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

Antoine Fafard: Occultus Tramitis

Read "Occultus Tramitis" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
September 10, 2013

An unanticipated surprise in the form of a new album is always welcome. And the star-studded cast of jazz, jazz fusion and progressive rock performers here is somewhat of an eye-opener, especially when considering that UK bassist Antoine Fafard (Spaced Out) is not a household name in the US. Gathering a supporting cast of this stature is no easy task. But, simply put, Fafard is a killer bassist, possessing gargantuan chops and an impressive compositional pen. With violinist Jerry Goodman ...

Album Review

Ben Webster: In Norway

Read "In Norway" reviewed by Chris Mosey

by Chris Mosey
September 10, 2013

Ben Webster refused to fly. When he visited Norway from Denmark, his adopted homeland, he went by boat and when he got there would blame his somewhat uncertain gait on his “sea legs," rather than the large amounts of alcohol he had consumed in the vessel's bar. Sometimes his “sea legs" were so bad, initial concerts had to be rescheduled. However, by 1970, when this date was recorded, Webster was 61 and slowing down just a little. ...

Album Review

Amnesiac Quartet: Tribute to Radiohead Vol. 2

Read "Tribute to Radiohead Vol. 2" reviewed by Mehdi El Mouden

by Mehdi El Mouden
September 10, 2013

Anyone who has listened to the sound of Radiohead would confess that the English rock band breaks out of the ordinary. Devoid of harmonic complexity, dissonance, or technical virtuosity that would qualify Radiohead's music as highly sophisticated, the sound is nevertheless quite unique and pregnant with deep melancholic emotions that lead vocalist Thom Yorke asserts well in spiraling solos. His vocal performances, as often ascending inflections, produce a spacious and enveloping headphone-friendly sensation.It would definitely take a lot ...

Album Review

Nora Germain: Let It Rip!

Read "Let It Rip!" reviewed by Carl L. Hager

by Carl L. Hager
September 10, 2013

How good is your memory? Remember when the gold standard in jazz was that the music needs to swing? Good memory, eh? Remember jazz violin, that four-stringed instrument that was bowed and tucked under the musician's chin, not stood on end? Jazz violin is a tradition which has faded to such a degree that it's become necessary to invoke names of famous forebears to remind one that it ever existed. Challenge a listener to name a ...

Rhythm In Every Guise

The Ambidextrous Greg Bufford

by David A. Orthmann
September 10, 2013

Accompanied by his father, a boy approaches the drum kit, stops and stares, transfixed by the array of shapes and gleaming surfaces. Without a moment's hesitation, Greg Bufford, the man sitting on the drummer's throne, makes eye contact, smiles, and proffers an impromptu demonstration of articulate, swinging brush strokes. The sounds satisfy the boy's curiosity and capture the attention of a ring of people near the tiny, makeshift bandstand, who are patiently waiting for the band to hit.Tuesday ...

Interview

Billy Vera: Still In The Game

by Scott Mitchell
September 10, 2013

It might be safe to say that a lot of people may know a little bit about Billy Vera but only a few people know a lot about Billy Vera. Billy is a singer, writer, producer, actor, Grammy winner, and music historian. He has performed with big bands, Billy And The Beaters, solo, and everything in between. For those of us who were around in the 1960s and who took the time to read the credits on hit records, Vera ...

Album Review

Gina Kronstadt: Come Over

Read "Come Over" reviewed by Bruce Lindsay

by Bruce Lindsay
September 9, 2013

Gina Kronstadt has graced recordings by many musical giants, including Dr John, Charlie Haden, Rod Stewart and Aretha Franklin. Most of the time it's her talent as a violinist that's called upon. For her debut release as leader, Come Over, she puts the violin to one side and concentrates on singing: original songs of love, with a contemporary twist.Come Over is a collection of jazz songs with a pop sensibility: accessible, easy to listen to, engaging. “Magic," a ...

Album Review

Jonathan Moritz Trio: Secret Tempo

Read "Secret Tempo" reviewed by Mark Corroto

by Mark Corroto
September 9, 2013

Great chefs can make a delicious meal out of just a handful of ingredients. So can great musicians. A simple omelet prepared from happy free range chicken eggs, plus some freshly plucked basil can set the palate reeling. For a jazz chef like saxophonist Jonathan Moritz, his simple fresh ingredients includes a trim ensemble of bassist Shayne Dulberger, drummer Mike Pride, and just some sketch recipes in which the trio can mix, mash, mince, and marinate.Secret Tempo opens ...

Extended Analysis

Woody Shaw: The Complete Muse Sessions

by John Kelman
September 9, 2013

The past couple years have been banner ones for reviving the legacy of Woody Shaw, a trumpeter and composer who--emerging in the early '60s on albums by extant jazz stars like Eric Dolphy, Andrew Hill, McCoy Tyner and Horace Silver, and contributing to on-the-rise names including Larry Young and Chick Corea--has all-too-often been overlooked. Still, with younger horn players like Alex Sipiagin releasing tribute albums like Generations (Criss Cross, 2010), it's clear that, for some, the trumpeter's impact and influence ...

Album Review

Musson - Noble - Sanders: Tatterdemalion

Read "Tatterdemalion" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
September 9, 2013

Tatterdemalion: the album title refers to someone who wears tattered clothing, a simile that may parallel the unadorned and rather raucous proceedings enacted by this trio's thoroughly “free" approach to jazz improvisation. You won't find pieces that intimate a sea of tranquility. It's more about an in-your-face type workout featuring saxophonist Rachel Musson's hardcore expressionism. However, veteran improvisers, keyboardist Liam Noble and drummer Mark Sanders, oblige Musson's rambunctious and serrated lines with contrapuntal responses and guileful treatments on this wildly ...