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.

244

Album Review

Nicole Mitchell's Sonic Projections: Emerald Hills

Read "Emerald Hills" reviewed by John Sharpe

by John Sharpe
November 22, 2010

In some ways Chicago-based flautist Nicole Mitchell's Emerald Hills resembles an old style AACM record: there's an adventurous spirit, a diversity of approaches, and chops to burn. More recent reference points include Mitchell's own Xenogenesis Suite (Firehouse 12, 2008) but (largely) without the challenging vocals. Joining Mitchell in the quartet she calls Sonic Projections, are long time associate David Boykins on tenor saxophone, Craig Taborn on piano and Chad Taylor behind the traps. A lot of detail is ...

378

Live Review

Nnenna Freelon Live At The Saville Theater, San Diego

by Robert Bush
November 22, 2010

Nnenna Freelon Saville Theater, San Diego City College San Diego, CA November 9, 2010 Vocalist Nnenna Freelon has enjoyed her share of commercial success over the years (she's been nominated for six Grammy Awards), but not enough to damage her artistic integrity. She's got one hell of a voice, which she employs to great effect by never overdoing it. She has the innate ability to organize most of her phrasing just a fraction behind ...

215

Album Review

Johnny Mandel Featuring Sherrie Maricle and the Diva Jazz Orchestra: The Man and His Music: Johnny Mandel Conducts the Music of Mandel

Read "The Man and His Music: Johnny Mandel Conducts the Music of Mandel" reviewed by Robert J. Robbins

by Robert J. Robbins
November 22, 2010

In May, 2010, legendary composer/arranger Johnny Mandel performed three evenings with the all-female DIVA Jazz Orchestra at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, immaculately preserved in this release. In this rare appearance in his native Manhattan, the Los Angeles-based Mandel returned decidedly to his big band roots, which included service in brass sections, more than five decades ago, with Jimmy Dorsey, Buddy Rich and Count Basie, amongst others. He also demonstrates that his musical genius remains undiminished, engaging in genial musical descriptions between ...

140

Album Review

Kush: Streams of Consciousness Volume Two

Read "Streams of Consciousness Volume Two" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
November 22, 2010

There are no hidden agendas behind this Canadian electronics-oriented band. As stated on the ensemble's website, the music aims to please via a feelgood type manifesto, where jazz, house music, ethereal musings and solid instrumentation coalesce into a fastidiously assembled package. Marked by wah-wah trumpet lines, steady beats and layered effects, the ensemble looms as groove merchants, underscored by several acutely-placed detours. The program features prismatic soundscapes and ethereal electronics treatments. However, the musicians diversify the sound ...

139

Album Review

Jon Irabagon: Foxy

Read "Foxy" reviewed by Raul d'Gama Rose

by Raul d'Gama Rose
November 22, 2010

In choosing to craft his tribute to the idiom and energy of hard bop around one of Sonny Rollins' classic compositions, “Doxy," but to use the surreal, carnival atmosphere of Rollins' 1957 cover art for Way Out West (Contemporary), young tenor saxophonist, Jon Irabagon has made one of the more memorable tenor saxophone trio records, Foxy, with the mighty Barry Altschul on drums and breathtaking bassist, Peter Brendler. In doing so, Irabagon has broken the barrier of the classic sixteen-bar ...

502

Live Review

The 2010 Voodoo Experience: Superstars & The Unsung Heroes

by Mike Perciaccante
November 21, 2010

The 2010 Voodoo Experience: Superstars & The Unsung HeroesCity ParkNew Orleans, LAOctober 29--31, 2010During Halloween Weekend 2010 (October 29-31), New Orleans City Park played host to the 12th Annual Voodoo Experience. As always the festival featured food, fun, retail therapy, corporate sponsors/giveaways and top-shelf performances by musical legends, multi-platinum chart-topping superstar acts, emerging soon-to-be household names as well as local heroes--spanning every musical genre. These bands delivered exactly what the crowd expected and came to ...

384

Album Review

Harris Eisenstadt: Woodblock Prints

Read "Woodblock Prints" reviewed by John Sharpe

by John Sharpe
November 21, 2010

Canadian drummer/composer Harris Eisenstadt is making a compelling case for complete player status. His name on the CD sleeve does not necessarily predict the contents. Examples include his joyous marriage of jazz and West African rhythms on Jalolu (CIMP, 2004) and Gewel (Clean Feed, 2008), his compositions for large ensembles such as Ahisma Orchestra (Nine Winds, 2006), his adventurous small group writing with Canada Day (Clean Feed, 2009) and The Soul and Gone (482 Music, 2005), and not least his ...

480

Live Review

The Grizzler Big Band: Dave's Not Here

by Gordon Marshall
November 21, 2010

Dave Gross, Andrew Eisenberg, Steve Norton, et al.November 12, 2010Private Loft, Fort Point ChannelBoston, MassA giant, three-pound onion ring keeps growing. “Now, it's four pounds!" says the announcer. “It seemed like an overly heavy onion blossom," musician Angela Sawyer said. “It was in a cartoon on Adult Swim in 2002. It was called 'Sea Lab 2021.' It was a remake of an older cartoon and it was very flippant. And they used to have fake ...

186

Album Review

Toots Thielemans: The Live Takes, Vol. 1

Read "The Live Takes, Vol. 1" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

by Dan Bilawsky
November 21, 2010

While studio recordings can capture a musician's sound, live performances capture the essence of their being and the soul within the sound. When an iconic artist like harmonica giant Toots Thielemans isn't in the studio or creating a prearranged live recording, he's still traveling the globe and bringing his music into the clubs and concert halls of the world. While most of that music never shows up on record, a little bit occasionally seeps into the marketplace. The music on ...

761

Film Review

It Might Get Loud

by Nenad Georgievski
November 21, 2010

The Edge, Jimmy Page, Jack White It Might Get Loud Sony Pictures Classics 2009 In the hands of the right people, musical instruments become more than just objects for producing sounds. They become cultural icons symbolizing eras and styles in music. There is no other instrument in this modern age that has been so widely used as the guitar. Even the computer stands in its shadow. The guitar is the instrument of ...