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

Kidd Jordan / Alvin Fielder /Peter Kowald: Trio and Duo in New Orleans

Read "Trio and Duo in New Orleans" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
February 2, 2014

Eminent avant-garde saxophonist Edward Kidd" Jordan doesn't venture outside the New Orleans area that often, but like- minded artists will occasionally make the trip to the Big Easy to unite in the studio or for a live date. Such is the case here on this 2-disc set, capturing Jordan in trio and duo settings with late, bass great Peter Kowald and a forefather of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, drummer Alvin Fielder. The trio performance ...

Album Review

KNYST!: KNYST!

Read "KNYST!" reviewed by Eyal Hareuveni

by Eyal Hareuveni
February 2, 2014

KNYST! is a new Norwegian trio inspired by the fiery American free jazz of the sixties who transform it to fresh, updated forms of musical expression. The trio, all members of the Paal Nilssen-Love Large Unit--alto saxophonist Kasper Skullerud Værne, drummer Andreas Wildhagen, a member of the experimental Lana Trio and modern jazz quintet Mopti, and double bassist Christian Meaas Svendsen, known for his solo performances, another member of Mopti and half of the duo Duplex; each contributed compositions to ...

Album Review

Corrie van Binsbergen: Self Portrait In Pale Blue

Read "Self Portrait In Pale Blue" reviewed by Eyal Hareuveni

by Eyal Hareuveni
February 2, 2014

Dutch guitarist Corrie van Binsbergen's musical aesthetics are often compared to charismatic, extrovert guitarists from the school of Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa or Marc Ribot. Her first solo album is something completely different. It began to take form by accident after a scheduled recording was cancelled and van Binsbergen, with encouragement from pianist Albert van Veenendaal, decided consciously not to prepare for it, play tabula rasa, and see where the music will take her and take off.

Live Review

Ahmad Jamal at Vicar Street, Dublin

by Ian Patterson
February 2, 2014

Ahmad Jamal Vicar Street Dublin 24 January, 2014 It's been a banner year for fans of jazz piano in Dublin, with solo concerts by Keith Jarrett and Brad Mehldau bookending 2013. Influential to both these pianists was NEA Jazz Master Ahmad Jamal, so it was fitting in a way that he should give his first performance in Ireland in a dozen years so soon after two of the most important pianists of the past forty ...

Live Review

Snarky Puppy and Lalah Hathaway at Jefferson Center

by John Wesley Reed Jr.
February 1, 2014

Snarky Puppy with Lilah Hathaway Jefferson Center Shaftman Hall Roanoke, VA March 8, 2013 Lalah Hathaway gave an exclusive master class type performance in vocalese exercises in a featured track from the latest release on funk-soul act Snarky Puppy, Family Dinner (Ropeadope 2013). Family Dinner was recorded on March 8, 2013 at Jefferson Center's Shaftman Hall in Roanoke, VA, where the band performed a premier recording concert before 100 invited guests.

Album Review

Scenes: ...but not heard

Read "...but not heard" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan

by Dan McClenaghan
February 1, 2014

ECM Records has been noted for its “Nordic Cool," school, from its many recordings of Scandinavian artists, with pianist Tord Gustavsen coming most readily to mind. Seattle's Origin Records has what can be called its “Northwest U.S. Cool" with recordings from bassist Jeff Johnson, saxophonist Hans Teuber, and the collective trio Scenes, with guitarist John Stowell, drummer John Bishop and, again, Jeff Johnson on bass. Scenes' eponymous debut disc in 2001 featured the core trio and saxophonist Rick ...

Album Review

Daniel Smith: Smokin' Hot Bassoon Blues

Read "Smokin' Hot Bassoon Blues" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
February 1, 2014

All those who can resist reviewing--or reading a review about--a jazz / blues quartet led by a bassoonist, please raise your hands. No one? Very well, then, let us proceed. The bassoonist in question is Daniel Smith, and while his name may be unassuming, it would be good to report that there is nothing ordinary about Smith's prowess on his chosen instrument. Alas . . . Perhaps the choice of music is partly to blame, but whatever ...

Extended Analysis

Stan Tracey: The Flying Pig

by Phil Barnes
February 1, 2014

As premises for an entertaining listen go the idea of a jazz record inspired by the First World War is not the easiest sell, even for a musician as respected as the late Stan Tracey. Yet on this fantastic collection, his final release prior to his December 2013 death, Tracey has somehow managed to pull it off by shifting his creative focus from the horrors of the Great War to the indefatigable spirit and humour of the soldiers caught up ...

Extended Analysis

John McNeil: Hush Point

by Dave Wayne
February 1, 2014

Anyone who has played music with others on a regular basis understands inherently that, during a live performance, the sounds emanating from the instruments themselves have a way of clashing or canceling each other out. It's all in the frequencies. Bass and toms get mixed up on the low end, cymbals can kill a clarinet or soprano saxophone. It's not a coincidence that many horn players breath a sigh of relief when they see the drummer go to the brushes. ...

Album Review

Camille Thurman: Origins

Read "Origins" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey

by C. Michael Bailey
February 1, 2014

Camille Thurman may have started as a vocalist, but on her Hot Tone debut, Origins, the flexes her breath, blowing through every instrument that transmits wind. Thurman rides the wave created by bassist/vocalist Mimi Jones, creator of Hot Tone Records with the release of her Balance (2014). A third artist makes a trio in this flood of music in drummer/percussionist Shirazette Tinnin who released her recording Humility at the same time. These three women have much to do with one ...