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.

Bailey's Bundles

The Jazz Coin: Scott Hamilton & John Escreet

by C. Michael Bailey
September 23, 2013

Twenty-first century jazz has a greater breadth and depth than any time previously. Granularity in jazz genre has become so reduced that genre designations are almost meaningless. In jazz, we are approaching a time when jazz will no longer be “jazz" but music in the most liberal sense of the word. But, until that time, we will have contrasts like those heard from tenor saxophonist Scott Hamilton and pianist John Escreet. Scott Hamilton Swedish Ballads...and ...

Album Review

Kersten Stevens: Inspire Me

Read "Inspire Me" reviewed by Hrayr Attarian

by Hrayr Attarian
September 23, 2013

On her fourth release Inspire Me violinist Kersten Stevens has successfully tackled the daunting task of creating a unified work with a large cast of characters and a variety of influences. The central theme of the album, steeped in a strong religious sense, is an exploration of artistic motivation.“Right Where You Are," for instance, is an original song penned by Stevens (with co-Producer Eric Johnson) and features singer Alicia Olatuja. Olatuja's gorgeously evocative voice emerges from the backdrop ...

Reassessing

Zoot Sims And The Gershwin Brothers

by C. Michael Bailey
September 23, 2013

Zoot SimsZoot Sims And The Gershwin BrothersOJC1975/2013 The Concord Music Group inaugurated their celebration of the 40th anniversary of Norman Granz's Pablo Records with the releases of John Coltrane: Afro Blue Impressions (Pablo, 1963/2013) and Sarah Vaughan-- Sophisticated Lady: The Duke Ellington Songbook (Pablo,2013). These releases are to be followed by an additional five remasters, the first of which, Zoot Sims And The Gershwin Brothers, is considered here. ...

Album Review

Superbrass: Brass Taps

Read "Brass Taps" reviewed by Nicholas F. Mondello

by Nicholas F. Mondello
September 23, 2013

Superbrass' Brass Taps is all wet. Now, before one misinterprets, an explanation is in order. Roger Argente, Principal bass trombonist with the Royal Philharmonic and his illustrious crew comprised of Britain's finest brass and percussion players are sending up eleven impeccably performed original selections all inspired by and programatically about H2O in one way or another.This intriguing “water-borne" voyage runs the gamut from more classically-tinged interpretations to straight-ahead and improvised jazz. Along that journey we are treated to ...

Album Review

Steve Hunter: The Manhattan Blues Project

Read "The Manhattan Blues Project" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
September 23, 2013

Millions have heard Steve Hunter's guitar work without realizing it. For decades he's been a first-call session luminary, performing and recording with Peter Gabriel, Lou Reed, Aerosmith, Jack Bruce and scores of other notables. But he's also a solo artist and highly revered for his prowess as a guitarist who is adept and comfortable in numerous genres. He nestles within an electric-acoustic blues format on this studio date that generates a host of mood-evoking grooves and storylines. Featuring progressive rock ...

Live Review

Lettuce & The Alan Evans Trio at Higher Ground, South Burlington, Vermont, 2013

by Doug Collette
September 22, 2013

Lettuce & The Alan Evans TrioHigher GroundSouth Burlington, VermontSeptember 5, 2013Two of the most prominent members of an organization dubbed, with little false modesty, The Royal Family, Lettuce and The Alan Evans Trio are ideal tour mates, especially for the intimate environs of a venue like South Burlington's Higher Ground. While the music began past its billed start hour, the threesome headed by the once and future drummer of Soulive made up for lost time, ...

Album Review

Back Door: BBC In Concert

Read "BBC In Concert" reviewed by Bruce Lindsay

by Bruce Lindsay
September 22, 2013

The Back Door story belongs to a brief but rather glorious time in British popular music. A time when a free-blowing jazz trio could emerge from the resident band of a northern cabaret club, a summer season in seaside variety theatre, afternoon jam sessions and the band of an iconic figure from the British blues boom. As BBC In Concert ably demonstrates, the band managed to blend these rather disparate experiences together to create some entertaining music.In 1968 ...

Album Review

Wilford Brimley With The Jeff Hamilton Trio: Wilford Brimley With The Jeff Hamilton Trio

Read "Wilford Brimley With The Jeff Hamilton Trio" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

by Dan Bilawsky
September 22, 2013

Acting and singing aren't mutually exclusive talents. The best singers, in fact, are natural born actors, inhabiting the stories set out for them in the songs that they sing. The opposite, however, doesn't always ring true; the best actors are not always natural born singers. In this day and age, the fame of the thespian has become a license to sing, with everybody from Hugh Laurie to Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe to Russell Brand brandishing a microphone, but the ...

Take Five With...

Take Five With Guy Hatton

by AAJ Staff
September 22, 2013

Meet Guy Hatton: I am a guitarist and composer based in Rochester, UK. I've been performing, composing, as well as producing and engineering records for over 30 years. I've worked in a vast range of styles and genres including straight-ahead jazz, fusion, rock, trash, improvisation, and electronica. I have produced records for other artists covering everything from early music to contemporary urban, most of which were realized in a tiny 8/16-track studio I run in Leeds.In ...

Live Review

The Charlie Daniels Band at the NYCB Theatre

by Mike Perciaccante
September 22, 2013

The Charlie Daniels Band with the Marshall Tucker Band NYCB Theatre at Westbury Westbury, NY September 7, 2013 The show outside of the NYCB Theatre at Westbury was something to behold. The local fire department sent two trucks outfitted with retractable ladders and a huge American flag, which they proudly raised as a southern rock band was playing cover songs. Veterans proudly displaying their military affiliation, along with families who were tailgating, ate, drank and ...