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

Aruan Ortiz Trio: Hidden Voices

Read "Hidden Voices" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan

by Dan McClenaghan
January 17, 2016

The jazz piano trio comes in a wide spectrum of approaches, from the traditional--Red Garland, Tommy Flanagan--to the way out there avant-garde, like Cecil Taylor. When the subject of “Cuban pianists" comes up, some of the first names that come to mind are probably those who work in a traditional vein: Chucho Valdes, perhaps, or maybe Gonzalo Rubalcaba, both of whom work the percolating beauty of Latin rhythms to the hilt. Aruan Ortiz--Cuban-born and now New York-based (after ...

Album Review

Clark Gibson + Orchestra: Bird with Strings: The Lost Arrangements

Read "Bird with Strings: The Lost Arrangements" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
January 17, 2016

The story behind Bird with Strings: The Lost Arrangements is a long one and far too elaborate to dwell on here. Suffice to say that a handful of these arrangements for alto saxophone and small string orchestra, written originally for the incomparable Charlie Parker, have been heard before (albeit by rather small audiences) while most of them have not. The “Bird" in this instance is composer / educator Clark Gibson, and it is clear from the outset that he is ...

Album Review

Beat Kaestli: Beat Kaestli: Live in Europe

Read "Beat Kaestli: Live in Europe" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey

by C. Michael Bailey
January 17, 2016

In my humble estimation, there are two ballad singers (living) without peer: Rebecca Parris and Beat Kaestli. The latter has had a string of recent recordings that are as innovative as they are entertaining, including: Happy, Sad And Satisfied (B&B Productions, 2005), Invitation (Chesky Records, 2010), and Collage (B&B Productions, 2014). Kaestli sneaks a live recording in on us: Live in Europe where he performs with a trio lead by pianist Walter Fischbacher (musical and life partner ...

Album Review

Jon Irabagon: Behind The Sky

Read "Behind The Sky" reviewed by Budd Kopman

by Budd Kopman
January 17, 2016

Simply put, Behind The Sky is a flat-out superlative recording by saxophonist Jon Irabagon. Straddling “inside" and “outside," it can be appreciated by those more comfortable with the straight-ahead (with some stretching, of course), as well as those who enjoy music which challenges the ear and mind. The “rhythm section," consisting of pianist Luis Perdomo, bassist Yasushi Nakamura and drummer Rudy Royston, has worked with Irabagon a long time and it can be clearly heard, most easily in ...

Book Review

The Who: The Official History

by Doug Collette
January 17, 2016

The Who The Official History Ben Marshall with Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey 320 Pages ISBN: # 0062396366 Harper Design 2015 The explosive dynamism of The Who on stage, at the peak of their career, was so intense it had to be seen and heard live in the moment to truly appreciate it. Even so, the intensity was so great that more than enough of it translates to the photographs within The Who: ...

Live Review

O.A.R. at the Paramount

by Mike Perciaccante
January 17, 2016

O.A.R. The Paramount Huntington, NY December 27, 2015 An O.A.R. concert is an event. In the '60s, it would have been referred to as a “happening." The jamband from Rockville, MD has a following that rivals that of Gov't Mule and could, as time marches forward, become similar to the legion of fans who live, eat, drink and breathe the Grateful Dead and everything associated with that band. Much like the Dead, O.A.R.'s fans congregate ...

Album Review

Sam Crockatt: Mells Bells

Read "Mells Bells" reviewed by Roger Farbey

by Roger Farbey
January 16, 2016

"Canon" opens with precisely that musical device, piano and tenor sax chasing each other around until, changing tempo, the tune cleverly morphs into a moderately-paced melodically memorable number. Pianist Kit Downes offers some truly swinging piano followed by Sam Crockatt on articulate tenor saxophone, perhaps redolent in tone of the late Booker Ervin. Both funky and boppy “The Masterplan" benefits from an engaging rhythm held down by James Maddren's drums and some fast hairpin changes. Oli Hayhurst leads off on ...

Film Review

The Jimi Hendrix Experience: Electric Church - Atlanta Pop Festival July 4, 1970

by Doug Collette
January 16, 2016

Jimi Hendrix Electric Church: Atlanta Pop Festival July 4, 1970 Legacy Music 2015 In front of the largest audience he would ever entertain, jimi Hendrix used a select few numbers from his early days-"Fire," “Spanish Castle Magic"--to erect a new persona for himself with more recently composed tunes such as “Room Full of Mirrors," his visionary cover of Bob Dylan's “All Along the Watchtower" and an abiding reliance on the blues, here in the form ...

Album Review

Christine Jensen/Maggi Olin: Transatlantic Conversations: 11 Piece Band Live

Read "Transatlantic Conversations: 11 Piece Band Live" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan

by Dan McClenaghan
January 16, 2016

Prior to the release of her marvelous big band outing, Habitat (Justin time, 2013), Canada's Christine Jensen was probably best know as the alto saxophone-playing sister of high profile trumpeter Ingrid Jensen. Sweden's Maggi Olin's major notoriety--on the United States' side of the Atlantic--certainty came from her work as a pianist/composer for the under-recognized quintet, Nordic Connect. The two rising stars re-connect now (Jensen is the alto saxophonist for Nordic Connect) with Transatlantic Conversations: 11 Piece Band Live.

Album Review

Lajos Dudas: Radio Days: The Music of Lajos Dudas

Read "Radio Days: The Music of Lajos Dudas" reviewed by Mark Sullivan

by Mark Sullivan
January 16, 2016

German-Hungarian jazz clarinetist/composer Lajos Dudas has been performing on the radio for a long time. This “Birthday Edition 75" collects performances dating from 1984 to the early 2000s: about twenty years. All but one track was also composed by him, so it's a good picture of his adventurous composing and playing over a good part of his career. The earliest tracks (from WDR Cologne) are arguably the most dated: they're clearly in fusion mode, complete with period keyboard sounds. Still ...