Jazz Articles

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Borneo Jazz Festival 2010

by Ian Patterson
June 3, 2010

Miri International Jazz Festival Sarawak, Malaysia, Borneo May 14-15, 2010 The Miri International Jazz Festival in Sarawak province Malaysia, on the island of Borneo, can lay claim to being the only jazz festival on the South China Sea. A long line of tankers and cargo ships stretches across the horizon like buttons sewn on a vast blue cloth and attests to Miri's century-old history as an oil town. Located in the lush grounds of ...

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Jamie Begian Big Band: Big Fat Grin

by Bruce Lindsay
June 2, 2010

Who wants to take on the task of turning 17 individual musicians into a jazz big band? Very few people would attempt it, and fewer would succeed. Guitarist Jamie Begian did it in 1998 and the Jamie Begian Big Band now celebrates its 12th year with the release of its second album, Big Fat Grin. Begian not only leads the band, he wrote and arranged the tunes, and produced the album. That's a lot of responsibility, but the success of ...

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Norwich Jazz Party 2010

by Bruce Lindsay
June 2, 2010

Norwich Jazz Party Norwich, UK May 1-3, 2010 Norwich may well be one of the loveliest cities in Britain, but the May Day holiday weekend was wet and miserable, volcanic ash from Iceland was still threatening travel plans and even the exciting prospect of a General Election the following week was failing to lift the spirits. Thankfully, the fourth Norwich Jazz Party managed to achieve what the General Election couldn't--its three joyous days of ...

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Steve Coleman and Five Elements: Harvesting Semblances and Affinities

by Troy Collins
June 2, 2010

As the founder of the M-Base movement, alto saxophonist Steve Coleman has been at the forefront of advances in jazz composition for 25 years. Culled from traditions with roots in the diverse music of the African Diaspora, M-Base's intricate fusion of syncopated rhythms and polyphonic harmonies has provided a vivacious, forward-thinking alternative to staid conventions for over two decades. A veteran scene leader and mentor, Coleman has aided the careers of peers like Geri Allen, Greg Osby and ...

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August Rosenbaum: Beholder

by Mark Corroto
June 2, 2010

Considering the maturity and sophistication Beholder displays, it might be astonishing to learn that its composer/pianist, August Rosenbaum, is just 22. But, there it is. This youthful Danish jazzman recorded this Brooklyn session with countryman Jakob Bro (guitar) and Americans Dan Weiss (drums) and Thomas Morgan (bass).

What disturbs the norm here is the quiet patience these eight compositions display. Take “Shoyn Fargessen," a decelerated stride piano piece that Rosenbaum plays solo. He reveals that the grandeur is ...

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Nikola Kodjabashia: The Most of Now & Explosion of a Memory

by Nenad Georgievski
June 2, 2010

Nikola Kodjabashia, who is a British-based, Macedonian-born pianist and composer, blends classical and electronic music, field recordings and samples. His is a body of work that shows a tremendous musical curiosity, and which ignores boundaries in favor of haunting and strangely familiar sounds. Nikola Kodjabashia The Most of Now ReR Megacorp 2007

Kodjabashia's second album, The Most of Now, features a small core of musicians, mostly comprised of members ...

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Adriano Santos Quintet: In Session

by Edward Blanco
June 2, 2010

Adriano Santos of Sao Paulo, Brasil is a drummer and percussionist currently on the faculty of the Drummers Collective school in New York whose drumming style has been compared to that of Airto Moreira. Residing in New York since the mid '90s and a fixture in the area's vibrant jazz scene, Santos puts his slant on the music of various Brazilian composers with In Session. A sideman for such luminaries as Claudio Roditi, Helio Alves, John Pizzarelli, Slide Hampton and ...

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Take Five with Meg Okura

by AAJ Staff
June 2, 2010

Meet Meg Okura:Hailed by The Guardian as “improvisational virtuosity," Meg Okura is “equally comfortable playing classical chamber music, rock and everything in between," (The New York Times). She is the founder and the leader of the Pan Asian Chamber Jazz Ensemble, and has won numerous grants and awards as a composer. A native of Japan, Meg toured as the concertmaster and the soloist with the Asian Youth Orchestra and made her Kennedy Center ...

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Bill Cosby: If You Could Hear It, You'd Smile

by Victor L. Schermer
June 2, 2010

Bill Cosby is a gentle giant, and not just physically. He is a powerhouse of energy and achievement. He's best known as a standup comedian non pareil. Moreover, his TV shows, such as The Cosby Show, have topped the ratings for many years, and he uses them as a way to promote racial reconciliation and disseminate a range of ideas that leaves other shows in the dust. He has won a slew of Emmy and Grammy awards. After dropping out ...

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Tia Fuller: Stepping Forward Decisively

by R.J. DeLuke
June 1, 2010

For saxophonist Tia Fuller, becoming a musician, and concentrating on jazz, seems almost preordained. After all, she came from a musical family who loved and performed jazz. She started playing piano at the age of 3. Music has always been in her life.

Then there's that family video where, at age 9, asked what she wanted to do in her life, she tells her father she wants to play the saxophone.

“That's the only ...