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.

Extended Analysis

Christian Pincock: Plentiful Excitement

by Dave Wayne
December 2, 2013

The late trombonist, composer, and educator Bob Brookmeyer's greatest gift to the world may well be the legion of wonderful musicians whom he mentored during his tenure at the New England Conservatory. A list of the more recent generation of Brookmeyer students read like a Whos' Who of 21st Century jazz: John Hollenbeck, Maria Schneider, Darcy James Argue, Matana Roberts and Ryan Truesdell, to name a few. Add to this select group Christian Pincock, a gifted improvisor and composer who, ...

Album Review

Peter Lemer Quintet: Local Colour

Read "Local Colour" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
December 2, 2013

British keyboardist Peter Lemer is highly regarded for his contributions to the fabled 1970s Canterbury progressive rock scene via his work with Gong, Gilgamesh and other bands of that bygone era and beyond. However, Local Colour originally released in 1968, is a free-form jazz outing that signifies Lemer's first and only solo venture. Moreover, this album denotes his fellow countryman and time-honored reedman John Surman's recording debut. Reissued in 2013 as part of ESP's 50th anniversary, Lemer leads ...

Album Review

Per Gärdin: loos

by Eyal Hareuveni
December 2, 2013

Swedish, Stockholm-based free improviser, saxophonist Per Gärdin continues to expand his solo art on this, his sophomore album which follows In Situ (released on his own label, Ibn Musik, 2010). This album is a set of improvisations for solo saxophone Gärdin's musical resume includes collaborations with other prominent Swedish improvisers such as the pianist Lisa Ullén, and guitarist David Stackenäs, and also a recent tour with the Portuguese RED Trio. loos is a set of 15 ...

Live Review

Live From Old York: Tom Lewis, Bryan Ferry, Blockheads, Brass Monkey & 4square

by Martin Longley
December 1, 2013

Tom Lewis The Black Swan November 7, 2013 It was easy to identify Tom Lewis whilst he was sitting amongst the audience at the Black Swan Folk Club, checking out the floor singers at the evening's beginning. This was a man sporting an anchor earring and an anchor amulet, with his hair intricately woven at the back of his head in a manner which might easily support an extra, imaginary, anchor. Lewis ...

Album Review

Tim Warfield: Inspire Me!

Read "Inspire Me!" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

by Dan Bilawsky
December 1, 2013

Saxophonist Tim Warfield has a lot of irons in the fire. While serving as “artist-in-residence" at Messiah College, attending to his duties as an adjunct faculty member at Temple University, appearing live under his own name and working with high profile artists like trumpeter Terell Stafford, he also found time to deliver three albums in an eleven month span--Tim Warfield's Jazzy Christmas (Self Produced, 2012), Eye Of The Beholder (Criss Cross, 2013) and the record under discussion here; if that's ...

Live Review

The Claudia Quintet at The Workmans Club

by Ian Patterson
December 1, 2013

The Claudia Quintet The Workmans Club Dublin Ireland November 25, 2013 “Real fans do it on a Monday night," Improvised Music Company's Gerry Godley said in an address to the crowd that acknowledged the economic and logistical challenges facing promoters, musicians and fans alike. The Republic of Ireland's economy is still struggling half a decade on and at a time when incomes are stretched semi-improvised music isn't necessarily on the top of everybody's list ...

Album Review

Myra Melford: Life Carries Me This Way

Read "Life Carries Me This Way" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan

by Dan McClenaghan
December 1, 2013

Pianist Myra Melford's first solo disc, Life Carries Me This Way, is a musical exploration the paintings of California visual artist Don Reich. Rendering a painting--an art form that can be taken in at once, with one look--and addressing its moods, colors, shapes and textures over the course of a composition is not a easy task. Though in jazz, it's certainly not unheard of. The connection between abstract art and the improvisation-based music goes back at least to pianist Dave ...

Bailey's Bundles

Christmas IV: Jazz Instrumental - Duke Ellington, Tim Warfield, Manhattan Brass and Ted Rosenthal Trio

by C. Michael Bailey
December 1, 2013

This holiday season has turned out better than the past several when considering quality seasonal music releases. The jazz instrumental contingent has provided several fine recordings for consideration. Harmonie Ensemble / New York, Steven Richman Duke Ellington & Billy Strayhorn / Piotr Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker Suites Harmonia Mundi 2013 Duke Ellington & Billy Strayhorn / Piotr Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker Suites highlights the greatest jazz adaptation of classical music. This release ...

Album Review

UNI Jazz Band One: This Is the Band

Read "This Is the Band" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
December 1, 2013

UNI is the University of Northern Iowa, which has had a respected Jazz Studies program for more than three decades, first under director Robert Washut and more recently under Chris Merz whose charges have recorded and released their tenth CD since Merz assumed the reins in 2002 (the band recorded eleven albums under Washut's guidance). Six of the nine selections on This Is the Band were written and / or arranged by members of the ensemble; the others were composed ...

Album Review

Suzanna Smith: Halfway Between Heaven & Love

Read "Halfway Between Heaven & Love" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey

by C. Michael Bailey
December 1, 2013

Oakland-based vocalist Suzanna Smith states that she is, ..." always looking for ways to play within the boundaries of a song's 'container,...' I think of songs as rooms and the longer you live in them, the more you can move about without bumping into things. I love when I reach that point with a song." She illustrates this aurally in her carefully considered standards like Legrand and Bergman's “Summer Me, Winter Me," King, Young, and Van Alstyne's “Beautiful Love," and ...