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

Mike Collins: And Suddenly, Evening

Read "And Suddenly, Evening" reviewed by Bruce Lindsay

by Bruce Lindsay
February 5, 2015

Based in the Georgian splendour of the west of England town of Bath, pianist Mike Collins writes and plays music characterized by a melodic sensibility that seems to match his home town's air of respectability. Of course, the respectable surface of this Georgian town can readily hide an undercurrent of romance and powerful emotions--as Jane Austen knew so well. And Suddenly, Evening, Collins' follow-up to Suite Gorgeous (Suitepieces Records, 2009), mixes attractive melodies with a rhythmical flexibility that sees the ...

Album Review

Happy Family: Minimal Gods

Read "Minimal Gods" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
February 5, 2015

Since its self-titled Happy Family (Cuneiform, 1995) and Toscco (Cuneiform, 1997) this sinewy and agile Japanese quartet has remained relatively dormant. But with Minimal Gods, the ensemble's colossal power and mesmerizing agility reemerges with massive doses of adrenaline and robust compositional prowess. Indeed, they haven't lost their touch or one iota of chutzpah during the interim. Similar to other bands in the modern era of prog rock, the stylistic inferences to King Crimson are in effect, yet ...

Album Review

PRISM Quartet: Heritage/Evolution, Volume 1

Read "Heritage/Evolution, Volume 1" reviewed by Karl Ackermann

by Karl Ackermann
February 5, 2015

Not quite as well-known as the World Saxophone Quartet or the Rova Saxophone Quartet, the PRISM Quartet practices a unique approach to this category of ensemble playing. In part, PRISM takes a more direct aim on improvisation as opposed to the more blended method of WSQ or the openly free style of Rova. More idiosyncratic is the evolution of the quartet over three decades. When tenor player Matthew Levy founded the group in Michigan, its original mission was specific to ...

Catching Up With

Herb Alpert: In the Mood for Excellence

by Nicholas F. Mondello
February 4, 2015

While he has been bestowed endless awards--nine Grammys, a presidential Medal of the Arts, enshrined in the Rock Hall of Fame--and has sold over 72 million records, Herb Alpert is a trumpet player at heart and an artist in his soul. What emanates from that trumpet and its player's mind is pure creative expression. And, in addition to the love of his life, the incredibly talented vocalist/author Lani Hall, Herb Alpert is deeply enamored with melody and with the Muse ...

Album Review

Wolfgang Haffner: Kind Of Cool

Read "Kind Of Cool" reviewed by Bruce Lindsay

by Bruce Lindsay
February 4, 2015

Drummer Wolfgang Haffner is one of Germany's most respected and experienced jazz musicians: his 30 year career features recordings with Al Cohn, Joe Pass and Till Bronner as well as numerous albums as leader. On Kind Of Cool he's joined by an excellent line-up of European jazzers, including pianist Jan Lundgren and trombonist Nils Landgren: their mix of classics and Haffner originals is a delight from first note to last. Haffner and bassist Dan Berglund open “Hippie" (one ...

Album Review

BKO Quintet: Bamako Today

Read "Bamako Today" reviewed by James Nadal

by James Nadal
February 4, 2015

While most musicians have the convenience of being in a relaxed atmosphere while preparing to produce a record, this was not the situation for the members of the BKO Quintet. Amidst the revolutionary turmoil which embroiled Mali in late 2012 to the brink of civil war, they maintained focused on their musical endeavor, albeit with a warranted sense of urgency, until with the proper visas and connections they were able to fly to France to produce Bamako Today. Though it ...

Album Review

Randy Brecker with the DePaul University Jazz Ensemble: Dearborn Station

Read "Dearborn Station" reviewed by Edward Blanco

by Edward Blanco
February 4, 2015

The renowned DePaul University Jazz Ensemble continues a tradition begun more than twenty years ago by performing and recording at the oldest historic jazz club in Chicago, the Jazz Showcase located in the historic 'Printer's Row' district of the Dearborn Station area. The Dearborn Station live recording also maintains another on-going tradition and that is documenting sensational sessions of big band music with an icon of jazz this time, with the phenomenal trumpeter Randy Brecker. Musical Director and renowned trumpeter ...

140

Take Five With...

Take Five With Noah Haidu

by AAJ Staff
February 4, 2015

Meet Noah Haidu: Pianist and composer Noah Haidu is evidence that 21st century jazz can be adventurous, fresh and swing hard; that an exciting, modern pianist can play memorable melodies and soulful grooves. His powerful Posi-Tone Records CDs Slipstream and Momentum garnered an impressive response: write-ups included All About Jazz, JazzTimes, The Financial Times, and Downbeat; while his music was played in heavy rotation on radio, satellite, and cable jazz channels. Noah has also gained the attention of ...

Album Review

Tom Harrell: Trip

by Glenn Astarita
February 4, 2015

Since the 70s, trumpeter Tom Harrell has branded a prolific stature within the annals of modern jazz as an artisan who possesses an enviable technique marked by his exquisite phrasings, silky tone and fluid progressions. Even during pieces constructed on gutsy or penetrating ensemble work, Harrell has an uncanny way of dishing out ferocious licks with heartfelt overtones and a penchant for eloquently rebuilding themes and regenerating numerous slants on a given melody. Here, the trumpeter lines up with celebrated ...

Genius Guide to the Good Life

Brew Note

by Jeff Fitzgerald, Genius
February 3, 2015

In the fourteen years I've been with All About Jazz, a lot has changed in the world. One can no longer get on an airplane without undergoing an MRI and a colonoscopy; the Internet now lives mostly on smartphones and tablets (and phablets, whatever the hell those are) instead of desktops and laptops; Madonna is no longer a completely soulless media whore, she's now more like one of those 'active grandma' types you see in ads for bladder control products. ...