composers.' How you play Monk's music is just as important as what you play, and what you don't play is often just as important as what you do. “The first Monk song I heard was when I was about 14--it was 'Off Minor' by his septet," recalls Terry Adams, founder and keyboardist for the New Rhythm & Blues Quartet (NRBQ). “I had begun to figure out some ...

Music and the Creative Spirit

Rita Draper Frazão: A Fine Artist's Representations Of Creative Processes In Music (Part 2)

by Henning Bolte
February 21, 2016

Part 1 | Part 2 This portrait of Portuguese fine artist Rita Draper Frazão is related to the recent Carte Blanche of percussionist Hamid Drake's at Amsterdam Bimhuis (read my February 2016 review). As a collaborative follow-up this article is published together with a series of portraits Rita Draper Frazão created of musician and others involved in or related to the Carte Blanche of Hamid Drake: From Chaos To A Dancing Star. This is Part 2 of my ...

Profile

Barry Guy: A Prophet is Not without Honour (Part 2)

by Duncan Heining
February 21, 2016

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 Barry Guy has been the artistic director and main composer of the London Jazz Composers' Orchestra throughout its now forty-five year history. Recordings and performances since Ode in 1972 have been sporadic but those forty-five years have resulted in eleven albums (including one with Anthony Braxton) and one DVD. In that time, the longest gaps in releases have been between Ode and Stringer (1972-1983) and between Double Trouble Two and ...

Profile

Barry Guy: Ploughs into Swordshares, Part 1-3

by Duncan Heining
February 21, 2016

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 Edgar Varèse's defiant statement in the face of public and critical indifference -"The present day composer refuses to die"—could so easily apply to composer-bassist Barry Guy. He has earned over the years a deep and lasting respect from certain fans and critics, though more so in North America and Europe than in the country of his birth. Nevertheless, the struggles of the creative artist in a world where culture is ...

Album Review

Ian Smith: Windmap

by John Eyles
February 20, 2016

Recorded at home, in London, in December 2013, and available as a limited edition CD or download, Windmap consists of nineteen short tracks (ranging in length from thirty-four seconds to three minutes and six seconds, a total playing time of some forty minutes) of solo trumpet or flugel, played by Irish trumpeter Ian MacGowan, Some of you may be more familiar with him as Ian Smith, a founder and long-time member of the London Improvisers Orchestra. Ingeniously, all ...

Album Review

Wesli: Ayiti Etoile Nouvelle

Read "Ayiti Etoile Nouvelle" reviewed by James Nadal

by James Nadal
February 20, 2016

There is no other country in the western hemisphere that has been so grossly neglected and misunderstood as Haiti. In a historical context, it has contributed much in spite of overwhelming conditions, and has socially and culturally remained vibrant and vital. Vodou, the national religion of Haiti, has also suffered from lack of acceptance and understanding outside of its loyal practitioners. With its strong African roots, vodou is a rhythm and dance oriented tradition that continues to exert a powerful ...

Album Review

Dewa Budjana: Hasta Karma

Read "Hasta Karma" reviewed by Chris M. Slawecki

by Chris M. Slawecki
February 20, 2016

In the mid-1990s, Gary Burton organized sessions that truly deserved to be called “all-star"--teaming the ace vibes player with guitarist Pat Metheny, pianist Chick Corea, bassist Dave Holland and drummer Roy Haynes--and which resulted in the acclaimed Like Minds (1998, Concord). With all respect due to the amazing credentials of Burton and friends, Dewa Budjana's Hasta Karma frequently echoes and matches the stunning, glistening beauty of the music made by Burton's five Like Minds. For his fourth MoonJune ...