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

Yoojin Park: West End

Read "West End" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

by Dan Bilawsky
August 9, 2014

The story of the classically-oriented child prodigy catching the jazz bug is far from new. In fact, that one-sentence tale serves as a basic synopsis of the career trajectory of a significant number of musicians operating today; violinist Yoojin Park just happens to be one of them. Park, born and raised in Seoul, Korea, began playing violin at the age of four, a year after she started her musical journey on piano. She racked up awards at ...

Album Review

Solveig Slettahjell: Various Artists: Norwegian Woods - Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic II

Read "Various Artists: Norwegian Woods - Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic II" reviewed by John Kelman

by John Kelman
August 9, 2014

One night, six Norwegian artists--three of them together in a group for a decade. Such ideas can look great on paper, but turn out less than inspiring in reality. Fortunately, beyond the individual talents involved, there's been enough interconnectivity between singer Solveig Slettahjell, keyboardist Bugge Wesseltoft, guitarist Knut Reiersrud and the members of In the Country--keyboardist Morten Qvenild, bassist Roger Arntzen and drummer Pål Hausken--that Norwegian Woods-Jazz at the Berlin Philharmonic II doesn't just work...it soars. Slettahjell--bringing a ...

Book Review

Steve Cushing: Pioneers of the Blues Revival

by C. Michael Bailey
August 9, 2014

Pioneers of the Blues Revival Steve Cushing 400 Pages ISBN: # 978-0252038334 University of Illinois Press 2014 “Pioneers of the Blues Revival documents the efforts of a quirky set of researchers who slowly pieced together a version of blues history and meaning. This dedicated cohort, despite their widely different backgrounds, somehow brought together the skill sets necessary to create a literature based on blues research. Some would say that in the process the ...

Album Review

Djam Karet: Regenerator 3017

Read "Regenerator 3017" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
August 9, 2014

The Southern California progressive rock band commemorates 30-years as a high-flying and highly esteemed unit with its 17th full-length album that to some extent rewinds back to the infancy of the genre. And while the group frequently enjoys critical success and a loyal fan base, the musicians openly recognize that commercial success is not the main driver, as they predominately focuses on the artistic side of matters. They don't tour a whole lot, yet their steadfast ability to zoom in ...

Book Review

Gareth Murphy – Cowboys and Indies

by C. Michael Bailey
August 9, 2014

Cowboys and Indies: The Epic History of the Record Industry Gareth Murphy 400 Pages ISBN: # 978-1250043375 Thomas Dunn Books 2014 “Revelations: I suppose you've come to see the future? If you wish to believe today's self-proclaimed experts, imagine a system of mobile devices through which music flows as a kind of utility, financed by a subscription similar to public television in Europe. Tomorrow's listeners will, they say, consume music like water..." ...

Album Review

Sara Serpa & André Matos: Primavera

Read "Primavera" reviewed by Robert Bush

by Robert Bush
August 9, 2014

Although there are (mostly) just two musicians on Primavera, the first recorded collaboration between Portuguese songbird Sara Serpa and guitarist Andre Matos--one couldn't ask for a more sonically lustrous offering. That's partially due to the result of judiciously applied multitracking, and to the intricate melodic sense of both musicians. There is nary an extra note or a false move on this album, and it frequently soars, as on the title track, where Serpa's layered vocals paint vivid pictures over the ...

Album Review

The Void of Expansion: Ashes And Blues

Read "Ashes And Blues" reviewed by Eyal Hareuveni

by Eyal Hareuveni
August 9, 2014

Belgian guitarist and sound artist Dirk Serries and Swedish, Trondheim-based drummer Tomas Järmyr meet again after the successful recording of YODOK III--their trio with amplified tuba player Kristoffer Lo--to explore more sonic options together. Ashes and Blues was recorded live in the studio in February 2015 after two invigorating live performances in Belgium. The three pieces on the limited edition vinyl Ashes and Blues, are comprised from sketchy ideas but Serries and Järmyr turn the fleeting ...

Talking 2 Musicians

Eliot Lewis

by Alan Bryson
August 9, 2014

At an early age Eliot Lewis was determined to make music his life's work, and in the ensuing years he has been living the dream. As you'll hear in the interview, even as an adolescent he had some extraordinary musical encounters which, if submitted as a screenplay, would probably be rejected as unbelievable. After finishing school his demos caught the attention of an highly successful producer who enlisted him for studio work and took him under his wing. He played ...

Live Review

Newport Jazz Festival 2014, Day 2

by Timothy J. O'Keefe
August 8, 2014

Newport Jazz FestivalFort Adams State Park Newport, RI Saturday, August 2, 2014 From the first crushing strike against the drums, Brian Blade's heavy hand and swirling rolls captivated the audience attending a rainy installment of the Newport Jazz Festival. Blade led his Fellowship Band through “Stoner Hill," a dour, gray opener that mirrored the ambiance at one of the soggiest days the outdoor festival is likely to have ever experienced. While the wet weather ...

Album Review

Stan Kenton Alumni Band: Road Scholars Live

Read "Road Scholars Live" reviewed by Chris M. Slawecki

by Chris M. Slawecki
August 8, 2014

For more than twenty years, the Stan Kenton Alumni Band has kept the pulse of big-band jazz strongly beating through regular touring under the direction of trumpet master Mike Vax, who served as the Orchestra's first trumpet, soloist and road manager (and also spent one year leading The Dukes of Dixieland, a genuine New Orleans musical treasure) before assuming leadership of the Stan Kenton Alumni Band. Road Scholars Live captures this Band in their element: Blowing hot and ...