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.

168

Album Review

Sonny Rollins: Road Shows, Vol. 2

Read "Road Shows, Vol. 2" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan

by Dan McClenaghan
September 8, 2011

Tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins, into his eighth decade now, has nothing left to prove but keeps doing it anyway. The iconic artist has put out classic albums like Newk's Time (Blue Note Records, 1957) and Saxophone Colossus (Prestige Records, 1956) and The Bridge (RCA Records, 1962), continuing to maintain a vibrant career for more than six decades and surging forward with with 2008's Road Shows, Volume 1 (Doxy Records) and now, with Road Shows, Volume 2.This is, as ...

125

Album Review

Sonny Rollins: Road Shows, Vol. 2

Read "Road Shows, Vol. 2" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

by Dan Bilawsky
September 7, 2011

Road Shows, Vol. 1 (Doxy, 2008) was the cure for all that ailed Sonny Rollins fans who were familiar with his herculean abilities in live settings, yet disappointed with some of his studio output. Famous for being his own worst critic, the tenor saxophonist cherry-picked all of the material for that outing, meeting near-universal acclaim upon its release. Now, three years later, Rollins returns with his highly anticipated sequel. Road Shows, Vol. 2 adheres to the same ...

427

Extended Analysis

SFJAZZ Collective: Live in New York Season 8 - Music of Stevie Wonder

by John Kelman
September 7, 2011

SFJAZZ Collective Live in New York Season 8: Music of Stevie Wonder SFJAZZ 2011 One old adage says, “If it ain't broke, don't fix it." But another says, “Change is good." For the first time in its eight touring seasons, the SFJAZZ Collective has found a way to manage both. This is the first time that the lineup has remained constant from one year to the next, with the 2011 incarnation identical to ...

211

Album Review

Stanley Jordan: Friends

by Larry Taylor
September 7, 2011

In a successful career of over 25 years, guitarist Stanley Jordan has always displayed his versatility--equally adept at blues, straight-ahead jazz and ever inventive with classical masterpieces. His virtuosity and improvisational prowess are a given, and on Friends, he also shows his skill on piano on two numbers. Primarily, he brings in old pals from various backgrounds and delivers terrific arrangements, ranging across the jazz spectrum, mixing in originals with swing, post bop, samba, blues, pop and a couple from ...

263

Extended Analysis

Randy Brecker with DR Big Band: The Jazz Ballad Song Book

by Andrew J. Sammut
September 7, 2011

Randy Brecker with DR Big Band The Jazz Ballad Song Book HalfNote Records 2011 On The Jazz Ballad Song Book, trumpeter Randy Brecker, the Danish Radio Big Band and Danish National Chamber Orchestra approach the slow, wistful side of this repertoire as one dimension among others. They expand their view outside of standards to include film works, lesser-known tunes and original compositions. As featured soloist, Brecker displays the colossal tone, impeccable ...

176

Album Review

The Spanish Donkey: XYX

by Glenn Astarita
September 7, 2011

The Spanish Donkey imparts a take-no-prisoners approach with flailing electronics, bristling movements and a sonic assault that remains consistent during the two extended works of XYX. Meant to be played at a relatively high volume, this trio of prominent, modern-era improvisers/stylists adheres to a semi-controlled state of chaos, marked by doomsday theme-building exercises and polytonal noise music. It's an open-world scenario, gushing with bizarre contrasts, impressionistic dialogues and maddening opuses. Guitarist Joe Morris renders punctilious and seething single ...

175

Album Review

Roswell Rudd: The Incredible Honk

Read "The Incredible Honk" reviewed by Raul d'Gama Rose

by Raul d'Gama Rose
September 6, 2011

There is a distinct sense of the celebration of his 75th year on this good earth as trombonist Roswell Rudd continues the journey through his singular musical universe on his superb The Incredible Honk. Criss-crossing the paths he took when he first reconnected with ethnomusicologist producer and soul mate Verna Gillis, Rudd undertakes a sonic sojourn from the heartland of America, through Cuba, Scotland, continental Europe, the Far East and West Africa, returning to his beloved Kerhonkson. His musical cohorts ...

239

Interview

Avishai Cohen: Mystical Changes

by Adriana Carcu
September 6, 2011

Israeli bassist and vocalist Avishai Cohen, together with pianist Omri Mor and drummer Amir Bresler, recently participated at Romania's Garana Jazz Festival with a two-hour act of electrifying musical virtuosity. Most of the songs the trio performed are featured on Cohen's recent release, Seven Seas (EMI, 2011). This interview took place before a show that would become memorable in the history of the festival, for the artists and audience alike. All About Jazz: You've been touring throughout Europe ...

235

Album Review

Marquis Hill: New Gospel

Read "New Gospel" reviewed by Alex Marianyi

by Alex Marianyi
September 6, 2011

There's a new generation of jazz musicians brewing on the Chicago jazz scene, and with New Gospel, Marquis Hill has solidified himself as one of its leading trumpet players. Joined by several other young Chicago jazz musicians, Hill makes a bold move by filling his entire first release with his own compositions. Hill's notable orchestrating skills are reminiscent of Booker Little with a modern edge, like that of Roy Hargrove. Even if it's something just as simple ...

204

Album Review

Ellery Eskelin / Gerry Hemingway: Inbetween Spaces

Read "Inbetween Spaces" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
September 6, 2011

The formidable duo of drummer Gerry Hemingway and tenor saxophonist Ellery Eskelin leans heavily on the artistic spectrum by enacting lucid imagery when navigating through dimly lit corridors and wide-open spaces. The stereo separation enhances the capacious aspects of this impressive outing. The duo leaves a bit of room in-between, while eliciting responses from its listening audience. At times aggressive, ominous and pensive, the musicians propagate a set of intriguing storylines throughout the variable sound designs.