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.

Live Review

Spandau Ballet Soul Boys of The Western World Tour in NY

by Christine Connallon
May 9, 2015

Spandau Ballet The Beacon Theatre / NYCB Theatre at Westbury The Soul Boys of the Western World Tour May 2 & 3, 2015 There are a few things that New Yorkers have been waiting for. Both arrived the first weekend in May. The first, Spring-like weather, finally sauntered in, kicking away the chilly undercurrent that has been swirling around since January for once and for all, prompting convertible tops to retract and t-shirts to be ...

Album Review

Albare: Only Human

Read "Only Human" reviewed by Hrayr Attarian

by Hrayr Attarian
May 9, 2015

Australian guitarist Albare (Albert Dadon) celebrates ethnic diversity and cultural threads common to all people with the effervescent Only Human. Together with pianist Phil Turcio they have penned a set of ten catchy, impressionistic tunes that the band interprets with tastefully understated performances. The breezy music coalesces around a few clean and elementary motifs without an intricate structure as each track evokes a specific mellow mood. The lilting and languid “Hotel Royal" for instance conjures up images of ...

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Genius Guide to Jazz

Pianist Enlargement

by Jeff Fitzgerald, Genius
May 8, 2015

We're celebrating Keith Jarrett's 70th Birthday with the republication of this October 2003 Genius Guide to Jazz article. A recent AAJ poll reveals that if you were to ask the average American to name the most influential living jazz pianist, 89.4% of them would giggle like a schoolgirl because the word “pianist" sounds naughty when you say it out loud. So then. Keith Jarrett, considered by virtually the entire cast of The ...

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Building a Jazz Library

Coltrane 101

by John Eyles
May 8, 2015

OK, let's begin by being brutally honest here; if you really want to build a Coltrane collection, the albums listed below don't even scratch the surface. To do that, you will need to consider investing heavily in some box sets--five spring immediately to mind: The Heavyweight Champion (Atlantic; 7 CDs), The Complete 1961 Village Vanguard Recordings (Impulse! 4 CDs), The Classic Quartet--Complete Impulse! Studio Recordings (Impulse! 8 CDs), Live Trane (Pablo; 7 CDs) and The Complete Columbia Recordings 1955--1961 (Sony; ...

Take Five With...

Take Five with Devin Roth

by AAJ Staff
May 8, 2015

Meet Devin Roth: Originally from Kelowna, BC, Canada, Devin Roth is an accomplished pianist and composer. He is in demand as a composer and orchestrator in the film industry in Los Angeles and has worked on projects including The Book of Life, Elf: Buddy's Musical Christmas, Empire (TV series) and Crimson Peak. He studied jazz composition at New England Conservatory in Boston, MA under the tutelage of Cecil McBee, Jerry Bergonzi and Fred Hersch. Devin's debut album Childhood Places ...

Album Review

Polder: Polder

by Bruce Lindsay
May 8, 2015

Polder is a Dutch quintet, led by bassist and composer Guus Bakker. Bakker has been a professional musician since the mid-90s, with an extensive resumé as a sideman, so it's perhaps surprising that Polder is his debut as a bandleader and writer. His unhurried pace is rewarded by a varied and engaging collection of tunes. Polder's line-up features the slightly unusual mix of saxophone (Nils Van Haften who also plays bass clarinet), trombone (Vincent Veneman), guitar (Andreas Suntrop), ...

Album Review

Claire Ritter: Soho Solo

Read "Soho Solo" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan

by Dan McClenaghan
May 8, 2015

Almost any jazz pianist you can think of has taken a shot at the solo recording. Keith Jarrett explores uncharted territory with his wholly improvised approach. Denny Zeitlin and Fred Hersch examine the Standards and some of their own outstanding compositions. Brad Mehldau brings more modern musical mix with his own distinctive tunes stirred up with The Great American Songbook. Jessica Williams delves deeply into Thelonious Monk, Art Tatum, and the divine poetry of her originals. Now it's ...

Album Review

Wadada Leo Smith: Red Hill

by John Sharpe
May 8, 2015

A first time meeting in the studio pitches avant-garde trumpet master Wadada Leo Smith against a crew of improvisers who cover diverse bases. All three of Smith's collaborators work together in Slobber Pup, what you might term a thinking man's noise band, as well as overlapping in a range of other outfits including Metallic Taste of Blood and Spanish Donkey. Best known in jazz circles will be Joe Morris, here on double bass, and keyboardist Jamie Saft who features in ...

Album Review

Nuaia: Belong To The Moon

Read "Belong To The Moon" reviewed by Eyal Hareuveni

by Eyal Hareuveni
May 8, 2015

Nuaia is a Swedish-Danish trio featuring guitarist Mika Forsling with vocalist Sofie Norling and percussionist Michala Østergaard Nielsen who both play in the jazz quartet David Angel's. The trio's sophomore album, after a self titled debut on Boogie Post Recordings in 2009, deepens their affinity for exploration of genre-defying, dream-state songs. Norling is gifted with an expressive, warm voice that immediately introduces her intimate state-of-mind. She delivers concise, poetic ballads with dramatic restraint and great command. ...

Album Review

The Christine Spero Group: Spero Plays Nyro

Read "Spero Plays Nyro" reviewed by Edward Blanco

by Edward Blanco
May 8, 2015

Pianist and singer Christine Spero and her group perform the music of singer and songwriter Laura Nyro on Spero Plays Nyro, a stellar tribute to one of the most iconic composers of the 20th century best known for the way she cross-bred the jazz, R&B, Pop and blues genres. Spero and band reprise some of Nyro's most familiar compositions recorded by such groups as Blood, Sweat & Tears, The Fifth Dimension, Three Dog Night and even, Maynard Ferguson. Perhaps a ...