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

The Bechet Legacy: The Bechet Legacy - Birch Hall Concerts Live

Read "The Bechet Legacy - Birch Hall Concerts Live" reviewed by Nicholas F. Mondello

by Nicholas F. Mondello
May 1, 2013

Every so often a jewel of a recording is unearthed, prompting the obligatory question: “Why not sooner?" This wonderfully energetic, swinging effort is a treasure of an example.“The Bechet Legacy," with woodwind artist Bob Wilber and trumpeter Glenn Zottola up front, delivers significant homage to Sidney Bechet and to the Golden Era of hot jazz. The double-CD set, recorded live in England over three decades ago, is a home run of Ruthian swing.Somewhat overshadowed by his ...

Meet the Staff

Meet C. Michael Bailey

by AAJ Staff
April 30, 2013

I currently live in: Bryant, AR I joined All About Jazz in: 1997 What made you decide to contribute to All About Jazz? In 1997, the Internet was such a new place. I saw a fledgling request from one Michael Ricci asking for jazz articles for his new website, All About Jazz. I had already been doing a bit of music writing for several years without an acceptable outlet and I hoped that All About Jazz ...

Album Review

Dice Factory: Dice Factory

Read "Dice Factory" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
April 30, 2013

The UK-based quartet Dice Factory derives its moniker from Luke Reinhardt's novel the The Dice Man, where decision-making for real life situations are devised on chance and risk. On the contrary, the album is well-organized, complementing the extensive latitude of improvisational segments. For those who like comparisons, the ensemble navigates through tricky, odd-metered time signatures, perhaps residing somewhere in between the musical concepts set forth by Henry Threadgill, Steve Coleman's Five Elements and the harmonic complexities of Ornette Coleman. From ...

Album Review

Marcos Pin Factor E-Reset: Barbanza

Read "Barbanza" reviewed by Eyal Hareuveni

by Eyal Hareuveni
April 30, 2013

Spanish guitarist, composer and arranger {[Marcus Pin}}'s debut as a leader of a large ensemble follows the legacy and the aesthetics of mainstream American jazz with great love and owes little to the rich musical cultures of the Iberian peninsula. Pin focuses Barbanza on his strengths as an arranger who is well-versed in the vocabulary of cool jazz and early be-bop. The six original compositions of Pin and the cover of John Coltrane's “Moment's Notice" are structured ...

Interview

Peter Hook: Tragic Joy, Electrified Order

by Nenad Georgievski
April 30, 2013

Joy Division existed for three and a half years before it reached its tragic end in 1980, but its musical legacy still resonates strongly today. Within that limited period, four young lads from Manchester changed the direction of music--first, by pioneering what is now called post-punk, and inspiring countless other artists along the way, most notably U2, The Cure, Interpol and Editors. Formed by bassist Peter Hook and guitarist Bernard Sumner after seeing the Sex Pistols play in Manchester in ...

Album Review

Daniel Bennett Group: Clockhead Goes to Camp

Read "Clockhead Goes to Camp" reviewed by Sammy Stein

by Sammy Stein
April 30, 2013

Manhattan based saxophonist Daniel Bennett graduated from the New England Conservatory in 2004 and since then has made ever increasing waves as a composer, band leader and woodwind player in the New York theatre scene. Clockhead Goes To Camp is the Daniel Bennett Group's fourth album, following the success of the 2011 Peace and Stability Among Bears (Bennett Alliance Records). Bennett's music was described by the Boston Herald as “exploratory folk-jazz hybrid," but this album shows Bennett's playing has matured.

Album Review

Mace Hibbard: The Hibbard/Wright Project

Read "The Hibbard/Wright Project" reviewed by Edward Blanco

by Edward Blanco
April 30, 2013

Atlanta-based Grammy Award- winning saxophonist Mace Hibbard has been leading and recording with a formidable quintet for the past ten years while over that same period, Roswell, GA-based guitarist Trey Wright has led the 4-piece Athens/Atlanta-based Squat jazz band and is now leader of his own trio. What they both have in common is a creative rhythm section of bassist Marc Miller and drummer Marlon Patton. On the self-titled The Hibbard/Wright Project, both men leave their respective groups behind and ...

Album Review

Ron Oswanski: December's Moon

Read "December's Moon" reviewed by Nicholas F. Mondello

by Nicholas F. Mondello
April 30, 2013

With the possible exception of “love" and “you," “moon" enters as a most-welcomed word-muse to performers, composers and lyricists. When “jazz organ" enters into that equation, the expected aural summation might be the blues-infused funk of Jimmy Smith or the steamy straight-ahead of Joey DeFrancesco.December's Moon from multi-keyboardist/composer--and now leader--Ron Oswanski, is a performance surprise that's full-moon bright and thoroughly invigorating. It's a predominantly organ-centric excursion across a series of contemporary-flavored originals and surprisingly-selected established compositions that soars.

Live Review

Rhythm Changes: Rethinking Jazz Cultures

by Ian Patterson
April 30, 2013

Rhythm Changes Media City UK, Salford Rethinking Jazz Cultures Conference Manchester, UK April 11-14, 2013 The study of jazz in academic institutions may be a relatively modern trend, but the presence of over a hundred academics from South Africa to Russia and from America to Portugal at the Rhythm Changes: Rethinking Jazz Cultures conference, at Media City UK, Salford, underlined that it's an undeniably global phenomenon. It's also a sign of the continuing evolution ...

Album Review

Alex Wilson Trio: Alex Wilson Trio

Read "Alex Wilson Trio" reviewed by Bruce Lindsay

by Bruce Lindsay
April 29, 2013

Combining live and studio recordings, original and classic tunes, up-tempo grooves and reflective ballads, the Alex Wilson Trio is a punchy, energetic, album. This is the ninth album from Wilson, but it's his first with a piano trio lineup. Wilson has released all of these albums on his own label, fitting in other projects such as his role as musical director for Rodrigo y Gabriela and his work with guitarist Ernest Ranglin between releases.A quick scan of Wilson's ...