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.

342

Album Review

William Parker: I Plan To Stay A Believer

Read "I Plan To Stay A Believer" reviewed by John Sharpe

by John Sharpe
October 6, 2010

From the first few bars of the title cut opening “I Plan To Stay A Believer," the riffing horns, infectiously funky beat and expressive soulful singing of Leena Conquest quickly establishes` this as one of bassist/composer William Parker's most accessible projects. This set has been a long time coming. The idea of a tribute to legendary soul singer Curtis Mayfield first came up in discussion between Parker and pianist Matthew Shipp in 2000, overheard by producer Xavier Lemettre, who later ...

145

Album Review

Mark A. Lomax: The State of Black America

Read "The State of Black America" reviewed by Raul d'Gama Rose

by Raul d'Gama Rose
October 6, 2010

There has not been such an in-your-face title for an album of music in a long, long time. Drummer Mark Lomax has decided that it is necessary and, therefore, goes for the jugular by calling his album The State of Black America. Perhaps the release is timely, with racism seemingly raising its ugly head more frequently since Barak Obama was elected President of the United States in 2008. So, in the mind of the drummer and leader of this trio, ...

143

Album Review

Dan Marschak: Likewise

Read "Likewise" reviewed by Edward Blanco

by Edward Blanco
October 6, 2010

Dan Marschak's debut, Likewise, is a friendly jazz outing, showcasing the Los Angeles-based pianist/composer's compositional talents, piano chops and leadership role as both player and producer. With all but two of its ten tunes written by Marschak, its unconventional approach, melding elements of progressive, fusion, funk--even a touch of classical--makes for a varied and challenging first impression.The introduction of the opening “Caffeine Dream" sounds eerily similar to the opening bars of Ogden Nash and Kurt Weill's standard, “Speak ...

696

In The Biz

The Future Record Label Model = Brand Marketing Collective

by B.J. Jansen
October 6, 2010

Several months ago Michael Ricci approached me with the idea of starting a column dealing with the business of jazz. During our subsequent conversations we both agreed that jazz musicians needed more tools, more ideas and more education on how to successfully monetize their music and strengthen the jazz scene as a whole. Given my formal educational background (recently completing an MBA), business knowledge (forming Pitch Artist Services) and experience, (over a decade as an actual performing jazz artist and ...

343

Album Review

Michael Formanek: The Rub And Spare Change

Read "The Rub And Spare Change" reviewed by John Kelman

by John Kelman
October 5, 2010

With a discography that's growing with each passing year--expanding into territories new to both the label and music in general--it's difficult to understand the need for some to apply a reductionist stance to the music of ECM, whitewashing it with descriptions like “melancholy," or “Nordic cool." One listen to bassist Michael Formanek's ECM debut, The Rub And Spare Change, quickly dispenses with these--and many other--mythic generalizations that simply cannot describe a label that, in its fifth decade and with over ...

654

Live Review

Under the Big Top: Detroit's 31st Year Hits a High Note

by C. Andrew Hovan
October 5, 2010

31st Annual Detroit Intermational Jazz FestivalHart PlazaDetroit, MichiganSeptember 3-6, 2010Last year may have been their 30th anniversary year, but this past Labor Day weekend, The Detroit Jazz Festival pulled out all the stops for what had to be one of the most memorable line-ups of recent memory. Mother Nature would cooperate for the most part, with pleasant temperatures and no precipitation for the majority of the weekend, although a few of the nights got pretty ...

262

Album Review

William Parker Organ Quartet: Uncle Joe's Spirit House

Read "Uncle Joe's Spirit House" reviewed by Troy Collins

by Troy Collins
October 5, 2010

Renowned in avant-garde jazz circles for his steadfast leadership, bassist, composer and bandleader William Parker's all-encompassing artistry has long been influenced by a variety of sources, both abstract and concrete. Though mysticism and spirituality play a hand in his expansive aesthetic, so do earthly concerns like social justice and family. Uncle Joe's Spirit House, the debut of Parker's Organ Quartet, is a persuasive example of the later.The album is dedicated to his Aunt Carrie Lee Edwards and Uncle ...

174

Take Five With...

Take Five With Esa Pietila

by AAJ Staff
October 5, 2010

Meet Esa Pietilä:Esa´s original style and various projects--trio, new quartet (formed 2008, with ECM artist Iro Haarla, solo saxophone concerts and more, have stabilized his position performing on the national/international jazz circuit, and have led him to dates in Italy, Germany, Norway, Sweden, France, The Netherlands, Austria, Iceland, England, USA, Australia, New Zeeland, Brazil and Cuba. He has performed with the names like Ron McClure, Mathias Eick, Mike Nock, Claudio Fasoli, Heiri Kaenzig, Anders Begcrantz, Odean Pope, Raoul ...

175

Album Review

Greg Burk: Unduality

Read "Unduality" reviewed by Raul d'Gama Rose

by Raul d'Gama Rose
October 5, 2010

Unduality, a duet between pianist Greg Burk and Dominican-born conguero Vicente Lebron, is quite simply the most innovative interpretation of Johann Sebastian Bach's “Invention #1" since conceived by the master. It could be one of the most striking re-imaginings of a previously composed piece, ever. In themselves, the Bach's Inventions are superlative creations demonstrating contrapuntal technique, while at the same time exploring a wide range of expressions using various styles in several keys and developing the motives in a brilliantly ...

513

Extended Analysis

Nik Bartsch's Ronin: Llyria

by John Kelman
October 5, 2010

Nik Bärtsch's Ronin Llyrìa ECM Records 2010 Few artists have emerged in recent times with so unique and fully-formed a voice as pianist Nik Bärtsch. Living largely, as he does, in the jazz world--especially since coming to ECM in 2006 with Stoa, after years foundation-setting and groundbreaking work in his native Switzerland, honing the distinctive blend of minimalist repetition, interlocking polyrhythms and compelling grooves that he's dubbed “Zen Funk" and “Ritual Groove" on a series ...