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

Julie Kelly: Happy To Be

Read "Happy To Be" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

by Dan Bilawsky
August 23, 2014

Over the past thirty years, vocalist Julie Kelly has established and cemented her sterling reputation via seven highly praised albums. Her eighth, a beauty in every way, is likely to garner her some more rave reviews. After tackling a diverse program with able support from pianist Mike Wofford on Everything I Love (Chase Music Group, 2006), and grafting her own personality onto cool school vocalist June Christy's work with some help from pianist-arranger Tom Garvin on Kelly ...

Album Review

Indigo Mist: Cuong Vu - Richard Karpen: That The Days Go By And Never Come Again

Read "That The Days Go By And Never Come Again" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
August 23, 2014

Pioneering trumpeter, composer Cuong Vu and pianist Richard Karpen push the envelope by not releasing a cut and dry tribute to Duke Ellington and his counterpart Billy Strayhorn . With a standard jazz quartet supported by iPad and electronics performers, to say this album follows mainstream jazz guidelines would be a miscue of sorts. Unconventional wisdom and atypical treatments accentuate this production of three Ellington-Strayhorn compositions and several originals by the quartet. According to Vu, the spirit of ...

Album Review

Alan Evans Trio: Woodstock Sessions Vol. 1

Read "Woodstock Sessions Vol. 1" reviewed by Doug Collette

by Doug Collette
August 23, 2014

The Alan Evans Trio, nee Alan Evans' Playonbrother, were the first band to formally avail themselves of the resources of Applehead Studios for a live with studio audience session in Woodstock New York in 2013. Patterned to a great degree on Levon Helm's Midnight Rambles at his own barn, ultra contemporary facilities in a rustic setting, these events present a unique opportunity for musicians and fans alike to immerse themselves in the spontaneity of the moment even as the engineers-Michael ...

Bailey's Bundles

The Led Zeppelin Papers: Led Zeppelin II, Deluxe Edition

by C. Michael Bailey
August 23, 2014

January 12, 1969 to October 22, 1969. Two-hundred eighty-three days. That is the length of time between the releases of Led Zeppelin and Led Zeppelin II. By any estimation, in rock music it defies the space-time continuum. By 21st Century time, it only compares to the incessant leakage of Rap mixtapes pooling on the floor of some unnamed ghetto. If there was ever a rock Twilight of the Gods (Gotterdammerung), this was it. Led Zeppelin Led ...

Album Review

Sei Miguel: Salvation Modes

Read "Salvation Modes" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
August 23, 2014

Here, Portuguese trumpeter, composer Sei Miguel delves into his stockpile of older compositions that were seldom performed or recorded. And his customary, eccentric mode of operations is structured in an enticingly bizarre approach to jazz and jazz improvisation. On this release comprised of three extended tracks, the artist employs two quartets and a ten-piece ensemble as he crafts his attack with odd sound-sculpting metrics, minimalism, avant-space music, and paints liquescent hues atop placid rhythmic persuasions. “Fermata" is the ...

One LP

Jimmy Heath: Charlie Parker with Strings

by William Ellis
August 23, 2014

Jimmy Heath: Langston Hughes Library, Flushing, New York, 30th April 2013 It was impossible to make a choice! This is Charlie Parker with Strings (Mercury Records, 1950)--a compilation of all the Charlie Parker with Strings--not just the one studio performance; there's some live performances. Someone at The Charlie Parker organisation that used to give the benefits for Charlie Parker--the Foundation that his wife started--made this compilation and they gave them out to some of the sponsors ...

One LP

Orbert Davis: Clifford Brown with Strings

by William Ellis
August 23, 2014

Orbert Davis: Symphony Centre, Buntrock Hall, Chicago. 15th May, 2013 This is Clifford Brown with Strings (EmArcy, 1955). I was a teenager when I first heard this incredible album—the depth is in its subtleties—and Clifford is so perfect with the string writing of Neal Hefti. It's a true blending of classical and jazz. The first thing I knew—this is funny—I recognized the name Neal Hefti from the Batman theme! For me as a trumpet ...

Take Five With...

Take Five With Mark Egan

by AAJ Staff
August 22, 2014

Meet Mark Egan:Over the past 30 years, Mark Egan's ability to groove, perfectly complement the music in any situation and solo expressively has made him one of the most in-demand bass players on the international music scene. While racking up credits with the likes of the Pat Metheny Group, saxophonists Steve Grossman, Dave Liebman, Stan Getz, Sonny Fortune and Bill Evans, vocalist Michael Franks, guitarists Pat Martino, Larry Coryell, John McLaughlin, Alex De Grassi, John Abercrombie, Chuck Loeb and ...

Album Review

Heather Rigdon: Everything To Me

Read "Everything To Me" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

by Dan Bilawsky
August 22, 2014

Vocalist Heather Rigdon walks a pop-jazz path here, but her work is anything but fluff. In less than thirty minutes, she delivers songs that chronicle the ups and downs of relationships, the natural wonders of day to day existence, and the insecurities and strengths that live within us all. Almost all of the eight songs that make up this program tend to work around the edges of coupledom in different manners. “And So It Goes," for example, ...

Take Five With...

Take Five With Evan Shay

by AAJ Staff
August 22, 2014

Meet Evan Shay: Evan Shay is a saxophonist and composer based in Montreal. He recently completed his Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance at McGill University with the distinction of Outstanding Achievement in Jazz Saxophone. He was also awarded the prestigious four-year Seymour Schulich Scholarship. Evan was a member of the top McGill Jazz Orchestra I for three years, and the McGill Chamber Jazz Ensemble. Evan completed two tours of France, and has performed at the Umbria ...