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.

185

Year in Review

Top Ten "Most Read" and "Most Recommended" CD Reviews: 2010

by AAJ Staff
January 1, 2011

All About Jazz tracks how often a CD Review is read and recommended, and the reviews listed below represent our top ten published from each category in 2010. Most Read | Top 50 Pat Metheny | Orchestrionby John KelmanPublished: January 19, 2010 Amarelo Manga | Verso Presoby Raul d'Gama RosePublished: February 6, 2010

140

Album Review

Pascalito: Neostalgia

Read "Neostalgia" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

by Dan Bilawsky
January 1, 2011

In defining himself as a “world chanteur," Pascalito has come up with the perfect expression to explain his unique position in the music business. Pop, chanson, bossa nova, noir-ish night music, seductive Spanish-tinged melodies, tango and more are all part of the package on Neostalgia. Pascalito (Pascal Sabattier) was born in Paris to a family of Mediterranean Jewish descent, and moved to New York in the late '90s. Since that time, Pascalito has been creating music that touches on his ...

515

Year in Review

Top Ten "Most Read" and "Most Recommended" Articles: 2010

by AAJ Staff
January 1, 2011

All About Jazz tracks how often an article is read and recommended, and the articles listed below represent our top ten published from each category in 2010. The David Sylvian interview by Nenad Georgievski was the clear winner generating over 43,000 page views since January. Most Read | Top 50 1. InterviewsDavid Sylvian: To Blow the Heart Wide Openby Nenad GeorgievskiPublished: January 12, 2010

188

Album Review

Jimmy Halperin/ Dominic Duval/ Brian Willson: The Music of John Coltrane

Read "The Music of John Coltrane" reviewed by John Sharpe

by John Sharpe
January 1, 2011

Why would modern improvisers want to create a session around music over 50 years old? That's the question the pairing of bassist Dominic Duval and saxophonist Jimmy Halperin look to answer over the 68-minute program of The Music of John Coltrane. Having already delved into the Thelonious Monk songbook on Monkinus (CIMP, 2006) and Monk Dreams (No Business, 2009), the duo this time has drummer Brian Willson along for the ride, and an honest, engaging and enjoyable ride it is ...

123

Album Review

Various Artists: Putumayo Presents: South Africa

Read "Putumayo Presents: South Africa" reviewed by Jerry D'Souza

by Jerry D'Souza
January 1, 2011

The music of South Africa is a collage of fascinating rhythms, woven from ethnic folklore and the musical heritage of the early settlers. In that mix are kwaita, kwela and mbaqanqa, as well as gospel and township jive with reggae, jazz and rap making later inroads. The spectrum is wide and the impact heady, as evidenced on the well-compiled Putmayo Presents: South Africa. The album jumps up and shouts right from the first track. The Soul Brothers band, ...

435

Bailey's Bundles

C. Michael Bailey's Best Releases of 2010

by C. Michael Bailey
January 1, 2011

My approach to selecting what I consider the best recordings of the year has changed every year. In 2010, I am citing those discs to which I gave 5 out of 5 stars. About midway through the year, I restricted myself to largely vocal jazz releases, explaining the abundance of such recordings on the list. Various ArtistsFire In My Bones: Raw, Rare & Otherworldly African-American Gospel 1944-2007 “Then I said, I will ...

406

Album Review

Ben Wolfe Quintet: Live at Smalls

Read "Live at Smalls" reviewed by Woodrow Wilkins

by Woodrow Wilkins
January 1, 2011

In New York City, there's a popular venue known as Smalls Jazz Club. The Ben Wolfe Quintet introduces a series of performance recordings, simply titled Smalls Live. A Baltimore native, Wolfe's professional associations include Wynton Marsalis, Harry Connick Jr. and Diana Krall. He is currently a faculty member at Julliard School of Music, Jazz Division. The high-energy, attention-grabbing “Block 11"--one of nine songs, all composed and arranged by Wolfe--begins the set, with Ryan Kisor's blistering ...

324

Live Review

Dave Holland Big Band: Philadelphia, December 11, 2010

by Dylan McGuire
December 31, 2010

Dave Holland Big BandPainted Bride Art CenterPhiladelphia, PADecember 11, 2010 Bassist and jazz music legend Dave Holland says he is a believer in the communal spirit of music and, judging by the scope of talent in his Big Band--as well as the enthusiastic capacity crowd at his shows at the Painted Bride Arts Center in Philadelphia on Dec. 11--the community is happy to embrace his vision.Although it only makes a few appearances ...

180

Album Review

The Nu Band: Live In Paris

Read "Live In Paris" reviewed by John Sharpe

by John Sharpe
December 31, 2010

An average of one album every other year is pretty good going for a free jazz collective, and that's what The Nu Band has achieved. Its fifth, Live In Paris, comes ten years after their first communion in 2000. It's also a departure, not in that it is a concert recording as there are already three of those in the discography, but in that, for the first time, the quartet showcases its considerable talents at instant composition. ...

535

Album Review

The Clayton Brothers: The New Song And Dance

Read "The New Song And Dance" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

by Dan Bilawsky
December 31, 2010

There was a time when jazz and dance were linked in the minds of the general public. As each evolved, this all changed: nobody was getting up to dance for bop--save, perhaps, Thelonious Monk cutting a rug mid-performance--and big bands focused on their music more than making a danceable product. The literal act of dancing might have been removed from close association with this music, but a segment of the music never altered its dance-worthy DNA. Foot ...