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

Ron Oswanski: December's Moon

Read "December's Moon" reviewed by Hrayr Attarian

by Hrayr Attarian
May 6, 2013

Keyboardist Ron Oswanski is known primarily as an audacious organist. He does, however, also bring a unique agility to the accordion and is endowed with a lyrical touch on the piano as his debut album December's Moon amply demonstrates.The dozen tunes cover modern jazz compositions, Oswanski's originals and a Led Zeppelin anthem. The wide range showcases his versatility as an improviser as well as his adroitness as a bandleader as he keeps august company on this recording with ...

Album Review

Rodrigo Amado Motion Trio + Jeb Bishop: The Flame Alphabet

Read "The Flame Alphabet" reviewed by Eyal Hareuveni

by Eyal Hareuveni
May 6, 2013

The collaboration between the prolific Portuguese saxophonist Rodrigo Amado and his Motion Trio with Chicagoan trombonist Jeb Bishop, has produced two albums so far. The live recording, Burning Live At Jazz AO Centro (JACC Records, 2012) and the 2011 studio recording The Flame Alphabet. The addition of Bishop to Amado's trio was organic. Both are experienced improvisers who worked and led high-octane outfits. Amado collaborated and led bands with American trumpeter Dennis González, with Chicagoan bassist Kent Kessler and Norwegian ...

Album Review

Sean Nowell: The Kung-Fu Masters

Read "The Kung-Fu Masters" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
May 6, 2013

New York City-based saxophonist Sean Nowell has found a home with the increasingly prominent West Coast modern jazz record label, Posi-Tone Records. His fourth release highlights the turbo-powered acoustic-electric band, The Kung-Fu Masters. Word has it that the ensemble has been creating a buzz in The Big Apple, and in recent times has acted like a jazz collective, featuring guest spots by formidable players such as guitarist Mike Stern and trumpeter Jeremy Pelt. Now that Nowell has firmed-up the core ...

Live Review

Tribeca Film Festival 2013: New York City, NY, April 17-28, 2013

by Christine Connallon
May 5, 2013

Tribeca Film Festival New York, NY April 17-28, 2013Celebrating its 12th stellar year, the Tribeca Film Festival showcased the best and brightest films to an ever-increasing number of eager viewers. Founded by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff, the mission of the festival--to enable the international film community and the general public to experience the power of film by redefining the film festival experience--remains as strong today as it was at its inception.

Album Review

Lajos Dudas Trio: Live at Porgy & Bess

Read "Live at Porgy & Bess" reviewed by Karl Ackermann

by Karl Ackermann
May 5, 2013

Vienna's Porgy & Bess Jazz Club is approaching its twentieth anniversary as an international--but intimate--venue for top jazz talent from Europe and beyond. It's the perfect setting for this live recording from the Lajos Dudas Trio. A Hungarian native living in Germany, clarinetist Dudas is teamed with long-time collaborator, guitarist Phillipp van Endert and bassist Leonard Jones. Jones--a seminal member of the AACM--has played with Muhal Richard Abrams, Sonny Simmons and Mal Waldron in the course of his accomplished career. ...

Multiple Reviews

Didrik Ingvaldsen's Corners

by Eyal Hareuveni
May 5, 2013

Norwegian trumpeter, composer and educator Didrik Ingvaldsen has studied at Julliard conservatory, honed his skills as in improviser at downtown New York clubs, educated students at Leeds College in England, Tanzania in Africa and at his home town, Stavanger in southern Norway. His main musical vehicle in recent years is the Pocket Corner quintet. This outfit present beautifully the musical universe of Ingvaldsen--modern jazz that is informed by the legacies of innovative trumpeters such as Miles Davis and Don Cherry, ...

Album Review

Oliver Lake / Christian Weber / Dieter Ulrich: All Decks

Read "All Decks" reviewed by John Sharpe

by John Sharpe
May 5, 2013

So successful was the off-the-cuff meeting that produced For A Little Dancin' (Intakt, 2010) that American reedman Oliver Lake once again renewed acquaintance with the Swiss pairing of drummer Dieter Ulrich and bassist Christian Weber at Zurich's unerhört Festival. But this time out they rang the changes by adding German trombonist Nils Wogram. So far so normal, but it's about as far from a star and pick up band as you can get. Lake, renowned as a founder member of ...

Take Five With...

Take Five With Judy Dyble

by AAJ Staff
May 5, 2013

Meet Judy Dyble:1949: I was born;1964ish: Joined first band, Judy & the Folkmen. Didn't make record;1968ish: Joined second band, Fairport Convention. Made record, Fairport Convention;1969ish: Joined third band, Giles Giles &Fripp, McDonald & Dyble. Made record, The Brondesbury Tapes;1970ish: Joined fourth band, Trader Horne. Made record Morning Way;1972ish: Joined fifth band, Dyble,Coxhill & the Miller Brothers. Didn't make record;1973ish: Stopped singing mostly;2002ish: Started singing ...

Album Review

Geof Bradfield: Melba!

Read "Melba!" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan

by Dan McClenaghan
May 5, 2013

Melba Liston (1926-1999) isn't one of the big names that comes up when great jazz composer/arrangers are mentioned, but it should be. Starting as a trombonist with some of the greats--Dizzy Gillespie, Dexter Gordon, Count Basie, Art Blakey--she soon began working with Randy Weston, arranging the pianist's composition on Uhuru Africa, (Roulette Records, 1960) and Highlife (Roulette Records, 1961). She also wrote the charts for saxophonist Johnny Griffin, vibraphonist Milt Jackson, drummer Elvin Jones and bassist Charles Mingus. Fast forward ...

Album Review

Michael Dease: Coming Home

Read "Coming Home" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey

by C. Michael Bailey
May 5, 2013

Trombonist Michael Dease's Coming Home is the evolutionary culmination of all of the small group work of which he has been a part. Dease's musical personality reveals itself fully on the disc, one he has populated with a very fine band and thoughtfully composed and selected pieces for that band. Dease's previous work as a leader on Dease Bones (Astrix Media, 2007), Clarity (Blues Back Records, 2008) and Grace (Legacy Jazz Productions, 2011), as well as with multi-reedist Sharel Cassity ...