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

Dan Brubeck Quartet: Live at the Cellar: Celebrating the Music and Lyrics of Dave & Iola Brubeck

Read "Live at the Cellar: Celebrating the Music and Lyrics of Dave & Iola Brubeck" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey

by C. Michael Bailey
August 12, 2015

Drummer Dan Brubeck, son of the late Dave Brubeck, pays homage to his parents in a most appropriate way. He puts the proper frame around the songbook created by his mother and father over their 70-year performance career. Using the saxophone quartet format his father blazed jazz trails with, Brubeck leads his quartet through 14 Brubeck originals at Vancouver's Cellar recorded in August 2013. Bassist Adam Thomas proves to be a fine vocalist for the special material, never obscuring the ...

Album Review

Emily Francis Trio: The Absent

Read "The Absent" reviewed by Roger Farbey

by Roger Farbey
August 12, 2015

The funky “Hops 'n' Scotch" kicks off this lively set, with keyboardist Francis employing Fender Rhodes and synths in Herbie Hancock mode. Languid acoustic piano opens “Winnebago" which soon transmutes into an up-tempo trio number with a flavour of Chick Corea's Iberian influence clearly detectable. The more contemplative “Redshift" benefits from Francis' ability to transition seamlessly from acoustic to electric piano and also to deftly change the composition's mood with great skill and judgment. There's also an articulate bass guitar ...

Album Review

Connie Evingson & the John Jorgenson Quintet: All the Cats Join In

Read "All the Cats Join In" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey

by C. Michael Bailey
August 12, 2015

Minneapolis-native Connie Evingson is one of the most durable and reliable jazz singers performing. She has had a spate of fine recordings in the last decade, including: Let it Be Jazz: Connie Evingson Sings the Beatles (Minnehaha, 2003), Gypsy in My Soul (Minnehaha, 2005), Stockholm Sweetnin'(Minnehaha, 2006), Little Did I Dream: Songs By Dave Frishberg (Minnehaha, 2008), and Sweet Happy Life (Minnehaha, 2012). Presently, Evingson continues her trend of exceptional recordings with All the Cats Join In. ...

Catching Up With

Joe Magnarelli: On Three On Two

by Nicholas F. Mondello
August 11, 2015

Trumpeter Joe Magnarelli is and has been one of the most respected jazz players on the jazz scene for years. A native of Syracuse, New York, “Mags" has recently returned from a critically well-received European tour and has just announced release of Three On Two for Posi-Tone Records. All About Jazz: Joe, on behalf of All About Jazz, thanks for taking time to speak with us today and catch up. Joe Magnarelli: Thanks, Nick. ...

Drum Addiction

Less Is More? Really?

by Mat Marucci
August 11, 2015

There have been popular views by certain so-called experts that seem to have been accepted as dogma, the term “less is more" being one of them. However, as in any subject from sports to politics to science to religion, every pundit has an equal who has a contrary opinion. I, for one, am bothered by some of these views and not only have a contrary view of them but feel many are either misleading, questionable, or downright wrong.

Album Review

Bruno Råberg Quartet: Hot Box

Read "Hot Box" reviewed by Mark Sullivan

by Mark Sullivan
August 11, 2015

Bassist-composer Bruno Råberg leads an adventurous, empathetic pianoless quartet on Hot Box, his seventh recording as a leader. Born in Sweden, he has been living in the U.S. since 1981, and is a professor at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. His collaborations with trumpeter Phil Grenadier and saxophonist Allan Chase go back over 10 years, so they have a seasoned rapport. Drummer Austin McMahon is new to the party, but he blends right in. The tone ...

Album Review

MINUA: In Passing

Read "In Passing" reviewed by Mark Sullivan

by Mark Sullivan
August 11, 2015

There can't be many trios made up of bass clarinet and two guitars; in fact, I can't think of another one. MINUA, a German/Icelandic trio based in Basel, Switzerland, makes it sound like the most natural combination in the world. The trio members met during their studies at the Jazzschool in Basel. They quickly felt a deep connection, followed by concerts in Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands and Iceland. The band cites many influences: Renaissance and Impressionism, Nordic folklore and chamber ...

Album Review

Kevin Bachelder and Jason Lee Bruns: Cherry Avenue

Read "Cherry Avenue" reviewed by Geannine Reid

by Geannine Reid
August 11, 2015

Vocalist Kevin Bachelder and drummer Jason Lee Bruns have team up to release an enjoyable collection of tunes entitled, Cherry Avenue. Bachelder spent his early years playing the trumpet, but soon realized that singing came naturally to him as well. It wasn't until college that he decided to focus solely on his voice as a primary instrument of expression. Kevin further developed his passion for music by earning a Bachelor's in Music from Berklee and a Master's in Jazz Studies ...

Album Review

Sasha Masakowski & the Sidewalk Strutters: Old Green River

Read "Old Green River" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey

by C. Michael Bailey
August 11, 2015

There is a rare musical triple point where talent, vision, and a wicked sense-of-humor meet. Damn few artists ever make it there. I believe that it must be the address of one Sasha Hildegard Masakowski. NOLA's own has recently relocated to the cultural hub of the universe, New York City, but not before navigating the choppy and often decadent waters of this past Carnival and Mardi Gras season to record a throwback to not the '30s and '40s but the ...

Guitarist's Rendezvous

Mark Kleinhaut, Nat Janoff, Guillermo Bazzola, and Shan Arsenault

by Dom Minasi
August 10, 2015

Welcome back to Guitarists Rendezvous, our second installment in a series that introduces readers to emerging or established guitarists who fly just under the radar of public recognition. Each will field the same four questions and we've included audio and video so you can sample their music. This installment includes a diverse group of musicians from New York, New Jersey, Spain, and Canada. Meet Mark Kleinhaut Mark was born in the Bronx, New ...