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

Francois Carrier/Michel Lambert: iO

by Mark Corroto
June 26, 2015

Listening to the nine improvised duets on saxophonist François Carrier and Michel Lambert's latest release iO, one gets the sense the creative process comes not from friction, but from friendship. The music isn't forged from a skirmish, like, say a Peter Brotzmann/Han Bennink record might be. It has more in common with Charles Lloyd's duo with Billy Higgins or maybe Lee Konitz duets with Elvin Jones.That's because their friendship began in 1998 and has been forged over multiple ...

Album Review

Buddy Rich: Birdland

Read "Birdland" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
June 26, 2015

There's usually a reason why previously unreleased material was never initially offered for consumer consumption, whether it's due to subpar sound quality, less than adequate material or blasé musicians' outtakes and so on. However, these tracks by the Buddy Rich Killer Force band were recorded at various venues through the years when saxophonist Alan Gauvin--who also penned the album notes --was in the band and recorded these performances for posterity and not initially intended to be sold. Gauvin doesn't recall ...

New York Beat

The Pittsburgh Jazz Festival

by Nick Catalano
June 26, 2015

It is difficult to overestimate the importance of Pittsburgh in the annals of jazz history. Just a few of the legendary names--Ahmad Jamal, Errol Garner, Mary Lou Williams, Billy Eckstine, Billy Strayhorn, George Benson, Ray Brown, Stanley Turrentine--are sufficient to raise the proverbial jazz fan eyebrows. I actually performed there in the halcyon days of bebop and so it was the memory of a gig long ago in the Hill District that drew me back to the scene.

Live From New York

Paal Nilssen-Love, Bruce Brubaker, Muzsikás & The Glasshouse Orchestra

by Martin Longley
June 25, 2015

Paal Nilssen-Love's Large Unit First Unitarian Congregational Society June 13, 2015 There aren't many churches where a believer can purchase Large Unit underpants upon entrance. Brooklyn's Issue Project Room experimental music venue is currently undergoing even further renovations, so they've been promoting gigs at various temporary haunts around the city. A reverberant Brooklyn Heights space such as this one might be viewed as an uncertain proposition when housing a fully engorged band such ...

Live Review

Anthony Braxton's Sonic Genome at Turin's Jazz Festival 2015

by Francesco Martinelli
June 25, 2015

Egyptian Museum Turin Jazz Festival Turin, Italy May 28, 2015 Someone might ask: “Why is an African-American saxophonist from Chicago performing inside the Egyptian Museum in Turin? Where is the connection between “da jazz" and Ancient Egypt?" Sorry, but it isn't a legitimate question. If you still don't make the connection, take the Sun Ra 101 course including mandatory listening of recordings by Earth, Wind and Fire... The context Torino's Jazz ...

Album Review

Ode To Omni: Anchors

Read "Anchors" reviewed by Hrayr Attarian

by Hrayr Attarian
June 25, 2015

The Philadelphia based collaborative group, Ode to Omni continues its intriguing forays into spiritual jazz with its second release, the live recording, Anchors. Under percussionist Marcus Myers' leadership the band interprets four long and cinematic Myers originals with a sublime blend of raw passion and harmonic sophistication. Starting with “Flesh and Spirit," a delightfully tense and expectant mood permeates the album. Myers' drums thunder and gallop over a dense and captivating musical backdrop that pianist Jon Bradley enhances with his ...

Album Review

Tom Collier: Alone in the Studio

Read "Alone in the Studio" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey

by C. Michael Bailey
June 25, 2015

Percussionist Tom Collier has the solo touch. His previous recording, Tom Collier: Plays Haydn, Mozart, Telemann and Others (Origin, 2012) had the vibraphonist and educator making his way through a Baroque and classical recitals to great effect. Presently, Collier strolls through some originals and standards and not-so-standard standards making up this most inventive and clever collection of songs. Alone in the Studio presents Collier in the most intimate of settings, as a solo artist. He has fun ...

Album Review

Steel Bridge Trio: Different Clocks

Read "Different Clocks" reviewed by Mark Corroto

by Mark Corroto
June 25, 2015

Heard at the imaginary music awards ceremony, “and the winner of the quietest and most accessible avant-garde recording of 2015 (dramatic pause), Different Clocks by Steel Bridge Trio." “Accepting the award for the trio is Jimmy Giuffre and Eric Dolphy. If there were such awards, and certainly there should be, Chicagoan Tim Daisy would be recognized for his multi-tasking organizational skills. While holding down the drum chair in varied groups from those led by Ken Vandermark, Dave Rempis, ...

Album Review

Daniel Smith: Jazz Suite for Bassoon

Read "Jazz Suite for Bassoon" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
June 25, 2015

Jazz Suite is the second album by bassoonist Daniel Smith to be reviewed in these precincts (Smokin' Hot Bassoon Blues was the first). This one is far more agreeable, for at least two reasons: first, the territory Smith traverses seems to be relatively more familiar (especially the “Baroque Adaptations") and, second, he manages to play squarely on-key, which wasn't always the case on Smokin' Hot Blues. The Scott Joplin rags (there are three) are always a pleasure to hear, even ...

Live Review

Antonio Adolfo Graces Seattle's Brazilian Scene

by Mark Holston
June 24, 2015

Antonio Adolfo & Hendrik Meurkens The Triple Door Seattle, Washington May 22, 2015 Brazilian pianist, composer, arranger and educator Antonio Adolfo made a rare West Coast appearance for a one- niter on May 22 at a storied downtown Seattle, Washington venue, The Triple Door. The Rio de Janeiro native, now based in Florida, brought harmonica ace Hendrik Meurkens from New York for the performance as part of a national tour to promote his latest recordings, ...