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

Samo Salamon & The Slovene Philharmonic String Chamber Orchestra: Free Strings: Orchestrology

Read "Free Strings: Orchestrology" reviewed by Jakob Baekgaard

by Jakob Baekgaard
February 16, 2014

It's not a new thing that jazz musicians like to record with strings. Legendary alto saxophonist Charlie Parker lamented the loss of his string section after he had the thrill of touring and recording with strings and fellow saxophonists Stan Getz and Art Pepper both picked an album with strings, Focus (Verve, 1961) and Winter Moon (Galaxy, 1980), respectively, as a career highlight. Some might say that part of the attraction of the use of strings is ...

Album Review

Rosie Henshaw: Rosie and the Bees

Read "Rosie and the Bees" reviewed by Roger Farbey

by Roger Farbey
February 16, 2014

Vocal jazz but with more than a dash of rock must be one of the hardest niche markets to break into. So it is with Rosie and the Bees, whose eponymously titled debut album makes a very brave stab at the scene. This Australian trio, Rosie--of which more later--Banel Martinez on guitar and Byron Mark on keyboards and percussion are augmented by other musicians on this recording, but the main focus is on Rosie herself, a talented singer and multi-instrumentalist, ...

Album Review

Gary Smulyan & Dominic Chianese: Bella Napoli

Read "Bella Napoli" reviewed by Dr. Judith Schlesinger

by Dr. Judith Schlesinger
February 16, 2014

Although Gary Smulyan is arguably the world's greatest baritone saxophonist, does that mean we all want to hear him blow on “Funiculi Funicula?" Is anyone especially eager to learn what world-class jazz players would do with such music, especially if your ancestral homeland isn't shaped like a boot? The quick answer might be no --- until you learn that Bella Napoli also features six vocals by the estimable Dominic Chianese, probably best known for playing devious Uncle Junior ...

Album Review

Russ Nolan: Relentless

Read "Relentless" reviewed by Jeffrey Uhrich

by Jeffrey Uhrich
February 16, 2014

Latin rhythms and Afro-Cuban beats abound throughout Relentless, saxophonist Russ Nolan's strong follow-up to the well-received Tell Me (Rhinocerouss Music, 2012). All of the tracks contained in Relentless are infused with a sharp rhythmic sensibility displaying Nolan's talent as a saxophonist while ensuring that the heavy influence of salsa and Latin-based rhythms shine throughout each piece. Nolan and his sidemen exude energy and spontaneity throughout the eight numbers contained on this disc, six of which are Nolan original compositions.

Live Review

John Fogerty at the Paramount

by Mike Perciaccante
February 15, 2014

John Fogerty The Paramount Huntington, NY January 30, 2014 John Fogerty's musical modus operandi encompasses many different styles: Americana, roots rock, Southern rock, psychedelia, swamp rock, country, rockabilly, blues and pop--in short, good old fashioned rock 'n' roll. His songs read like the soundtrack of the past forty years: “Hey Tonight," “Who'll Stop the Rain," “Born on the Bayou," “Centerfield," “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?," “Fortunate Son," “Bad Moon Rising, “Proud ...

Album Review

Lone Justice: This Is Lone Justice: The Vaught Tapes, 1983

Read "This Is Lone Justice: The Vaught Tapes, 1983" reviewed by Doug Collette

by Doug Collette
February 15, 2014

After The Byrds went to Nashville and The Flying Burritos Brothers startled LA with their suits from Nudie's, but before there was alternative country as founded by Uncle Tupelo, there was cowpunk in the stylized form of the Long Ryders, but more organically as portrayed by Lone Justice. With three-quarters of its twelve tracks previously unreleased, the music within The Vaught Tapes 1983 is flush with the confidence of a group that not only knows their roots, but how close ...

Extended Analysis

Uncle Tupelo: No Depression Legacy Edition

by Doug Collette
February 15, 2014

It may not be entirely accurate to state Uncle Tupelo invented alternative country music, but it is very close to the truth to say that by incorporating influences as disparate as The Stooges and the Carter Family, they defined the diversity integrated within this style of music evolving in the late Eighties and early Nineties. Accordingly, while the Uncle Tupelo catalog has migrated through one round of expanded remasters of their early discography, their music deserves the deeper archiving represented ...

Album Review

Iain Matthews: The Art of Obscurity

Read "The Art of Obscurity" reviewed by Doug Collette

by Doug Collette
February 15, 2014

Iain Matthews has come to be something of a past master of the concept in this album title. Not the highest profile member of Fairport convention--Sandy Dennis and Richard Thompson hold that designation--the singer/musician has nevertheless continued to maintain a more than respectable profile for decades, through his assembly of Matthews Southern Comfort, Plainsong and a solo career that, in introducing his wryly titled The Art of Obscurity, may now be giving way again to collaborative endeavors. Not ...

Album Review

Cakewalk: Transfixed

Read "Transfixed" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
February 15, 2014

The Scandinavian band ignites memories of early, unconventional space rock explorers Can and Faust, but integrate a neo-psychedelic imprint with their second album for Norway-based, Hubro Records. Here, the musicians navigate through murky passages and flights of fancy via Stephan Meidell's steely electric guitar permutations and Oystein Skar's poignant electronic effects textures atop drummer Ivar Loe Bjornstad's pounding medium-tempo rock pulses. At times, the trio projects conceptions of a slow-moving doomsday machine, obliterating everything in its path. The ...

Album Review

Karokh: Karokh

Read "Karokh" reviewed by Eyal Hareuveni

by Eyal Hareuveni
February 15, 2014

Karokh is the name of new Norwegian experimental rock band featuring unique vocalist Ina Sagstuen from the anarchistic outfit Skadedyr, guitarist Christian Winther, bassist Magnus Skavhaug Nergaard and drummer Jan Martin Gismervik. All three form trio experimental-improvising Monkey Plot. (Winther and Nergaard also play together in Ich Bin N!ntendo, trumpeter Thomas Husmo Litleskare, who leads his own quartet, along with two synthesizer players. Karokh's debut album was recorded after extensive touring since the bands inception in 2010 ...