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.

173

Album Review

Ratko Zjaca / Simone Zanchini: The Way We Walk

Read "The Way We Walk" reviewed by Nicholas F. Mondello

by Nicholas F. Mondello
February 27, 2011

Jazz musicians are, in essence and practice, explorers and high-wire artists. The finest improvising players use their instruments to mine the dimensions of sound, rhythm and emotional perception, doing so without a safety net. Like its keyboard cousin the piano, the accordion as an instrument that challenges its players to explore the technical and harmonic universes out there. Unlike the piano, however, the accordion has only recently crossed cultural barriers into jazz and into more abstract playing. ...

134

Album Review

The David Liebman Trio: Lieb Plays the Blues a la Trane

Read "Lieb Plays the Blues a la Trane" reviewed by Raul d'Gama Rose

by Raul d'Gama Rose
February 27, 2011

There are few artists who can channel the spiritual fervour of John Coltrane better than Dave Liebman. Liebman was so deeply moved by Trane, that it took him two decades to renew a commitment to revisiting the legendary saxophonist's work. Liebman was so completely under Trane's spell that, by his own admission, it was like having a musical epiphany. Liebman has developed a voice so singular and unique that his broad tone on tenor saxophone and his plaintive, almost crushing ...

197

Mix Tape

ECM 1970s: Part 2

by John Kelman
February 27, 2011

1970s Part 1 | 1970s Part 2 | 1980s Part 1 | 1980s Part 2 Part two of some of the best music from ECM in its first decade. Sadly, some titles still not yet available on CD (I'm using vinyl>CDR burns), but hopefully that'll change sometime soon! TrackNameTimeArtistAlbum1 Special Delivery7:03Ralph TownerOld Friends, New Friends2 Entering7:56Jan GarbarekPlaces3 Melting11:35Bill ConnorsOf Mist And Melting4 Brokenkind6:48Stephan MicusImplosions5 Mumakata8:18CodonaCodona6 Parable10:40John AbercrombieCharacters7 The Longest Day6:31AzimuthDépart8 Questar9:12Keith Jarrett European QuartetMy ...

265

Live Review

Donkey Monkey: Helskini, Finland, February 16, 2011

by Anthony Shaw
February 26, 2011

Donkey Monkey Kanneltalo Helsinki Finland February 16, 2011 Whenever an unorthodox lineup takes the stage, listeners are easily distracted from a show's musical content. A frozen winter night's performance in a suburb of Helsinki, Finland may not be the most objective situation to assess the intriguing cross-cultural Donkey Monkey, but the impressions of drama and delicacy that this French-Japanese duo left were as much the result of musical as of cultural innovations. Their ...

285

Album Review

Diego Urcola Quartet: Appreciation

Read "Appreciation" reviewed by Raul d'Gama Rose

by Raul d'Gama Rose
February 26, 2011

Trumpeter Diego Urcola's is a voice that has remained somewhat hidden--certainly tucked away--for two decades in Paquito D'Rivera's quintet. And then there is the subdued role he has played in Guillermo Klein's fabulous larger ensemble, Los Guachos. However, the graceful candor of his voice is irrepressible, and it was only a matter of time before he would be heard for what he really is and plays. Urcola is distinct and a singular artist in the manner of his more famous ...

530

Opinion

Why Is Jazz A Dirty Word?

by David Arivett
February 26, 2011

Why is it that “jazz music," and even the word “jazz" itself, is so offensive and polarizing to the average music listener today? The word “jazz" instantly turns many people off... immediately saying they don't like jazz at all. The fact is, that a very large part of the US population won't listen to jazz, period. Even further, the word “ jazz" is, for many people, a dirty word!. Why is this? Here are the top five ...

225

Album Review

Fred Hersch: Alone At The Vanguard

Read "Alone At The Vanguard" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

by Dan Bilawsky
February 26, 2011

Creating an album title--Alone At The Vanguard--that reads as a double entendre and an oxymoron--whether intentional or not--is a great achievement, but not nearly as impressive as the music that pianist Fred Hersch presents on this live recording. While the Vanguard in the title is a direct reference to the hallowed basement club in New York City where this album was recorded, Hersch truly holds a rarefied position in the vanguard of the jazz pianist ranks. While he has been ...

344

Album Review

Chad McCullough / Bram Weijters: Imaginary Sketches

Read "Imaginary Sketches" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan

by Dan McClenaghan
February 26, 2011

Seattle-based trumpeter Chad McCullough certainly isn't letting any dust settle on his horn, or on his equipment in the recording studio, following up his sophomore effort, The Sky Cries (Origin Records, 2010), with his third CD for Seattle's Origin Records, Imaginary Sketches.McCullough's debut, Dark Wood, Dark Water (Origin Records, 2009), had a straight-ahead, joy of playing jazz atmosphere. His The Sky Cries (Origin Records, 2010) trimmed the sextet down to a quintet, teaming the trumpeter with Slovakian pianist ...

188

Album Review

Mark Weinstein: Jazz Brasil

Read "Jazz Brasil" reviewed by Edward Blanco

by Edward Blanco
February 26, 2011

Flautist Mark Weinstein has been a major force in the Latin jazz genre for some time, releasing projects almost yearly. Though the body of his discography falls squarely within the Afro-Cuban form which remains his passion, he has slowly gravitated towards the Brazilian sound, releasing three Brazilian-style projects, for Jazzheads, since 2005. On Jazz Brasil, Weinstein presents a selection of jazz standards, dipped in a Brazilian stew to add that special genre flavor to each track. Of course, what is ...

349

Mix Tape

ECM 1970s: Part 1

by John Kelman
February 26, 2011

1970s Part 1 | 1970s Part 2 | 1980s Part 1 | 1980s Part 2 Part one of some of the best music from ECM in its first decade. Sadly, some titles still not yet available on CD (I'm using vinyl>CDR burns), but hopefully that'll change sometime soon! TrackNameTimeArtistAlbum1 Mevlevia6:03Gary BurtonRing2 Four Winds6:35Dave Holland QuartetConference Of The Birds3 Ensenada8:15Bennie MaupinThe Jewel In The Lotus4 Quintennaissance5:37Art LandeRed Lanta5 Crystal Silence6:59Chick Corea/Return to ForeverReturn To Forever6 ...