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

Danny Petroni: The Blue Project

Read "The Blue Project" reviewed by Paul Naser

by Paul Naser
July 19, 2014

Hurricane Sandy was the second most destructive hurricane in United States history, and when it made landfall in New Jersey in late 2012 it destroyed more than property; it severely affected the community of musicians that made the Jersey Shore their home. In an effort to create some work for them and local producers, guitarist Danny Petroni came up with The Blue Project. Featuring his own compositions and arrangements, with phenomenal horn arrangements done by the great Frank ...

Live Review

Phish at Saratoga Performing Arts Center

by Doug Collette
July 19, 2014

Phish Saratoga Performing Arts Center Saratoga Springs, New York July 3-5, 2014 If there is one overriding impression to glean from Phish's summer 2014 run at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, it's that the band is equally proud of and inspired by the material on Fuego (Jemp/ATO, 2014). Not only was every song on the record played over the course of the three-night run (with the exception of keyboardist Page ...

Album Review

Clearlight: Impressionist Symphony

Read "Impressionist Symphony" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
July 19, 2014

French keyboardist Cyrille 'Clearlight' Verdeaux's 1974 issued Clearlight Symphony is purportedly a venerated gem by many progressive rock enthusiasts. Here, the artist celebrates the 40th anniversary of the initial release with a new venture, featuring the original cast of GONG band-mates, Steve Hillage (guitar), Tim Blake (synth, Theremin) and Didier Malherbe (reeds). Verdeaux asked the trio to reunite for this new symphonic impressionist rock project. Prominent prog artists such as Paul Sears (drums) of The Muffins and other notables lend ...

Live Review

Yes at the NYCB Theatre At Westbury

by Mike Perciaccante
July 19, 2014

Yes NYCB Theatre At Westbury Westbury, NY July 12, 2014 When Yes announced that it would be touring in the summer of 2014, it also stated that it would be playing its classic albums Fragile (Atlantic Records, 1971) and Close To The Edge (Atlantic Records, 1972) in their entirety, as well as excerpts from Heaven And Earth (Frontier Records, 2014) and some greatest hits selections. Quite a daunting proposition, especially considering that original lead vocalist ...

Album Review

Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters: Good News

Read "Good News" reviewed by Mike Perciaccante

by Mike Perciaccante
July 19, 2014

Ronnie Earl first gained national attention in 1979 when he replaced Duke Robillard as the lead guitarist for Roomful Of Blues. After spending eight years as the main axeman in that group, Earl decided it was finally time to completely branch out on his own. Though Earl had released his first solo disc, Smokin', in 1983 and followed it with They Call Me Mr. Earl in 1984 (both on Black Top Records), it wasn't until 1987 that he decided to ...

Album Review

Tony Kadleck Big Band: Around The Horn

Read "Around The Horn" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

by Dan Bilawsky
July 18, 2014

Trumpeter Tony Kadleck is one of those musicians that nearly everybody has heard, regardless of whether they know it. He's an unerring player with extraordinary chops, making him a first-call player for Broadway contractors, jazz musicians, and anybody looking for a never-miss trumpet player to add musicality to a studio session. His horn can be heard on the original cast recordings for shows like Beauty And The Beast (Disney, 1994) and The Producers (Sony Classical, 2001); he's been a mainstay ...

Catching Up With

Oteil Burbridge: Profile of a Folk Jazz Player

by Ben Scholz
July 18, 2014

Rarely does the opportunity to interview a touring musician arrive with much advance notice. Schedules tend to be dictated by airline departure times, hotel check-out policies and sound checks. If I am lucky, I'll know of an upcoming show in town a few weeks in advance and can plan accordingly. If the artist has a few minutes to chat post-gig, I usually attempt to prep them with a few questions and follow up via phone later. Sometimes however, an opportunity ...

Extended Analysis

Robin Eubanks + Mental Images: kLassik rocK vol. 1

by John Kelman
July 18, 2014

While jazz purists like to think that the artists they love have always been into jazz and nothing else, the truth is often more than a little different: not only have most jazz artists who grew up in the '60s and beyond been unalterably impacted by more than just the jazz music of their time, but they remain fans of music beyond the genre's broadest purview. Yes, there are purists, but most musicians--irrespective of the style of music upon which ...

Album Review

The Snobs: Ekho’s Wheeling in Thespiae

Read "Ekho’s Wheeling in Thespiae" reviewed by Florence Wetzel

by Florence Wetzel
July 18, 2014

The Snobs are a wildly talented art-rock duo hailing from France. Mad Rabbit and Duck Feeling are brothers who have released ten innovative recordings, including the excellent Massive Liquidity (Bam Balam, 2011), which features the poetry and performance of the peerless Steve Dalachinsky. On their release Ekho's Wheeling in Thespiae, their music is, as always, a delectable blend of influences, including Krautrock, industrial percussion, and ambient music, rounded off by Miles Davis' On the Corner (Columbia, 1972) and James Brown's ...

Extended Analysis

Lena Bloch: Feathery

by Dave Wayne
July 18, 2014

One of the really enjoyable things about listening to jazz is that, after a few years, one is able to discern some aspects of a particular musician's stylistic evolution. If her debut album, Feathery, is any indication, saxophonist Lena Bloch has staked a claim on some of the most distinct real estate in the jazz neighborhood; the 50s era cool school jazz of Lennie Tristano, Warne Marsh, and Lee Konitz. Far from being a mawkish tribute or an entry-level primer ...