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.

188

Album Review

Michael Dease: Grace

by Larry Taylor
October 22, 2010

This could be the break-out album for trombonist Michael Dease, his music and style putting him in the company of trombone legends including Jack Teagarden, J.J. Johnson,. Kai Winding and Curtis Fuller. On Grace, Dease is anchored by a very able rhythm crew, including pianist Cyrus Chestnut, bassist Rufus Reid, and drummer Gene Jackson. On all but one track, Dease is joined by a variety of stellar musicians, including trumpeters Roy Hargrove and Claudio Roditi, saxophonist Eric ...

165

Album Review

Anat Fort: And If

Read "And If" reviewed by Hrayr Attarian

by Hrayr Attarian
October 22, 2010

That pianist Anat Fort is an intensely lyrical musician is apparent throughout And If; her poetic lyricism acts, in fact, as sort of a unifying theme for the entire work. A hauntingly beautiful and sublime musical opus, the disc opens with her modal composition; “Paul Motian," a tribute to her previous band-mate, where her minimalist improvisation is reminiscent of Bill Evans. The trio goes through ten of Fort's own pieces, ranging from the sonata-like “En If" and ...

627

Extended Analysis

Teddy Wilson: Solo / Big Band

by David Rickert
October 21, 2010

Teddy WilsonSolo / Big BandStoryville Records2010 Teddy Wilson will always be primarily known for his work with the Benny Goodman band and the reliable piano accompaniment he provided for it on many classic records. After the big band era, although he teamed up with Goodman again from time to time, the majority of Wilson's career was spent leading his own ensembles. This 8CD (and 1DVD) box set canvases Wilson's entire career, ...

333

Album Review

Brad Goode: Tight Like This

Read "Tight Like This" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey

by C. Michael Bailey
October 21, 2010

Chicago-native trumpeter Brad Goode is steeped in the tradition. His previous Delmark offering, Nature Boy (2008), was very well-received for its conservative yet creative approach toward standards in a quartet format. He returns, delving deeper into jazz styles of the 1920s and '30s, updating them in a wonderfully lo-fi way. Tight Like This celebrates the early trumpet pioneers, most notably Louis Armstrong and Bix Beiderbecke. “Changes," composed in 1927 by Walter Donaldson ("My Blue Heaven" and “Yes ...

892

Film Review

Mark Dresser: Guts

by Robert Bush
October 21, 2010

Mark DresserGutsKadima Collective Recordings2010 He doesn't receive anywhere near the publicity given to his friend, and fellow bassist, William Parker, but make no mistake about it: Mark Dresser is a giant in the free jazz / new music continuum and has been so for years. Dresser has been keeping a still lower profile since moving from New York back to San Diego to work in academia at University of California at San ...

245

AAJ PRO

Publicist News: Improved news service and more features for your clients!

by Michael Ricci
October 21, 2010

Dear jazz publicist: All About Jazz is celebrating its 15th year on the web with a relaunch, making significant changes to our appearance and expanding the promotional services we offer to musicians and to publicists. Please read on for the details. Index News Service Upgrade Massive Monday! More Options Your Company's Profile at AAJ Citing All About Jazz; Help Spread the Word 15 Years and Going Strong! ...

348

Album Review

Luca Aquino: Icaro Solo

Read "Icaro Solo" reviewed by Nicholas F. Mondello

by Nicholas F. Mondello
October 21, 2010

When he lived on Manhattan's Lower East side many years ago, the great tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins, when searching for a locale to practice without disturbing his neighbors, would venture up on the Williamsburg Bridge in New York to shed for hours on end. It provided him the necessary environment within which to expand his musical genius. It was all about freedom--to play, to develop, to explore. Italian jazz artist Luca Aquino has similarly taken the idea ...

218

Take Five With...

Take Five With Maria Faust

by AAJ Staff
October 21, 2010

Meet Maria Faust:I was born in 1979 at the island of Saaremaa, Estonia. Instrument(s):Saxophone.Teachers and/or influences? My influences are coming mostly from the classical music and big band music. I have many favorite musicians and they all have been inspiring me.I knew I wanted to be a musician when... I saw a man playing piano.Your sound and approach to music: Music should be honest and not perfect because ...

330

Album Review

Niels Lan Doky: Return to Denmark

Read "Return to Denmark" reviewed by Chris Mosey

by Chris Mosey
October 21, 2010

The trouble with Niels Lan Doky is that, like Saint Paul, he seeks to be all things to all men. He's a pianist, basically in the Bill Evans tradition when it comes to jazz, but says he's equally at home with classical, world, pop, soul, rhythm and blues and electronic music. He lays claim to being a composer, producer, arranger, writer and film director. Of Danish-Vietnamese origin, he has been a US resident recently--and, on occasion, France. ...

153

Album Review

Colin Dean: Shiwasu

Read "Shiwasu" reviewed by Bruce Lindsay

by Bruce Lindsay
October 21, 2010

Bassist and composer Colin Dean graduated from New York's New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in 2006, and has since played across musical genres that include jazz, hip-hop and indie rock. Shiwasu, his first recording under his own name, finds him in the company of three distinguished fellow musicians on a set of tunes that draw on Dean's non-jazz influences to bring a fresh edge to mainstream modern jazz. Dean and drummer Colin Stranahan form a ...