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

James Falzone - The Renga Ensemble: The Room Is

Read "The Room Is" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
April 12, 2015

Enterprising Chicago-based clarinetist James Falzone and a core band of fellow improvisers signal a modern day avant-jazz summit, inspired by the leader's affinity for Renga, which is a Japanese poetic tradition where 2 or more poets work in parallel to produce a new work. Falzone yields dividends by enlisting an ensemble, featuring prominent trailblazers of the modern era's improvising circuit such as Ken Vandermark, Ben Goldberg, Ned Rothenberg and others of note. The performers' inner-workings are implanted within a holistic ...

Album Review

Peter Davenport: Bolide

by Dave Wayne
April 12, 2015

Peter Davenport's Bolide is the sort of album that often flies completely under the radar. It's what record collectors call a private issue; completely self-produced, self-distributed and available on a very small scale; generally only through the artist. Nevertheless, Bolide is a worthwhile listening experience. While not a familiar name to me prior to hearing this album, Davenport's past and present musical associations include the bands Bluth and Mobscene, as well as various projects with Jim Beard, Bill McHenry, and ...

Album Review

Mikko Innanen with William Parker and Andrew Cyrille: Song for a New Decade

Read "Song for a New Decade" reviewed by Karl Ackermann

by Karl Ackermann
April 12, 2015

Song for a New Decade joins relative newcomer, Finnish saxophonist/composer Mikko Innanen with veteran drummer Andrew Cyrille and bassist William Parker, the latter appearing on the first of the two-disc set. Innanen has won numerous European music awards and though much of his playing and recording has been regional, he has performed with drummer Han Bennink, saxophonists John Tchicai and Chris Speed, guitarist Marc Ducret and bassist Barry Guy. Parker has been leader on more than forty recordings and has ...

Extended Analysis

Gov't Mule: Dub Side of the Mule (Deluxe Edition)

by John Kelman
April 12, 2015

If there are any groups out there who have, for their 20th anniversary, celebrated with a year-long series of as many live releases as Gov't Mule they'd be a challenge to find. As the year-long festivities wind down for the group--beginning as a side project for then- Allman Brothers Band guitarist/vocalist Warren Haynes and (now-sadly deceased) bassist Allen Woody, but which has since taken on a serious life all its own--Mule has released two multi-disc sets, each demonstrating a different ...

Jazz Fiction

Now's the Time: Part 4-5

by Sean Murphy
April 11, 2015

Introduction The life and times of a minor jazz legend are recounted through his narrated memories. In this fictional treatment of jazz music in the mid-to-late 20th century, issues of race, creativity, addiction and, ultimately, redemption, are explored. With a title taken from the immortal Charlie Parker tune, “Now's The Time" is an extended meditation on the artistic life. Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 He ...

Album Review

Roberta Piket: Emanation (Solo: Volume 2)

Read "Emanation (Solo: Volume 2)" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

by Dan Bilawsky
April 11, 2015

In the liner notes for this stimulating album, pianist Richie Beirach, Roberta Piket's friend and once-upon-a-time teacher, refers to the art of solo piano playing as “the Mount Everest of challenges for a jazz pianist." Ain't that the truth. When put in other situations, from episodes in duo discourse to large ensemble endeavors, pianists have the opportunity to play around, with, and off of others. And although it's completely accurate to say that musically communicating in real time with other ...

Book Review

The Rolling Stones by Taschen

by Nenad Georgievski
April 11, 2015

The Rolling Stones Reuel Golden (editor) 522 Pages ISBN: 3836552027 Taschen 2014 There is an old joke where in case of nuclear war the only ones that will survive the nuclear holocaust would be cockroaches and the Rolling Stones. For more than 50 years since the band began its active career it has created music that has spawned the ages, generations, fashions. The band did not invent rock and roll, but ...

Album Review

Dan Rufolo: Sacred Jazz

Read "Sacred Jazz" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey

by C. Michael Bailey
April 11, 2015

Simplicity and quietude are laudable goals in a jazz recording. They are often hard to pull off. Many artists wish to flex technical muscles in solo recordings and this is antithetical to simplicity and quietude. Pianist Dan Rufolo finds the sweet spot in the simple and still in his meditative suite made up of a baker's dozen of originals and standards whose orbit is somewhere around a Zen Christian spirituality. Rufolo's opening six pieces create a sepia, ...

Live Review

Moody Blues at the NYCB Theatre At Westbury

by Mike Perciaccante
April 11, 2015

Moody Blues NYCB Theatre in Westbury Westbury, NY March 29, 2015 For its 1981 album Long Distance Voyager (Threshold Records), the Moody Blues recorded and released a song called “Veteran Cosmic Rocker." Now, almost 35 years later, the band, currently comprised of core members Justin Hayward (guitar/vocals), John Lodge (bass/vocals) and Graeme Edge (drums/percussion/vocals) along with Julie Ragin (keyboards/saxophone/guitar/backing vocals), Norda Mullen (flute/guitar/tambourine/backing vocals), Alan Hewitt on keyboards and vocals ...

Album Review

Odin's Court: Turtles All The Way Down

Read "Turtles All The Way Down" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
April 11, 2015

Many progressive metal and progressive rock musicians center their thematic underpinnings on interstellar space, Armageddon or social degradation, among other heavy topics. On its 5th release, Maryland-based Odin's Court presents a concept album, relating to a multilateral viewpoint of the universe and a quest for knowledge. Casting similar frameworks undertaken by well-known prog bands such as Dream Theater and Kings X, this unit morphs instances of full throttle metal escapades with melodic overtures. But Odin's Court differentiates its musical persona ...