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.

444

Interview

John Scofield: Peaceful Pursuits

by John Kelman
September 26, 2011

Sometimes a recording comes together easily, with a minimum of muss or fuss. Other times, life seems to conspire against it, but that doesn't necessarily mean it doesn't get done, or that it suffers as a result. Sometimes, in fact, it can make the end result even better. For John Scofield-- one-third of a power trifecta of guitarists, also including Pat Metheny and Bill Frisell), who emerged in the mid-1970s to become some of their generation's most influential and highly ...

244

Album Review

John Scofield: A Moment's Peace

Read "A Moment's Peace" reviewed by John Kelman

by John Kelman
September 26, 2011

In a career just entering its fifth decade, John Scofield may have covered a lot of stylistic territory—from the burning modality of Rough House (Enja, 1978), funkified fusion of Blue Matter (Gramavision, 1987) and N'awlins leanings of Piety Street (EmArcy, 2009), to jamband workouts like A Go Go (Verve, 1998), burning modern mainstream on Time On My Hands (Blue Note, 1990) and the contemporary classicized Scorched (Deutsche Grammophon, 2004)—but if a single word had to be chosen to describe the ...

113

Album Review

The Joe Mullen Quartet: Lost World Tango

Read "Lost World Tango" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan

by Dan McClenaghan
September 25, 2011

Drummer Joe Mullen's Lost World Tango presents a highly collaborative trumpet-and-rhythm section quartet. Jazz foursomes are more commonly led by a saxophonists, with notable exceptions being trumpeter Miles Davis' Musing of Miles (Prestige, 1955); pianist Herbie Hancock's classic Empyrean Isles (Blue Note, 1964); Polish trumpeter Tomasz Stanko's marvelous ECM series with his supporting trio of young Polish musicians, including the 2006 masterpiece, Lontano; and pianist Ron Thomas' overlooked House of Counted Days (Vectordisc, 2003).Any comparison with these other ...

194

Extended Analysis

The Tierney Sutton Band: American Road

by C. Michael Bailey
September 25, 2011

The Tierney Sutton BandAmerican RoadBFM Jazz2011 Solidly innovative and a forward-thinker in jazz vocals arena over the past 15 years, Tierney Sutton has constantly looked backwards while forging a future path that has influenced the likes of Laurie Antonioli and Gretchen Parlato, among many other noted contemporary jazz vocalists. A master of vocal pyrotechnics like Sarah Vaughan, Sutton sings on a high-wire, taking stylistic chances that, more often than not, pay ...

145

Album Review

Charlotte Hug: Slipway to Galaxies

Read "Slipway to Galaxies" reviewed by Raul d'Gama Rose

by Raul d'Gama Rose
September 25, 2011

There has always been something special about a performance by Charlotte Hug. Her revolutionary playing celebrated in the unique “soft-bowing" technique has turned the shrill glissandi of the viola into hues of deep, indulgent warmth. As her passion for the human interaction with her instrument developed, she began to meld her unique vocalistics, as well as her “Son-Icons" into her artful reinvention of the viola and her music. Although nothing about her work may ever be described as typical, Slipway ...

338

Film Review

Sounds and Silence: Travels with Manfred Eicher

by Nenad Georgievski
September 25, 2011

Norbert Wiedmer and Peter Guyer Sounds and Silence: Travels with Manfred Eicher ECM Records2011 Some people have invented products and concepts that have revolutionized the world. Some have devoted their lives to helping others, while some have conquered mountains and have built business empires. Others have given us insight into how we should live. But some have dazzled us with their genius and art, with ideas that spark dialogue and dissent and ...

155

Album Review

Kumiko Takara/Massimo Pupillo/Paal Nilssen-Love: Raids On The Unspeakable

Read "Raids On The Unspeakable" reviewed by Eyal Hareuveni

by Eyal Hareuveni
September 25, 2011

This limited edition, 12" vinyl album features a rare meeting of threeof-a-kind powerhouse musicians who blur the boundaries between contemporary improvised music, avant-rock and shifting grooves. Norwegian drummer Paal Nilssen-Love and Italian electric bassist Massimo Pupillo (founding member of punk-jazz trio Zu) are the driving rhythm section behind saxophonist Peter Brötzmann's Hairy Bones quartet, and collaborated before in the trio OffOnOff with The Ex guitarist Terrie Ex, among countless other collaborations. Japanese percussionist Kumiko Takara plays contemporary music and collaborates ...

156

Album Review

JC Stylles: Exhilaration And Other States

Read "Exhilaration And Other States" reviewed by Edward Blanco

by Edward Blanco
September 25, 2011

The debut album from New York guitarist JC Stylles, Exhilaration and Other States, swings through a varied selection of music running the gamut from Wayne Shorter and Billie Holiday to Cole Porter and Stevie Wonder. Reminiscent of early organ trios, the Australian-born Stylles features an impressive trifecta of his own with drummer Lawrence Leathers, and Hammond B-3 organist Pat Bianchi comping and performing the bass role duties when not playing off the guitarist with his own marvelous solos.Though this is ...

160

Live Review

Renaissance: New York, NY, September 17, 2011

by Lawrence Peryer
September 24, 2011

RenaissanceThe Concert HallNew York, NYSeptember 17, 2011Since forming in 1969, Renaissance has amassed a relatively small but passionate fan base. The intense affinity for the band, especially its “classic" line-up (which spanned 1971-1980 and resulted in six studio sets plus one live album), appears not to have diminished with time. The 21st century incarnation of the band, featuring guitarist and principle composer Michael Dunford and vocalist extraordinaire Annie Haslam, have focused on expanding from the ...

116

Album Review

Tim Hagans: The Moon Is Waiting

Read "The Moon Is Waiting" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

by Dan Bilawsky
September 24, 2011

Those who mine exploratory veins of music often eschew structure, confusing lack of form with freedom, but trumpeter Tim Hagans knows the difference. The new quartet that he's convened for The Moon Is Waiting is a malleable unit that thrives on bringing unpredictable ideas into structured environments. The music it makes isn't fusion, free jazz, or post-modern patchwork, but it borders on all of those territories While the first three pieces were commissioned by the Michele Brangwen ...