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.
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Jamie Saft, Quispel Quintet, Leiba Trio, Funkwrench Blues & More
by Ludovico Granvassu
Tributes to Thelonious Monk, Dutch novelist A.F.Th. van der Heijden, the Portuguese city of Guimarães, and much more in this intriguing playlist.Happy listening!Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Funkwrench Blues feat. Grant Green Jr., Hamid Drake “Indelicate Balance" Mischief in the Musitorium (Funkwrench Blues) 0:16 Host talks 4:37 Jamie Saft Trio feat. Brad Jones, Hamid Drake “Thelonious" Jamie Saft Trio Plays Monk (Oystertones / Team Love Records) 6:06 Host ...
Continue ReadingJoni Mitchell Jazzed: Ten Essential Mitchell Covers
by Ian Patterson
Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell's spectacular transition from acoustic folk singer in the '60s through folk-rock 'n' roller in the early '70s to leader of jazz-inflected bands in the mid-'70s was a gradual process. This musical transformation can be traced over the course of five albums for Asylum, beginning with the multi-million seller and Grammy-winner Court and Spark ( 1974). The biggest stepping-stone came with The Hissing of Summer Lawns (1975), followed in remarkably quick succession by Hejira ( ...
Continue ReadingJessica Jones Quartet: Edible Flowers
by Dan McClenaghan
The Jessica Jones Quartet's Edible Flowers can be described as a pair of hot tenor saxophonists cranking things up and shouting out one freewheeling romp (or rant) after another. There is a structure to her tunes, but the improvisation slice of the pie is a big one. Saxophonist Jones is joined by her sax mate, Tony Jones, bassist Stomu Takeishi and drummer Deszon Claiborne in this “no chording instrument quartet." The group is reminiscent of Ornette Coleman's band of New ...
Continue ReadingJohn Sharpe's Best Releases of 2024
by John Sharpe
From the 200 or so discs that I heard in 2024, here are the ten new issues and three gems saved from obscurity, which gave me the most pleasure. As always these selections are entirely subjective, and take no account of the many other albums which I would no doubt have loved if I had heard them. So perhaps it's better to view these selections as a chance to pick up on something that you might otherwise have missed. As ...
Continue ReadingHeavy Hitters: That's What's Up!
by Jack Bowers
Heavy Hitters is a superb New York-based sextet co-led by pianist Mike LeDonne and tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander. Individually and as a team, the Hitters keep their eyes squarely on the ball, swing for the fences and, more often than not, slam the spheroid solidly out of the park. And on this typically upbeat session they do it in front of an appreciative audience at Frankie's Club in Victoria, British Columbia. A freewheeling groove permeates the concert, ...
Continue ReadingWay Down Low
by Patrick Burnette
To start off what is certain to be an interesting new year, Mike and Pat look at leader dates by the deepest of the regularly-used saxophones, the baritone. All four leaders are specialists on the unwieldly horn, though some do dabble in doubling from day to day. Two are composers and one has a crush on that greatest and most irascible of bassists, Charles Mingus.Playlist Pat reads listener emails. 1:00 Discussion of Serge Chaloff' album Blue Serge (Capitol) ...
Continue ReadingHayoung Lyou, Pete Rodriguez, Kika Sprangers, Eric Person & More
by Ludovico Granvassu
As temperatures keep dropping, we must rely on music to get the heat we need. Enjoy a playlist that should bring you a welcome degree of warmth and introspection.Happy listening!Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Peter Somuah “Conqueror" Highlife (ACT) 0:16 Host talks 4:18 Pete Rodriguez “They Smile in Your Face (The Backstabbers)" I'm Pete Rodriguez--Volume 1 (Sunnyside) 6:05 Eric Person “Majestic Taurean Majesty" Rhythm Edge (Distinction) 12:46 Host ...
Continue ReadingMost Read Articles: 2024
by Michael Ricci
All About Jazz tracks how often an article is read, and the articles listed below represent our most popular in 2024. Our “best of midyear" or as we call it, “All-Star Break Edition" was published in mid-July and is fast approaching 36,000 reads. Best Jazz Albums of 2024: All-Star Break Edition Year in Review July 15, 2024 The Keith Jarrett Trio: Ten Essential Recordings Building a Jazz ...
Continue ReadingPopular Jazz Songs: 2024
by Michael Ricci
All About Jazz tracks how often a featured song is heard, and the following represent the most popular in 2024. If you missed them the first time around, give them a listen now, and enjoy! Click the album cover to listen to the song. Dive Into The Deep Blue From: Dive Into The Deep Blue feat. Ithamara Koorax By Gustavo Cysne Feel Like Making Love Feat. Arnaldo DeSouteiro ...
Continue ReadingPeter Brötzmann / Toshinori Kondo / Sabu Toyozumi: Complete Link
by John Sharpe
Complete Link offers classic Peter Brötzmann, albeit of a modern vintage. The German reed iconoclast combines with two Japanese peers, trumpeter Toshinori Kondo and drummer Sabu Toyozumi for almost 70 minutes of fiery live action. Recorded in Japan in 2016, this is their first recording as a trio, although as pioneers in their respective countries, their paths have intersected numerous times in the past. Notably so in the case of Kondo who has acted as a livewire foil to Brötzmann ...
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