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

Henry Cole and the Afro Beat Collective: Roots Before Branches

Read "Roots Before Branches" reviewed by James Nadal

by James Nadal
February 17, 2012

There is much to be said about a musician stepping out from his comfort zone as an accomplished and acclaimed sideman to record the music he hears in his head, never forgetting where he came from, but steadfast in focus of where he is going. Henry Cole has rapidly acquired an impressive résumé as a first-call drummer for recording sessions and performance tours. The compilation of all original music on his first release as producer/leader, Roots Before ...

Album Review

Jane Scheckter: Easy To Remember

Read "Easy To Remember" reviewed by Edward Blanco

by Edward Blanco
February 17, 2012

Music from The Great American Songbook is getting quite a workout these days, with more musicians and singers spinning their renditions of old standards and classics than ever before. On the stellar Easy To Remember, jazz-cabaret singer Jane Scheckter taps into the well, lending her interpretations to songs from this repertoire with an all-star cast of players. This is the fourth album for the veteran vocalist using a standard trio format. Pianist/arranger Ted Firth and bassist extraordinaire Jay Leonhart, who ...

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Extended Analysis

Meeco: Beauty of the Night

by Chris May
February 17, 2012

Anyone unfamiliar with Paris-based composer/producer Meeco and his gorgeous, sophisticated jazz can get approximate bearings from two other artists. One is Antônio Carlos Jobim, partly for the influence of bossa nova on Meeco's writing, partly for the heart-on-sleeve romanticism his songwriting shares with Jobim. The second is Astrud Gilberto, who is suggested by the Brazilian vocalist Eloisia, Meeco's regular collaborator. That said, Meeco is more jazz centered than either of those bossa stylists. Beauty of the Night ...

Album Review

Peter Appleyard And The Jazz Giants: The Lost 1974 Sessions

Read "The Lost 1974 Sessions" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

by Dan Bilawsky
February 16, 2012

While the aggregation of all-star jazz men featured on this previously unreleased, decades-old session may seem random at first glance, the great Benny Goodman is actually the musical tie that binds them all. In September of 1974, vibraphonist Peter Appleyard was part of a particularly strong Goodman sextet that appeared at Carnegie Hall. Appleyard had his own gig in Toronto the following evening and, amazingly enough, everyone in the band, with the exception of drummer Grady Tate, was available. Appleyard ...

Album Review

Ido Bukelman's Cracked Song: Ido Bukelman’s Cracked Song

Read "Ido Bukelman’s Cracked Song" reviewed by Eyal Hareuveni

by Eyal Hareuveni
February 16, 2012

Looking back at gifted Israeli guitarist Ido Bukelman's discography-- his improvised solo album, The Door (Kadima) and Solo (OutNow, 2011) and his experimental electronic trio EFT (OutNow Recordings, 2012)-- his Cracked Song quartet is clearly more straight-ahead. Bukelman navigates this quartet in a musical journey after a song structure, within the framework and freedom of improvised jazz. Explicitly he pays homage to the formative figures of his musical upbringing, most notably saxophonist Ornette Coleman and guitarist Jimi Hendrix.

Album Review

Triosence with Sara Gazarek: Where Time Stands Still

Read "Where Time Stands Still" reviewed by Nicholas F. Mondello

by Nicholas F. Mondello
February 16, 2012

A commanding recording that delivers an itchy, irresistible attraction for repeated playing is rare, indeed, and Where Time Stands Still falls precisely into that category. Repeated renderings display additional highlights both instrumentally and vocally. It is very appealing--if not challenging--listening. Combining a trio of fine German musicians (Triosence) with an intriguing American (Sarah Gazarek), Where Time Stands Still offers a dozen original selections which display a palette of interesting colors and nuance. Nothing straight-ahead, boppish or free; ...

Journey into Jazz

No Future Without New Fans

by John Beaty
February 16, 2012

The Stretch Movement's main goal is to build a new young audience. This seems like it should be an obvious statement, but jazz has ignored the fact that new young listeners are not flocking to the music. The vast majority of listeners that end up at jazz shows are students, who are studying the music, or older fans, who will not be around forever. The way things are currently set up will not result in a self-sustaining long-term system. The ...

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Jazz in the Aquarian Age

Breakfast with Bill Evans

by Bob Kenselaar
February 16, 2012

[Bill Evans was in a relaxed mood late in the morning on a cloudy spring day in 1979 for this interview. He was very happy with his most recent recording and excited about the new direction he was taking with his trio. In addition to sharing memories about his musical career from its earliest days, he reflected on his place in the history of jazz. He died not long afterwards, in September 1980.] Greeting me at the door ...

Album Review

Pascal Niggenkemper: Upcoming Hurricane

Read "Upcoming Hurricane" reviewed by John Sharpe

by John Sharpe
February 15, 2012

Since German/French bassist Pascal Niggenkemper moved to New York in 2005 he has become increasingly prominent on the contemporary scene. Alliances with Thomas Heberer’s Clarino on Klippe (Clean Feed, 2011), Joe Hertenstein’s HNH (Clean Feed, 2010), the cooperative polylemma (Red Toucan, 2011), and Jean Carla Rodea’s Azares, with whom he appeared at the 2010 Vision Festival, ensure a busy diary. Fortunately he still found time to wax Upcoming Hurricane with an accomplished multinational cast, completed by Russian pianist Simon Nabatov ...

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Catching Up With

Monty Alexander

by Bob Kenselaar
February 15, 2012

Monty Alexander has some great things to celebrate in 2012. For one, he's entered his fiftieth year as a professional musician--a remarkable career where he's made an indelible mark in the world of jazz and in the music of his native Jamaica. For another, he had two hugely successful records in the past year that ranked number one in their radio chart categories for weeks, Uplift (JLP, 2011) featuring his jazz trio, and Harlem-Kingston Express: Live! (Motema Music, 2011), featuring ...