Jazz Articles
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Various Guitarists: The Middle of Everywhere: Guitar Solos Vol. I
by Glenn Astarita
Produced by laudable guitarist/composer Joel Harrison and the Alternative Guitar Summit, The Middle of Everywhere: Guitar Solos Vol. 1 is a compelling exploration of the intersections between jazz, classical and world music traditions--think of it as a musical United Nations, where six-stringed diplomats from various genres come together to harmonize. In the album liners, Harrison states, “The idea for this project started when I presented a concert of virtual solo performances from around the world during the pandemic." Hence, it ...
Continue ReadingAda Rovatti: The Hidden World Of Piloo
by Katchie Cartwright
Ada Rovatti's curiously titled album, The Hidden World of Piloo, has a tale attached (and a tail). Piloo is an affectionate name Rovatti's father has called her since childhood, after a “naughty" cat in a favorite children's book. She adopted it for her label as well (Piloo Records). Rovatti grew up in Mortara, Italy, outside of Milan, in an unusual household. Her mother was a semi-pro softball player and her dad a geologist, professional hunter and purveyor of cars. The ...
Continue ReadingDave Mason: Only You Know And I Know
by Doug Collette
Only You Know And I Know Dave Mason with Chris Epting 272 Pages ISBN: #979-8218380175 DTM Entertainment 2024 To declare Dave Mason the Zelig of contemporary rock and roll might be accurate, but only to a certain degree. His many and varied associations with figures of note--Traffic, Eric Clapton's Derek and the Dominos, Jimi Hendrix and Fleetwood Mac, not to mention the woefully under-appreciated Delaney & Bonnie and Friends--understates the man's own considerable ...
Continue ReadingAndy McCluskey: Kicking Down Fascist Art with OMD
by Lawrence Peryer
Today, the Spotlight shines On Andy McCluskey, the singer, songwriter, musician, and producer best known as the lead singer and bass guitarist of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (also known as OMD). Andy joined Spotlight On producer and guest host Michael Donaldson to discuss topics as varied as the political messages behind their latest work, post-modern society, Kraftwerk, and the Bauhaus art school. OMD is not working the nostalgia circuit, though no one would blame them if they ...
Continue ReadingThe Duke Ellington Story
by Monk Rowe
Our first four episodes look at iconic big band leaders beginning with Duke Ellington. Former sidemen and associates Clark Terry, Phoebe Jacobs, Bill Berry, Buster Cooper, Grover Mitchell, Louie Bellson and John Lamb offer inside stories that illuminate the Duke's unique talent and personality. ...
Continue ReadingKevin Figes: You Are Here
by Jack Kenny
This is an intriguing album. It could have been titled “musicians in search of an identity." The album details Kevin Figes' history. His choice of pieces spells it out: Keith Tippett's work means so much to Figes. It is good to have a hero and to play his music; some of the long melodic lines and unisons are very effective. Tippett's “Echoes" is an example. This group of musicians is given space, embedded in the writing and arrangements. ...
Continue ReadingJason Keiser: Kind of Kenny
by Andrew Gilbert
Over the past decade San Jose guitarist Jason Keiser has carved out a sterling reputation as a bandleader whose musical passions range across North America's expansive soundscape, and this album extends his exploration into arrestingly lyrical territory. After highlighting Woody Shaw's treasure trove of intervallic leaping post-bop gems on 2023's Shaw's Groove, he turns his attention to another undersung trumpet maestro with Kind of Kenny, a deep dive into the ravishing music of Canadian composer Kenny Wheeler (1930-2014).
Continue ReadingThe Timeless Sounds of Chet Baker: A Look at the Trumpeter and Vocalist’s Top Ten Songs
by AAJ Staff
Chet Baker, a name synonymous with cool jazz, left an indelible mark on the world of music with his evocative trumpet playing and hauntingly beautiful vocals. His career, spanning from the early 1950s until his untimely death in 1988, produced a wealth of recordings that continue to resonate with audiences today. In celebrating Baker's legacy, it's essential to highlight some of his most influential and beloved recordings. Here's a look at the top ten recordings that showcase the depth and ...
Continue ReadingAsha Parkinson: Possession
by Neil Duggan
Possession, the debut album from Asha Parkinson, builds substantially on her previous 28-minute mini-album release. Parkinson composed and arranged the words and music, which as a theme explore the concept of possession. The innovative music has its roots in jazz with classical and Eastern Mediterranean influences. Parkinson displays considerable ambition, strong principles, cultural awareness and talent. Having graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2020, she plays in various ensembles, including the National Youth Jazz ...
Continue ReadingMike Stern: Echoes and Other Songs
by Doug Collette
With a running time of seventy-seven minutes plus, guitarist Mike Stern's Echoes and Other Songs is effectively a double album. And like most such expansive works--including classics like Bob Dylan's Blonde On Blonde (Columbia, 1966) and The Beatles (aka 'The White Album')(Apple, 1968)--it would benefit from consolidation of its best elements (as would a replacement of the amateurish cover design). Even so, this is still a deceptively ambitious piece of work. Of course, advanced thinking has virtually always ...
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