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

Hafez Modirzadeh: In Convergence Liberation

Read "In Convergence Liberation" reviewed by Karl Ackermann

by Karl Ackermann
August 22, 2014

Multi-reed player and composer Hafez Modirzadeh has created a sweeping global experience with In Convergence Liberation; a further examination of the cross-cultural influences explored on Post-Chromodal Out (PI Recordings, 2012). The earlier recording incorporated elements of multi-regional modalism and chromatics, and these compositional techniques are made even more textural with a significantly deeper line up of players. Modirzadeh--playing five reed instruments plus percussion--string quartet ETHEL, two vocalists and the returning trumpeter Amir ElSaffar join masters of Persian string and percussion ...

Album Review

Brian Groder: Reflexology

Read "Reflexology" reviewed by Hrayr Attarian

by Hrayr Attarian
August 22, 2014

Trumpeter Brian Groder distinctive style marks his intelligent versatility and superlative musicianship. This is, of course, not news for those familiar with his work. Whether in electronically tinged improvisational ensembles like Confusion Bleue, large orchestras or intimately small groups Groder's unconventional yet always engaging approach morphs to fit the setting while remaining singularly recognizable.His trio outing Reflexology is a sparse, haunting exploration of hard bop motifs that is simultaneously provocative and endowed with a visceral rhythmic sense. The ...

Take Five With...

Take Five With Kevin Ahart

by AAJ Staff
August 22, 2014

Meet Kevin Ahart: I'm a native of Austin, Texas but swapped my cowboy boots for a tuxedo when, at age five, I started singing the Great American Songbook--I've been at it ever since. My debut album, Let's Take the World featuring Jane Monheit and Jeff Franzel, and recorded by Phil Ramone, is out June 23--you can listen to it here: https://soundcloud.com/ahartmusic I'm also pretty excited about playing two London dates on June 17 at the Pheasantry at ...

Album Review

Ingrid Hagel: Tharapita

Read "Tharapita" reviewed by Budd Kopman

by Budd Kopman
August 22, 2014

Tharapita is a delightful recording that ultimately beguiles the listener through its emotional outlook and sheer gorgeous sound. Ingrid Hagel hails from Estonia and, as she states on her site, “Tharapita" is the name of a thirteenth-century northern Estonian tribal god, which has been incorporated into the culture to “evoke the unity between man and nature." Living now in Copenhagen, Denmark with its hustle and bustle, the music is Hagel's attempt “to recreate the sensations, colours and landscapes ...

Take Five With...

Take Five With Tracy Mothershed

by AAJ Staff
August 21, 2014

Meet Tracy Mothershed: I use to listen to my mother play the piano and try to follow her... I would listen to my Grandmother sing and Grandparents dance. My uncle Douglas and I would sing and sing... play records and I would pretend to have a microphone and be a famous jazz singer. I was incredibly shy but I was always singing. i would put on shows with my sister in front of the view-finder that would ...

Take Five With...

Take Five With Greg Nathan

by AAJ Staff
August 21, 2014

Meet Greg Nathan: Greg Nathan began his professional bass-playing career in 1972 at the age of seventeen, performing popular jazz music with pianist Chuck Ruff and vocalist Donna Courtell. He completed his Bachelor of Music in Music Education degree at the University of Oregon in 1977. Greg earned a Master of Arts in Music degree at California State University, Sacramento in 1982. He is in his thirtieth season with the Eugene Symphony. His teacher is Larry Epstein, Assistant Principal ...

Take Five With...

Take Five With Rhenda Fearrington

by AAJ Staff
August 21, 2014

Meet Rhenda Fearrington: Rhenda Fearrington is considered New York Soul in the Heart of Philly Jazz, which produces a warm and soulful presentation when singing from the Great American Songbook. When she's performing her original music, her authentic delivery is so engaging that even the largest venue becomes as intimate as her living room and each member of the audience feels she's speaking just to them! Originally from New York, she started singing in local bands throughout ...

Album Review

Somi: The Lagos Music Salon

Read "The Lagos Music Salon" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

by Dan Bilawsky
August 21, 2014

To most people, the junction of New York and Lagos, Nigeria may not seem like a natural place for an album to take shape. Somi, thankfully, thought otherwise. This worldly and well-traveled vocalist makes it seem like the most natural of meeting points on The Lagos Music Salon. Somi's music has always been informed by African, R&B and soul influences, but an eighteen month stay in Lagos helped her dig deeper into the African cultural soil than ...

Album Review

The Whammies: Play The Music of Steve Lacy Vol. 3, Live

Read "Play The Music of Steve Lacy Vol. 3, Live" reviewed by Mark Corroto

by Mark Corroto
August 21, 2014

The third volume of Steve Lacy dedications by the cover/not cover band The Whammies is a live recording from their 2014 tour. Recorded in Italy and Austria, the band performs their self-described “instant-arranging" of mostly Lacy tunes that in true-to-form fashion elicit surprise and clever improvisation.Saxophonist Steve Lacy, who passed away in 2004, would certainly be pleased.This international band led by Dutch saxophonist Jorrit Dijkstra and Greek-born Boston-based pianist Pandelis Karayorgis keep the flame of his ...

Album Review

Michael J McEvoy: The Long Way Home

Read "The Long Way Home" reviewed by Bruce Lindsay

by Bruce Lindsay
August 21, 2014

Michael J McEvoy is something of a musical chameleon--a composer, instrumentalist and producer who's played a crucial role in many musical projects without grabbing the limelight. He's composed film soundtracks (including 2008's Me And Orson Welles), and worked as musician or producer with an extensive array of artists including Ian Dury, Sting, Scritti Politti, the Bee Gees and Steve Winwood. On The Long Way Home McEvoy comes back to jazz (the “home" of the album title), with eight stylish and ...