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.

Take Five With...

Take Five With Eric Normand

by AAJ Staff
July 25, 2013

Meet Eric Normand:Eric Normand is a composer, improviser, bassist, instrument designer, singer-songwriter, and a record and concert producer. He defines himself as an inter-disciplinary musician--a free electron driven by its yearning for meetings. In his book, composition cannot exist without exchange since composition consists of setting up a territory that will facilitate improvisation.His music has been programmed or performed in several festivals in Canada, Australia, and Europe. His music has been broadcasted by Radio-Canada, Australian Broadcasting ...

Album Review

The Kim Richmond Concert Jazz Orchestra: Artistry

Read "Artistry" reviewed by Nicholas F. Mondello

by Nicholas F. Mondello
July 25, 2013

"A Tribute to the Music of ..." That's a phrase encountered regularly when one surveys today's recorded efforts--jazz and otherwise. A number of factors might be the motivation: there's a tremendous legacy of 20th century music (and legacy is usually bankable), or, perhaps, there isn't enough bankable current music. Either way, looking in the rearview mirror isn't too bad an idea.With Artistrythe tribute is to one of the most innovative bandleaders in jazz, Stan Kenton. However, while that's ...

Album Review

Pandelis Karayorgis Trio: Cocoon

by Mark Corroto
July 25, 2013

With so many projects in the works, where is one to begin in a survey of pianist Pandelis Karayorgis? The Boston-based educator (born in Athens, Greece) is a member of The Whammies (featuring Han Bennink), a sextet formed with Driff Records partner Jorrit Dijkstra to cover the music of Steve Lacy. He also maintains a Chicago Quintet with Dave Rempis, Keefe Jackson, Nate McBride, and Frank Rosaly, and is a member of System of 5, Construction Party, and the Guillermo ...

Album Review

Ken Vandermark's TOPOLOGY Nonet w/Joe McPhee: Impressions Of Po Music

Read "Impressions Of Po Music" reviewed by Mark Corroto

by Mark Corroto
July 24, 2013

Food scientists know that human taste buds favor three items, sweet, salty and fat. Although abundant today, our prehistoric ancestors scavenged for these scarce commodities. A musical arranger, like a great chef, can serve up delectable music by skillfully combining the three tastes.Our chef, the musical impresario Ken Vandermark, organized this nonet tribute to Joe McPhee and his influential music by inviting the great man to record with eight Chicago musicians. All would probably name McPhee as their ...

Album Review

Paolo Fresu Devil Quartet: Desertico

Read "Desertico" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

by Dan Bilawsky
July 24, 2013

Italian trumpeter Paolo Fresu has always been more angel than devil, though he's fronted quartets that name check both of those respectively heavenly and hellish entities. His horn work is coolly lyrical and spellbinding, regardless of the setting it's found in, but Fresu also has an impish side to his personality that takes over at certain times; he taps into that deviousness in a few places on Desertico, but the majority of the music is gorgeous, reflective and peaceful.

Interview

Chris Schlarb: Psychic Temples

by Ian Patterson
July 24, 2013

Truck driver, husband, father, and law-abiding citizen by day, Chris Schlarb presumably dons a cape at other moments that transforms him, if not quite into the savior of creative music, at the very least into the creator of other-worldly sounds of singular vision and exceptional beauty. Guitarist, composer, and founder of independent record label Sounds Are Active, Schlarb has been at the forefront of the underground/alternative music scene in Los Angeles for the last 15 years. Through his association with ...

Album Review

Mark Murphy: A Beautiful Friendship: Remembering Shirley Horn

Read "A Beautiful Friendship: Remembering Shirley Horn" reviewed by Bruce Lindsay

by Bruce Lindsay
July 24, 2013

In his time, vocalist Mark Murphy has been described as hip, cool, swinging, fearless, gruff, and eccentric (among other things). Some-- but most definitely not all--of these terms could also be applied to Shirley Horn. So it's fitting that Murphy should pay tribute to his compatriot, as he does on A Beautiful Friendship: Remembering Shirley Horn, even though Murphy acknowledges that the two vocal legends didn't know each other too well.This four-track vinyl EP (accompanied by a download ...

Extended Analysis

Kim Richmond Concert Jazz Orchestra: Artistry

by Jack Bowers
July 24, 2013

On Artistry, the Kim Richmond Concert Jazz Orchestra pays homage to one of Richmond's former employers, the legendary Stan Kenton, not by rehashing music performed by the Kenton Orchestra--no matter how forward-leaning that may have been--but rather by renovating a few themes associated with Kenton (and quite a few others that weren't) in the manner in which Stan conceivably might have approached them if he were alive today. Among the album's dozen tracks are three that are explicitly bound to ...

Take Five With...

Take Five With Shane Cooper

by AAJ Staff
July 24, 2013

Meet Shane Cooper:Shane Cooper is a bassist, composer, and producer from Cape Town, South Africa. Oscillations, with his quintet, is due to be launched on August 22, 2013 at Cape Town's Mahogany Room. In 2012, he was selected as the Standard Bank Young Artist for Jazz. Has he been a member of Babu (SAMA Nominee) and Closet Snare. He continues to work with the Kyle Shepherd Trio (SAMA Nominee) and the Reza Khota Quartet. He has also worked ...

Album Review

May Peters: Tributo de Tambor y Trombon en Clave de Mujer Boricua

Read "Tributo de Tambor y Trombon en Clave de Mujer Boricua" reviewed by James Nadal

by James Nadal
July 24, 2013

The personal attractions which originate with music can have life altering consequences, leading to total immersion in another culture and the discovery of oneself in the process. Trombonist May Peters is a perfect case in point. Born and raised in Holland, with extensive musical training, she has had a lifelong fixation with salsa music, which led her to relocate to Puerto Rico, culminating in her production of Tributo de Tambor y Trombon en Clave de Mujer Boricua.This is ...