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.

165

Take Five With...

Take Five With Suresh Singaratnam

by AAJ Staff
October 23, 2010

Meet Suresh Singaratnam: Suresh Singaratnam is a trumpeter of uncommon breadth; unique, not only for the small crowd he inhabits as a virtuoso of both classical and jazz styles, but also for the continuity and clarity of his voice across both idioms. Suresh studied with Canadian trumpet virtuoso Norman Engel throughout high school, where he exhibited an uncommon aptitude for the trumpet, winning the Scarborough Philharmonic Youth Concerto Competition at age 17. After a ...

325

Album Review

Guillermo Klein: Domador de Huellas - Music of "Cuchi" Leguizamon

Read "Domador de Huellas - Music of "Cuchi" Leguizamon" reviewed by Raul d'Gama Rose

by Raul d'Gama Rose
October 23, 2010

Guillermo Klein's third album for Sunnyside Records is also one of his most beguiling--and, very possibly, one of the most memorable tribute albums of the year. Domador de Huellas, literally “the tamer of the footprints," has a deeply significant meaning. The “footprints" in question are a visceral element of a history that is close to disappearing. In this instance, the footprint is also one that Gustavo “Cuchi" Leguizamon left on the proverbial sands of Argentinean time in his incarnation of ...

216

Album Review

Jordan Young Group: Jordan Young Group

Read "Jordan Young Group" reviewed by Ernest Barteldes

by Ernest Barteldes
October 23, 2010

On their self-titled debut. New York-based Jordan Young and his group go through a mix of different sounds, from a straight-ahead Hammond-based version of Cole Porter's “Every Time We Say Goodbye" to the more experimental “PinGs"--four short interludes spread throughout the disc that hint at the band's desire to tackle contemporary material while still keeping their admitted 1960s organ trio vibe. The musicians demonstrate great synchronicity. On “Claudes Monet," guitarist Yotam Silberstein and saxophonist Joe Sucato trade ...

321

Album Review

Sophia Shorai: Long As You're Living

Read "Long As You're Living" reviewed by Bridget A. Arnwine

by Bridget A. Arnwine
October 23, 2010

What is most exciting about the new crop of singers coming onto the scene is the abundant joy present in much of their work. They're happy to be singing; they're happy to do what their idols and mentors do; they're happy to be sharing their gift. One listen to singer Sophia Shorai's Long as You're Living and the prominence of her enthusiasm is hard to ignore. Featuring twelve jazz and contemporary music covers, and accompanied by pianist Tommy Barbarella, Shorai's ...

292

Live Review

SFJAZZ Collective at Nighttown

by Matt Marshall
October 22, 2010

SFJAZZ CollectiveNighttownCleveland Heights, OhioOctober 16, 2010 Since 2004, the SFJAZZ Collective, an octet of world-class musicians in the prime of their careers (no “legends" meat wagon, this), has toured the world, spreading the jazz gospel. Two members remain from the initial group--vibes player Stefon Harris and alto saxophonist Miguel Zenón. And, while certainly a vehicle to promote its parent organization, SFJAZZ, the nonprofit jazz institution that, among other things, presents the annual ...

323

Album Review

Polar Bear with Jyager: Common Ground

Read "Common Ground" reviewed by Bruce Lindsay

by Bruce Lindsay
October 22, 2010

Sebastian Rochford, drummer and writer with Polar Bear, is one of Britain's most extraordinary musicians. The softly-spoken Scot is also one of the most curious of musicians, constantly seeking new sounds and collaborations both inside and outside the jazz world. On the fascinating Common Ground, Rochford gets new sounds from old sounds--eight of the tunes are based on samples from Polar Bear's album Peepers (The Leaf Label, 2010)--and a new collaboration from the UK hip-hop community in the shape of ...

349

Book Excerpts

Style-Hopping: An Excerpt from Musician! A Practical Guide

by Dan Wilensky
October 22, 2010

[Editor's Note: The following article is an excerpt from Musician! A Practical Guide For Students, Music Lovers, Amateurs, Professionals, Superstars, Wannabees and Has-Beens (CreateSpace, 2010), by saxophonist Dan Wilensky.] Musician! is a book for all musicians, and anyone who loves music. It includes music history, philosophy, assorted tricks of the trade, proactive advice for the downtrodden, and instructive tales from the trenches.For the neophyte, Wilensky demystifies the process of becoming a “real" musician. For the ...

312

Album Review

Soft Machine Legacy: Live Adventures

Read "Live Adventures" reviewed by Mark Redlefsen

by Mark Redlefsen
October 22, 2010

The unique jazz-rock of Soft Machine Legacy moves into a new decade with Live Adventures (Moonjune, 2010), along with yet another new lineup, recorded live shortly after the 2009 passing of bassist Hugh Hopper. No matter how much change in personnel occurs, a very identifiable and distinct sound is maintained all around. The balance in this music--as with the original different versions of Soft Machine--has always been about having just enough jazz fusion, grounded by very rock-like rhythms, that follow ...

119

Take Five With...

Take Five With Dan Pinto

by AAJ Staff
October 22, 2010

Meet Dan Pinto: I would like to thank All About Jazz for allowing me to speak a bit more about myself and the music that I write... I began playing drums at age 11 and expanded into piano about two years afterwards. Been playing both ever since and have added all sorts of goodies in-between. I love improvisation and enjoy classical music, as well as composing film score music. But my roots are firmly planted ...

234

Album Review

Bartosz Hadala Group: The Runner Up

Read "The Runner Up" reviewed by Paul J. Youngman

by Paul J. Youngman
October 22, 2010

Bartosz Hadala is a name of which more people should be made aware. Based in Poland, he is a world-class pianist and a contemporary composer with serious jazz chops. His debut, The Runner Up--a winner in every way--finds him in superb company, with some top names in jazz. Ten solid, fresh compositions--all original tunes, with the exception of Dizzy Gillespie's “A Night In Tunisia"--feature excellent performances by all parties, most of the songs performed by a septet. Up front, the ...