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.
Sign in to customize your My Articles page —or— Filter Article Results
In With The In Crowd: Popular Jazz in 1960s Black America
by Richard J Salvucci
In With The In Crowd Mike Smith232 Pages ISBN: 978-1496851154 University Press of Mississippi/Jackson 2024 There is a legal adage that hard cases make bad law. Extreme circumstances make it difficult to accommodate less fraught or complex situations. Histories of jazz in the United States can be a bit like that. Controversial subjects, players or recordings can obscure the importance of less extreme ones. Lord knows, jazz in America has had more than ...
Continue ReadingGordon Grdina: Everything Old Is New Again
by Doug Collette
Guitarist and oud master Gordon Grdina's imagination is as deep as it is broad. As a result, there are those titles in his rapidly expanding discography that, like this pair on Attaboygirl Records, bear some measure of resemblance to previously released titles. Such an impression is nonetheless deceptive, as is the reappearance of names like the Canadian's band, The Marrow, or his frequent collaborator, percussionist Christian Lillinger: such participation constitutes legitimate extension of previous works. But that observation may also ...
Continue ReadingCecile McLorin Salvant at Slee Hall
by Frank Housh
Cecile McLorin Salvant Slee Hall at University of Buffalo Buffalo, NY February 9, 2024 The word is “trobairitz;" it refers to female troubadours of the Middle Ages who performed some of Western music's first secular songs (and the first composed by women) in the area south of the Loire Valley, what we now call Provence. As Cécile McLorin Salvant prowled the stage and charmed the crowd with stories of her childhood and songs ...
Continue ReadingJohn Surman: Words Unspoken
by Joshua Weiner
Englishman John Surman has been one of jazz's most important reedmen since his debut album on the progressive Deram label in 1969. From the start, on classic albums such as John McLaughlin's Extrapolation, Surman displayed a unique voice on the baritone sax, soprano sax, and bass clarinet, sometimes adding electronics to the mix. Since his first appearance on Manfred Eicher's groundbreaking ECM label in 1976, Surman has forged an idiosyncratic path, releasing solo, duo, and quartet albums, transcultural collaborations (such ...
Continue ReadingAcceleration Due To Gravity: Jonesville
by Pierre Giroux
Bassist, composer and arranger Moppa Elliott's uniquely-titled nonet Acceleration Due To Gravity presents Jonesville a gravity- defying jazz odyssey. It pays a captivating homage to influential bassist Sam Jones by weaving a sonic tapestry which transcends the boundaries of conventional jazz. In this brief seven-track, twenty-one-minute outing, four compositions are by Elliott, with the remainder being Sam Jones' originals. The members of the octet who participated in this unusual musical excursion are trumpeter Bobby Spellman, trombonist Dave Taylor, alto saxophonist ...
Continue ReadingFreedom Suite, Blanche Calloway, Jazz at the Philharmonic
by David Brown
This week we'll celebrate the recording milestone of Sonny Rollins' Freedom Suite, recorded 66 years ago this weekend on February 11, 1958; then a birthday tribute to singer, bandleader Blanche Calloway born this weened in 1902 who was a first woman to lean an all-male jazz band; and we'll tour with Jazz at the Philharmonic for a trumpet battle between Roy Eldridge and Charlie Shavers followed by an all-star Ballad Melody. Along the way, we will showcase some new releases ...
Continue ReadingUlysses Owens, Jr. and Generation Y: A New Beat
by Glenn Astarita
A New Beat, crafted by the multi-Grammy award-winning drummer Ulysses Owens Jr. and his Generation Y outfit, materializes as a vivid emblem of jazz's evolving dynamics. This album, an amalgamation of nine tracks, epitomizes the fusion of classic jazz standards with inventive perspectives. Among its highlights, “Bird Lives" notably shines for its technical brilliance and tribute to jazz icons, striking a harmonious balance between honoring the past and embracing the new. This track, alongside the production's repertoire, demonstrates the ensemble's ...
Continue ReadingAuckland Jazz Orchestra: Inverted
by John Fenton
We lost jazz pianist Phil Broadhurst back in 2020, but his legacy is enduring, and unsurprisingly, he is constantly in the thoughts of the musicians he worked with. Here we have a loving tribute to the man and his music, appropriately performed by the Auckland Jazz Orchestra, which is peopled with musicians who knew him well. It is the AJO's fourth album and arguably their finest to date. Tribute albums may be commonplace, but tribute albums like this, born out ...
Continue ReadingNew Music From Angelo Velasquez, Mark Egan, Kinga Glyk And Jakob Manz
by Len Davis
New music from drummer Angelo Velasquez's Tierra y Alma, Mark Egan's Crosscurrents, The Jakob Manz Project's The Answer, bassist Kinga Glyk's Real Life and US guitarist Ron Bosse's Live At Tin Pan. Also, from Spain Aurora Clara's Dreams, Fernando Utreas' Reflejos and Belgian band Paskinel with some progressive jazz. Playlist Yocoya “Dynamo" from Tierraa y Alma (Self Producedf) 00:00 Mark Egan “Homebrew" from Crosscurrents (Wavetone) 07:02 The Jakob Manz Project “Keep On Burning" from The Answer (ACT Music) ...
Continue Reading606 Club In London
by Sammy Stein
The 606 Club in Chelsea has long been a Mecca for jazz fans who enjoy tasty food and great music. Entered by descending steep steps from the busy, bustling streets in one of London's busiest areas, 606 feels like a secret world where cozy tables, attentive staff, and superb music can be found in abundance. Owner Steve Rubie trained originally as a dentist before going on to study classical flute at Trinity (College, London) and jazz with Peter Ind. We ...
Continue Reading
