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.

Multiple Reviews

The Rich Musical Vision of Japanese Double Bass Player Tetsu Saitoh

by Eyal Hareuveni
December 31, 2014

Japanese double bass master Tetsu Saitoh is one of the most original players of the bull fiddle. He is a resourceful and inventive free improviser but also feels at home when is playing Argentine tango, Brazilian music, Korean shaman music, obviously jazz or collaborating with poets, painters, dancers or theatre groups. All enrich his musical world and solidify his belief about the power of music. For Saitoh music is about believing. As he explains: “believe in ...

Album Review

Jonathan Parker: Interloper

Read "Interloper" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

by Dan Bilawsky
December 30, 2014

Saxophonist Jonathan Parker has covered quite a lot of ground since graduating from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in 2008: Shortly thereafter, he relocated to Shanghai, China, carving out a performing life for himself there. Then, he was accepted into the Kennedy Center-sponsored Betty Carter's Jazz Ahead program in 2010. Parker moved to New York City in the fall of that year, where he quickly gained some attention with the release of The Jonathan Parker Group (Self Produced, 2010)--his debut ...

Album Review

Colin Trusedell: Quartet of Jazz Death

Read "Quartet of Jazz Death" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey

by C. Michael Bailey
December 30, 2014

Bassist Colin Trusedell made his recording debut with the very fine Some of My Best Friends Are... Divas. This recording, by relative unknowns, late of Armed Forces service, put together a cogent and well-focused jazz vocal recording that intelligently surveyed the American Songbook. Scoring such a success, what does Trusedell do for a follow-up? He goes in a diametrically opposing direction with Quartet of Jazz Death. The disc open with a cacophony of jazz sounds mashed together, like ...

Album Review

Dave Liebman: Ceremony

by James Nadal
December 30, 2014

The most distinguished characteristic of Afro-Caribbean music--as well as its greatest contribution to the jazz idiom--has been the drums. If we take this one step further, the Afro-Cuban tradition of drumming has had the highest degree of influence, and has been readily identifiable, since the Latin dance crazes of the mid twentieth century brought these diverse and intricate rhythms to widespread attention. Noted jazz saxophone master and scholar Dave Liebman, has been tuned into the complexity of these drums throughout ...

Album Review

Sonny Simmons: Leaving Knowledge, Wisdom and Brilliance / Chasing the Bird?

Read "Leaving Knowledge, Wisdom and Brilliance / Chasing the Bird?" reviewed by Eyal Hareuveni

by Eyal Hareuveni
December 30, 2014

American alto sax and English horn (Cor Anglais) player Sonny Simmons needs no introduction. Now 81 years old, Simmons was a key player in America's free jazz eruption in the 1960s. He released his first solo albums on ESP- Disk, the exponent label of free jazz and recorded or played with legendary musicians like Eric Dolphy, Albert Ayler, Charles Mingus and Don Cherry. Since the seventies his musical career went through some turbulent phases. Fortunately, in ...

Rediscovery

Vince Mendoza: Start Here

by John Kelman
December 30, 2014

Vince Mendoza Start Here World Pacific1990 In the fall of 1990, I was visiting Amsterdam for four days between business engagements in other European countries and, as usual, the first order of the day was to scope out a good music store. Luckily, there was one within walking distance of the hotel, and amongst the goodies I bought that day was Vince Mendoza's second recording as a leader, first to be released outside of Japan ...

Talking 2 Musicians

Jeff Sipe

by Alan Bryson
December 30, 2014

Jeff Sipe is a drummer based in Asheville, North Carolina, and is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music. For decades he has been a conspicuous presence on the Southern music scene. He was an original member of the Aquarium Rescue Unit, and the phenomenal trio Hellborg, Lane, Sipe. He's known as Jimmy Herring's go-to drummer, and he can be found in all kinds of fluid combinations with numerous artists. The unique sound on his recent cross-generational ...

Extended Analysis

Into The Light: Music of Korea V

by Ian Patterson
December 29, 2014

The Korean Arts Management Service (KAMS) has put a great deal of energy and resources into promoting the Korean performance arts abroad in the past nine years. Music is one of its biggest exports, with traditional and contemporary Korean music increasingly finding its way into the World Music, jazz and numerous arts festivals of the world. The crossroads where jazz and contemporary improvised music meet was presented in the excellent third volume of Into The Light: Traditional Music ...

Multiple Reviews

A New Look at the Blues

by Chris Mosey
December 29, 2014

A release of remastered albums on vinyl by the European jazz label Storyville provides a welcome chance to re-evaluate the blues and the black artists who introduced the musical form to Europe. The albums are pressed on 180 gram virgin vinyl, individually numbered, and with old and new liner notes. Each record comes with the possibility of a free digital download. The albums may well become collectors' items. Storyville obviously expects a big international ...

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Take Five With...

Take Five With Michael Janisch

by AAJ Staff
December 29, 2014

Meet Michael Janisch:Freelance double & electric bassist, composer, producer, record label owner & bandleader from the USA, resident since 2005 in London, England. Performances with Joe Lovano, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Mark Turner, George Garzone, Dianne Reeves, Shirley Horn, Evan Parker, Gary Husband, Joe Locke, Walter Smith III, Mike Moreno, Jason Palmer, Jon Irabagon, Logan Richardson, Will Vinson, Ingrid Jensen, Patrick Cornelius, Ambrose Akinmusire, etc. Founder and MD of Whirlwind Recordings. Instrument(s): Double and electric basses