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.

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Jazz That Scratches, Swings and Pops

Vince Giordano: Toe-Tapping and Timeless

by Andrew J. Sammut
January 13, 2011

Welcome to the inaugural column “Jazz That Scratches, Swings and Pops We've all heard King Oliver, Jelly Roll Morton and Bix Beiderbecke on the Smithsonian Jazz Collection. We know the names because they're “important," but do we ever listen because they're just plain good? What about Papa Celestin, Red Nichols or Jabbo Smith? Not exactly names jumping out of the radio or iTunes. Save for a precocious thesis or specialty store, the musicians ...

187

Album Review

Band Of Gypsys Reincarnation: 40 Years After

Read "40 Years After" reviewed by Mark F. Turner

by Mark F. Turner
January 13, 2011

The influence of James Marshall Jimi" Hendrix reaches far and wide even after his untimely death at 27 years of age on September 18, 1970. Over the years, there have been countless dedications to the iconic guitarist including a few notable jazz-oriented releases like Purple: Celebrating Jimi Hendrix(ACT, 2007), from the intrepid French Vietnamese guitarist Nguyên Lê. The heralded coverage of Hendrix's 40th anniversary in 2010 unveiled Sony's West Coast Seattle Boy anthology and released material in ...

699

Extended Analysis

Orchestre National de Jazz: Shut Up And Dance

by Jeff Dayton-Johnson
January 13, 2011

Orchestre National de JazzShut Up And DanceBee Jazz2010 Daniel Yvinec's first foray as artistic director of France's National Jazz Orchestra, a tribute to English rock oddball Robert Wyatt (Around Robert Wyatt, Bee Jazz, 2009) drew well-deserved critical praise. To some, however, it sounded more like a pop masterpiece than appropriate fare for state-sponsored guardians of the jazz repertoire. “Is this an ONJ?" sniffed pianist and former ONJ director Antoine Herve (class ...

513

Live Review

Winter Jazzfest, New York City, Day 2: January 8, 2011

by Gordon Marshall
January 13, 2011

Day 1 | Day 2 Winter JazzfestNew York, NYJanuary 7-8, 2011 Vernon Reid's Artificial Afrika Slick and heavy electric forays characterize the work of veteran guitarist Vernon Reid. However far into space he goes, his instrument is always under control; usually, his music is as well. Artificial Afrika--featuring vocalist Akim Buddha Funk and DJ/percussionist Leon Lamont--was, however, a simmering, trippy stew of voodoo and multicolored mud. For all ...

128

Album Review

Gary Todd / Dave Solomon / John Russell / Nigel Coombes / Steve Beresford: Teatime

Read "Teatime" reviewed by Raul d'Gama Rose

by Raul d'Gama Rose
January 13, 2011

These are seminal works of European improvised music. What makes them all the more exciting is the fact that this is the one and only time that they will ever be played this way. Remembering Eric Dolphy's famous broadcast over Dutch Radio recorded on May 29, 1964, just weeks before he died, “When you hear music, after it's over it's gone in the air. You can never capture it again." the improvisations of saxophonist Garry Todd, violinist, Nigel Coombes, pianist, ...

282

Album Review

Azar Lawrence: Mystic Journey

Read "Mystic Journey" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
January 13, 2011

Saxophonist Azar Lawrence's influential faculties and stylistic attack loom as significant contributions to the state of jazz, a genre that continually reinvents itself. He's played with jazz greats including McCoy Tyner and Miles Davis, amid stints with soul and pop icons. On Mystic Journey, Lawrence rekindles the John Coltrane connection, featuring Rashied Ali's presence and the band's rendition of Tyner's enduring “Walk Spirit, Talk Spirit." Ali passed away several months after these sides were recorded in April, ...

240

Album Review

Cassandra Wilson: Silver Pony

Read "Silver Pony" reviewed by Lewis J Whittington

by Lewis J Whittington
January 13, 2011

Vocalist Cassandra Wilson is known for her genre bending interpretations of jazz and pop standards, though Silver Pony represents a bit of a departure. The liner notes explain that she worked on it during a personal crisis and also was returning to her musical roots. There are studio tracks recorded in New Orleans, mixed with live tracks from Spain, with many of the same musicians. Silver Pony starts with a staccato, pulsing arrangement of “Lover Come Back ...

262

Album Review

Jacques Pellarin Trio: Karenita

Read "Karenita" reviewed by Bruce Lindsay

by Bruce Lindsay
January 12, 2011

Karenita is the second album from the Jacques Pellarin Trio, following 2009's self-produced The Sound Of Philadelphia. It's a charming collection of lively, optimistic and happy tunes, played with exceptional style by this French ensemble; a real gem of an album that constantly surprises and delights. The album sleeve gives a clear and welcoming indication of the Trio's musical approach, thanks to some charming artwork from Lucas Pellarin. The cover illustration features the trio's members as young ...

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Mr. P.C.'s Guide to Jazz Etiquette and Bandstand Decorum

January 2011

by Mr. P.C.
January 12, 2011

Dear Mr. P.C: What do you call a trombonist whose girlfriend breaks up with him? Evan Holmes

Dear Evan: Ha, ha--I love a good joke! People accuse my P.C. brethren, sisters and me of being humorless, but it couldn't be further from the truth. I totally know the “punch line" to this: “Homeless!" Right?!!! But really, Evan, must we single out an oppressed minority? Consider: 1) Trombonists are already the butt ...

101

Album Review

The Readers: Reviver

by Gina Vodegel
January 12, 2011

Multi-instrumentalist/composer Bryan Baker and his longtime compadre, saxophone specialist Aaron Henry, collaborated on Baker's second album This Morning Day (Enilkrad, 2010). Since then, both Baker and Henry have continued working together as part of a touring ensemble, Bryan Baker 4, and in the recording studio. They're an industrious duo, to say the least. As The Readers, they released the Reviver EP in late 2010, with the promise of a full-length album in spring, 2011. These four tracks can be considered ...