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.

Book Excerpts

For the Artists: Critical Writing, Volume 2

by Greg Masters
August 13, 2014

Miles Davis: The Complete On the Corner Sessions Sony-Legacy Music, October 2007 “There is no architecture and no build-up. Just a vivid, uninterrupted succession of colors, rhythms and moods." —Arnold Schoenberg, describing his Five Pieces for Orchestra in a letter to Richard Strauss, 1909, quoted in The Rest is Noise, Alex Ross (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007) The music Miles Davis forged in the first half of the 1970s, his so-called “electric period," is ...

Album Review

Joshua Redman: Trios Live

Read "Trios Live" reviewed by Mark F. Turner

by Mark F. Turner
August 12, 2014

Upholding the legacy of his namesake, saxophonist Joshua Redman--son of the great Dewey Redman--has continued to develop as a leader in jazz since the 1990's. He's created a name as a consummate artist through rigorous work that's involved a previous directorship of SFJAZZ, constant tours and over a dozen recordings. At times criticized for not emulating his father's passion, recordings such as his 2013 jazz-with-strings project Walking Shadows (Nonesuch) resulted in a beautiful studio release that was at times unengaging. ...

Interview

Omer Klein: Theme and Variations

by Robin Arends
August 12, 2014

One of the numerous talents that Israel has produced in the last decade is pianist Omer Klein. He is a much sought-after guest at various music venues in Europe, Israel and the U.S and last April he had his first tour in Canada. Klein, grew up in Netanya, Israel. After he received a special scholarship Klein moved to Boston where he attended the New England Conservatory. In 2006 he moved to New York where he quickly became a notable member ...

Album Review

Kosi: Pictures of Us

Read "Pictures of Us" reviewed by Roger Farbey

by Roger Farbey
August 12, 2014

“Wild is the Wind" opens with a graceful flugelhorn solo by Angeleisha “Trumpetess" Rodgers, a welcome change of tack for a vocal-based album with the singularly-named Kosi only entering three minutes into the number. “I Already Know" continues the slow ballad tempo of the opener, but with the added benefit of a magnetic hook line of the repeated angst-ridden title, at once moving and extremely effective. “Brianna," a soulful ballad, is both musically and lyrically haunting. In Duke ...

Multiple Reviews

Rodrigo Amado Motion Trio meetings with Peter Evans

by Eyal Hareuveni
August 12, 2014

Portuguese, Lisbon-based saxophonist (and photographer) Rodrigo Amado's main musical vehicle in recent years is the Motion Trio, a powerful, rhythmic unit that collaborated before with Chicagoan trombonist Jeb Bishop (The Flame Alphabet, Clean Feed, and Burning Live At Jazz Ao Centro, JACC, both released on 2012). Amado and this trio new collaborative endeavour unites these excellent musicians with New York-based innovative trumpeter Peter Evans for two burning sessions, live and in the studio. Both releases highlight Amado and his trio ...

Album Review

Tony Kadleck Big Band: Around The Horn

Read "Around The Horn" reviewed by Nicholas F. Mondello

by Nicholas F. Mondello
August 12, 2014

In assessing baseball talent, the scouts' description “five-tool talent" describes a hitter who can do it all--run, field, hit for average, hit with power and throw. When a musician such as Tony Kadleck steps into the recording batter's box as leader and with work presented such as Around the Horn, the description not only fits like a glove, but, the musical umpires surely will be “finger-twirling" and calling it a Grand Slam. Kadleck, long a key fixture ...

Extended Analysis

Simon Phillips: Protocol II

by Ben Scholz
August 12, 2014

It has been 14 years since the release of Vantage Point, Simon Phillips' last project as a leader, and nearly 26 years since his debut album Protocol. In these years, Phillips has become a drummer to the stars, recording and performing with the likes of Jeff Beck, The Who, and Judas Priest. In '92, following the death of founding member Jeff Porcaro, Phillips was asked to fill the drum chair for Toto. He would go on to occupy this position ...

Album Review

David Strother: Azul

by Florence Wetzel
August 12, 2014

Azul is an aural meditation by electric violinist David Strother that covers a wide swathe of emotions and delves fearlessly into the human condition. The word azul means “blue" in Spanish, and indeed the songs explore many shades of this emotional color. The blues also refer to loss: during the editing and mixing phases of the EP, Strother learned about the death of bassist and composer Charlie Haden, a musician who influenced him deeply, so the EP also serves as ...

Album Review

Circum Grand Orchestra: 12

by Eyal Hareuveni
August 12, 2014

12, the fourth album of the French, Lille-based Circum Grand Orchestra and flagship of the Muzzix musicians collective, marks a significant change in the Orchestra's history. After being led for a decade by guitarist Olivier Benoit, now new artistic director of the prestigious Orchestre National Jazz, they are guided by bassist Christophe Hache, who wrote each composition on this release. The move from a six-string leader to a four-string guide did not affect the restless, inclusive spirit of this orchestra. ...

My Blue Note Obsession

Thad Jones: Detroit-New York Junction – Blue Note 1513

by Marc Davis
August 11, 2014

Before he became famous as the leader of a big band, Thad Jones was a trumpet player, and a damn good one. In 1956, Jones led his first jazz group. It was a small sextet--unlike his later, more celebrated ensemble, co-led by Mel Lewis. This short album, which chronicles that session, has only five songs and runs just 34 minutes. There are no alternate takes. It's a pleasant album, but not a great one. There is ...