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

Moskus: Mestertyven

Read "Mestertyven" reviewed by Eyal Hareuveni

by Eyal Hareuveni
June 27, 2014

The Norwegian piano trio Moskus--pianist Anja Lauvdal, double bassist Fredrik Luhr Dietrichson and drummer Hans Hulbækmo-- decided to change its course on its sophomore release Mestertyven (Master Thief in Norwegian}. The trio's debut album Salmesykkel (Hubro, 2012) was recorded in the prestigious Atlantis Grammofon Studio in Stockholm while Mestertyven was recorded in the 17th century wooden Risør Kirke (church of the Holy Spirit), a venue for a summer chamber music festival. The grand piano was exchanged for an upright one ...

Multiple Reviews

Daunik Lazro and Henri Roger with Benjamin Duboc and Didier Lasserre

by Eyal Hareuveni
June 27, 2014

The French double bassist Benjamin Duboc and drummer Didier Lasserre have created together a unique, highly personal language. Their inventive and telepathic interplay can stir emotional storms produced with minimal, almost evasive elements and color any collaboration with vivid, spell-binding moods. Their latest improvised collaborations with baritone saxophonist Daunik Lazro and pianist Henri Roger demonstrate Duboc and Lasserre's greatness. Daunik Lazro / Benjamin Duboc / Didier Lasserre Sens Radiants Dark Tree Records

Album Review

Fo/Mo/Deep: The Groovy Goodness

Read "The Groovy Goodness" reviewed by Everett R. Davis

by Everett R. Davis
June 27, 2014

Bassist Ron “FatKat" Holmes and the members of fo/mo/deep are back in a big way with the highly anticipated release of The Groovy Goodness. The The Groovy Goodness contains nine pleasantly delightful, cool funk jazz tracks that take you on a winding journey reminiscent of the 70's, and 80's smooth jazz that moved, grooved, and soothed the soul. The jam session opens with “1974" (T. MӓKynen) which is loaded with catchy in-and-out piano and saxophone melodies ...

Live Review

Children Of The Light Trio at Blue Note

by Dan Bilawsky
June 26, 2014

Children Of The Light Trio Blue Note Jazz Festival New York, NY June 18, 2014 Danilo Perez, John Patitucci, and Brian Blade: Who are three musicians capable of improving and altering the course of any musical situation which they may encounter? That Jeopardy-style answer could certainly accompany the very mention of those three names. Another one could go something like this: Who are the three brilliant musical instigators-turned-responders that work together ...

Album Review

Anne Vanschothorst: EK IS EIK

Read "EK IS EIK" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey

by C. Michael Bailey
June 26, 2014

Dutch harpist Anne Vanschothorst is pretty clear about her omnivorous attitude toward composition. Her interest is using the harp to provide texture as well and harmony and melody to her compositions. She excels as a solo performer and one in concert with other instruments, for example, her opening composition “Where's Mo?" is a tacit duet with trumpeter Saskia Laroo, who plays muted and closely miked (not unlike Miles Davis to whom she is compared). The two produce a moody scene ...

Album Review

Billy Strayhorn: Out Of The Shadows

Read "Out Of The Shadows" reviewed by Chris Mosey

by Chris Mosey
June 26, 2014

An elaborate box set from the Danish Storyville label: seven CDs and one DVD, paying tribute to Duke Ellington's arranger and composer Billy Strayhorn that--alas--doesn't quite live up to the ambitions of it's makers. Ask yourself, was Strayhorn truly the shadowy figure implied by the title? While the bulk of his work was achieved out of the public eye, Billy Strayhorn was no shrinking violet. He “subbed" for Ellington on piano with the band ...

Live Review

Jazz Liège Festival 2014

by Jean-Pierre Goffin
June 26, 2014

Jazz Liège Festival Brussels, Belgium May 8-10, 2014 The International Jazz Festival in Liège was created twenty-four years ago. The city was known for decades as the Belgian capital of jazz, with musicians such as Bobby Jaspar ( who played with Miles Davis,J.J. Johnson, Donald Byrd and many others), René Thomas (Stan Getz, Sonny Rollins, Chet Baker, J.R. Monterose), or Jacques Pelzer (Chet Baker,Don Cherry). Thanks to the energy and enthusiasm of one of ...

Album Review

Cindy Bradley: Bliss

by Jeff Winbush
June 26, 2014

Everything you need to know about Cindy Bradley's new album Bliss is right there on the CD jacket photo. Her blonde hair is coiffed, she strikes a stern, yet accommodating stance with no smile, but a hint of cleavage, her right thumb hooked around a belt loop and her left grasping her trumpet. Looks matter in music and Bradley's good looks are part of the packaging of her for smooth jazz stardom, but what about the music?

Album Review

Ehran Elisha Ensemble: Continue

Read "Continue" reviewed by Eyal Hareuveni

by Eyal Hareuveni
June 26, 2014

The title of the Israeli-American drummer Ehran Elisha new ensemble album suggests his approach to music and improvisation. Inspired by the approach of Miles Davis, its art, aesthetics, compositional and improvisational tools never rest, simply continue forward. Always enriching the creative process, whether within formal compositions, free improvisations solo performances or with new musicians. The ensemble, a quintet comprised of Elisha long-time friends--violinist Sam Bardfield and tenor saxophonist David Bindham, together with acclaimed double bassist Ken ...

Album Review

Miroslav Tadic: Mirina

Read "Mirina" reviewed by Nenad Georgievski

by Nenad Georgievski
June 26, 2014

In the hands of guitarist Miroslav Tadic the guitar sounds like a band in a box as he explores different strands of music on his records. This versatile California-based classically trained musician has a wide range of experiences under his belt which in turn has informed and enriched his guitar approach. It is an impresive technique that incorporates intricate picking, cross-rhythms, flowing harmonics, dazzling arpeggios. Each of this man's records is a celebration of music that synthesize different cultural explorations ...