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.

103

Album Review

Mike Longo Trio + 2: To My Surprise

Read "To My Surprise" reviewed by Edward Blanco

by Edward Blanco
January 1, 2012

Though veteran jazz pianist Mike Longo has a long and distinguished career that includes a 25-year association with the legendary Dizzy Gillespie, To My Surprise documents only the second recording with his existing trio. This follow-up to his very successful Sting Like A Bee (Consolidated Artist Production, 2009), features the same lineup of bassist Bob Cranshaw and drummer Lewis Nash as the core trio, but a major difference is the inclusion of trumpet luminary Jimmy Owens and tenor saxophonist Lance ...

Live Review

Chris Isaak: Jamaica, NY, December 15, 2011

by Christine Connallon
December 31, 2011

Chris Isaak JFK Airport, JetBlue Terminal T5 Jamaica, NY December 15, 2011 Strobe lights? Merchandise concession stands? Mosh pit? Try wheeled luggage, TSA scanners and 737s taking off, visible from the area by the stage. Even modern concert security doesn't normally involve taking off your shoes and belt, but this was not a usual performance. Flight-weary passengers, as well as 40 lucky social media/internet contest winners, were treated to a ...

304

Album Review

Lajos Dudas and Hubert Bergmann: What's Up Neighbor?

Read "What's Up Neighbor?" reviewed by Bruce Lindsay

by Bruce Lindsay
December 31, 2011

Lajos Dudas and Hubert Bergmann are both experienced musicians, but until 2011 they had never even met, let alone worked together. What's Up Neighbor? is their debut album, an engaging and refreshing duo set of improvisations on clarinet and piano. Dudas is an experienced improvising musician with an extensive discography going back to the '60s. Born in Hungary, he now lives in Germany, the home country of pianist Bergmann. The two met for the first time when ...

131

Take Five With...

Take Five With Lee McAllistair

by AAJ Staff
December 31, 2011

Meet Lee McAllistair: Australian jazz vocalist and composer Lee McAllistair has had a busy 2011, releasing debut original album Spellbound, which received a 4.5 star review in The Australian newspaper, CD of the week on ABC Jazz and Eastside 89.7FM and came #12 in the Top 12 Australian Jazz Releases at Birdland Records.Now Sydney-based, Lee McAllistair originally studied at Adelaide's Elder Conservatorium of Music before going on to join the jazz vocal teaching staff for two ...

161

Album Review

Libor Smoldas Quartet: Live At Jazz Dock

Read "Live At Jazz Dock" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

by Dan Bilawsky
December 31, 2011

Czech guitarist Libor Smoldas doesn't buy into the idea that music is simply meant to be a product for commerce. While Smoldas peddles some of his recorded wares like the rest of the performing musicians out there, his third album--Live At Jazz Dock--is actually free for the taking for anybody who wants to visit his website and download it. His self-admitted goal is “simply to get the music to the widest audience possible," and this would seem to be the ...

Take Five With...

Take Five With Lola Danza and JANYA

by AAJ Staff
December 31, 2011

Meet Lola Danza & JANYA: In Sanskrit, JANYA means to be born, while in Korean, JANYA means around dawn. JANYA was created by four unique musicians-- all derived from Korean descent and all women. The music is a fusion of East and West. The East: Seungmin Cha- Daegeum, Eun Sun Jung- Gayageum and Woonjung Sim- Janggo. The West: half-Korean American Singer Lola Jung Danza. Something magical exists between these four musician women and so, JANYA was born, around ...

107

Album Review

Cat Conner: Cat Tales

Read "Cat Tales" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
December 31, 2011

After thirty years as a jazz singer, California-based Cat Conner has recorded her first album, Cat Tales, an endeavor that is long overdue but no less welcome. For those who haven't heard Conner and may be curious as to what she and her compatriots have to offer, here's a brief summary. Lustrous, pleasing voice, crystal-clear articulation: check. Deep-rooted feeling for jazz, ability to swing: check. Perceptive choice of material, respect for a lyric: check. World-class sidemen who always place her ...

131

Album Review

Martin Moretto Quintet: Martin Moretto Quintet

Read "Martin Moretto Quintet" reviewed by Edward Blanco

by Edward Blanco
December 31, 2011

Composer/arranger Martin Moretto is a member of the legendary Argentine Progressive Tango group and happens to be one of New York's most active Argentinean guitarists, delivering one of the finest self-titled debuts with the his Martin Moretto Quintet. Exploring uncommon territory, the music showcases eight modern jazz compositions containing elements of the Argentine influence. Featuring New York tenor saxophonist Bill McHenry and renowned sideman Phil Markowitz on piano, the ensemble performs brightly, forming a cohesive unit worthy of a world-class ...

170

Extended Analysis

Jan Johansson: In Hamburg with Georg Riedel

by Ian Patterson
December 30, 2011

Jan JohanssonIn Hamburg with Georg RiedelACT Music2011 The small number of posthumous releases in the 42 years since the death of Swedish jazz pianist/composer Jan Johansson at the age of 37 remains something of a mystery. Johansson--who pianist Esbjorn Svensson described as being “a very, very big influence“--has also been an inspiration for pianists Bobo Stenson, Tord Gustavsen, Andreas Ulvo and Jan Lungdren, and Swedish jazz-electronic duo, Koop. Composers/arrangers Bob Brookmeyer and ...

107

Album Review

David Budway: A New Kiss

Read "A New Kiss" reviewed by Jack Huntley

by Jack Huntley
December 30, 2011

David Budway's accomplished piano abilities are front and center on A New Kiss. Sometimes richly vibrant, sometimes plaintively florid, the overall spirit of Budway's arrangements ooze musical sophistication. Backed by the superb rhythm section of bassist Eric Revis and drummer Jeff 'Tain' Watts, Budway works his way through a mix of originals and standards, with each track highlighting a shifting stylistic element. At its most engaging, Budway's musicality floats like a melodic ether over the gritty tug of the rhythm ...