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.

347

Album Review

Larry Carlton / Tak Matsumoto: Take Your Pick

Read "Take Your Pick" reviewed by John Kelman

by John Kelman
September 5, 2010

It's a shame that artists' careers are reduced to oversimplifications of who they are and what they're capable of. Guitarist Larry Carlton, for example--despite releasing kick-ass blues-centric records like Sapphire Blue (Bluebird, 2004) and, more recently, the exciting yet unfailingly tasty Live in Tokyo (335 Records, 2007), not to mention delivering iconic solos on Steely Dan albums like The Royal Scam (MCA, 1976) and Gaucho (MCA, 1980)--is, more often than not, associated with the smooth jazz of albums like Alone/But ...

232

Music and the Creative Spirit

The Spiritual Beauty of Marilyn Crispell

by Lloyd N. Peterson Jr.
September 5, 2010

There have been a number of pianists within the classical and jazz genres whose work have remained majestic and timeless, but never has there been a pianist quite like Marilyn Crispell. Never has a pianist been able to reach such extraordinary depths of spirituality and complexity. Nevertheless, levels of creativity rarely equate to levels of popularity and therefore, it's not surprising that visionary works remain largely misunderstood and unappreciated during their own time. Such is the case with Marilyn Crispell.

366

Album Review

Dan Berg & The Gestalt: Manifesto

Read "Manifesto" reviewed by Karl Ackermann

by Karl Ackermann
September 5, 2010

Manifesto, the debut release from Dan Berg & The Gestalt, may be one of 2010's best recordings. The composer/keyboardist--a Brooklyn native and former student of reed man Marty Ehrlich--has created a smart, versatile and accessible collection that bridges genres and techniques, while remaining at home in the jazz idiom. With touches of Tin Hat Trio, bits of rock, Latin and the occasional operatic vocal, Manifesto has a broad appeal that fits contentedly within the overall scheme of the collection. Berg's ...

304

Music and the Creative Spirit

Fred Anderson: In Loving Memory....

by Lloyd N. Peterson Jr.
September 5, 2010

I had the opportunity to interview with Fred Anderson on several occasions. In each instance I walked away with the feeling that I was a better person for the time I spent with him. It was his wisdom, his generosity of spirit, his knowingness that our time here on this planet was short at best, and his humble appreciation to have been able to play music during this lifetime.He had a gentle soul that was much larger than ...

316

Album Review

Soft Machine: NDR Jazz Workshop –Hamburg, Germany 1973

Read "NDR Jazz Workshop –Hamburg, Germany 1973" reviewed by Nic Jones

by Nic Jones
September 5, 2010

By May, 1973, Soft Machine was well on its way from being a truly remarkable outfit to being a comparatively anonymous fusion band. This CD and DVD set goes to show this, but at least the music is played with the kind of fire that wasn't apparent on their studio albums of the time. While the rhythm section--bassist Roy Babbington and drummer John Marshall--was a lot more “correct" than its predecessors, the pair does inject a kind ...

363

Album Review

Jeff Lorber Fusion: Now is the Time

Read "Now is the Time" reviewed by Eugene Holley, Jr.

by Eugene Holley, Jr.
September 5, 2010

An accepted kernel of jazz historiography states that cats who play what has ultimately become smooth jazz play it because they can't play the real music. But even back in the day--specifically the seventies--this wasn't true across the board, as evidenced by the undeniable chops of Ramsey Lewis, Grover Washington, Jr., Joe Sample, and Philly-born keyboardist Jeff Lorber. His group, The Jeff Lorber Fusion, was a mainstay on urban black radio, and his compositions, arrangements and solos swung in the ...

191

Album Review

Patty Cronheim: Days Like These

Read "Days Like These" reviewed by Woodrow Wilkins

by Woodrow Wilkins
September 5, 2010

It started during a sing-along in the family car; little Patty Cronheim broke into harmony. The seed was planted, and now the vocalist is in full bloom. Drawing from a variety of influences in pop, jazz, blues and South American styles, Cronheim has released her first recording as a leader, Days Like These. Cronheim has opened for Ray Charles, and performed some of her original music on television's Jane Pauley Show. She's a frequent guest of the Princeton ...

518

Liner Notes

Peter Brotzmann Chicago Tentet: 3 Days in Oslo

by Lloyd N. Peterson Jr.
September 5, 2010

We live during a time when society needs music in boxes, connected with dots; music that can be readily explained and even more readily understood. But Peter Brotzmann tears down the walls, rips apart the boxes and completely shatters any preconceived notions of what music is supposed to be. He understands the necessity of art being able to express from the soul and spirit of the artist, and that is a freedom fought for, one that is intensely fought for. ...

632

Film Review

When You're Strange: A Film About The Doors

by John Kelman
September 4, 2010

The DoorsWhen You're Strange: A Film About The DoorsEagle Vision2010 There are a usually two ways of looking at iconic 1960s rock group, The Doors. One views it as nothing more than a vehicle for front man Jim Morrison, an enigmatic and undeniably charismatic singer with little regard for convention and, to some, a profound lyricist. Another finds Morrison's self-indulgent, self-destructive behavior as nothing more than rampant narcissism; a textbook demonstration of ...

322

Album Review

Either/Orchestra: Mood Music For Time Travellers

Read "Mood Music For Time Travellers" reviewed by Bruce Lindsay

by Bruce Lindsay
September 4, 2010

A sense of calm and well-being pervades the Either/Orchestra's Mood Music For Time Travellers, investing its ten tunes with a warmth and good humor that makes the music immediately accessible, and also hides some of the compositions' complexities. It's a calm that comes from experience and confidence, this album celebrating Either/Orchestra's 25th year. The Massachusetts-based group, led by saxophonist and composer Russ Gershon, has a strong reputation for its work with Ethiopian musicians on albums such as ...