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.

Reanimating Conversations Past

And His Name Was Max

by John Ephland
July 27, 2026

This interview was conducted during the Chicago Jazz Festival on August 31, 1990. A favorite topic: musicians who dedicate their artistic lives to the spirit of collaborations. When I was writing about Max Roach in the late 1980s, I was astounded by how many projects he seemed to be simultaneously engaged in. A giant among giants when bebop was on the march during the 1940s, Max would go on to perform with all manner of musician through the ...

Live Review

Leon Buckley Quartet At Scott's Jazz Club

by Ian Patterson
July 27, 2026

Leon Buckley QuartetScott's Jazz Club Jazz Futures Belfast, N. Ireland July 24, 2026 There is nothing like a good typo to induce the titters. Hats off to the Belfast gig guide who listed this one as the 'Leon Bucket Quarter.' It could have been worse. In a 1631 reprint of the King James Bible, the printers made a hash of the Seventh Commandment: “Thou shalt commit adultery," it intoned righteously. Many, no doubt, ...

Radio & Podcasts

Mike Close is good with his hands: Magician and Musician!

by Mike Jones
July 27, 2026

Jonesy and Michael Close explore the intertwined worlds of music and magic, delving into Michael's early influences, his journey into both fields, and the challenges he faced as a performer in Las Vegas. They discuss the importance of mentorship, the evolution of live music in Vegas, and the realities of pursuing a career in the arts. In their conversation, Jonesy and Michael Close delve into the intricacies of cocktail piano performances, the challenges of solo gigs, and the ...

Radio & Podcasts

Joe Morris, Barry Guy/Roberto Ottaviano & Bill Connors

by Maurice Hogue
July 27, 2026

Bassist/guitarist Joe Morris was recently honored at the annual Vision Festival for his lifetime contributions, and if anyone has any doubts about that, just listen to his new album Counter Spectacle out on the FSR label. With reed players Rob Brown & Anna Webber & drummer Matthew Rousseau, Morris lets freedom reign. This is a true keeper! It's one of a number of wonderful new releases from FSR featured in this episode--the sublime yet daring first-time match-up of master bassist ...

Radio & Podcasts

Joey Alexander, Terri Lyne Carrington, Leigh Pilzer, Emilie-Claire Barlow, Claudia Acuna, Anna Pauline Andersson & More

by Mary Foster Conklin
July 27, 2026

This broadcast includes new music from Anna Pauline Andersson, Joey Alexander, Terri Lyne Carrington, Leigh Pilzer, Emilie-Claire Barlow, Claudia Acuna, plus birthday shoutouts to Mary Osborne, Dorothy Fields, Phoebe Snow, Betty Davis, Julia Hulsmann, Nicole Glover, Akua Dixon, Lauren Sevian, Carmen Bradford, Lauren Lee and Honorable Man Ruben Blades, among others. Happy listening and please support the artists you hear--see them live, buy their music so they can continue to comfort, distract, provoke and remind the world that A Woman's ...

Album Review

Frank Swart: This Is The One! (Raison D'êTre)

Read "This Is The One! (Raison D'êTre)" reviewed by Kyle Simpler

by Kyle Simpler
July 27, 2026

There is a common misconception that musical artists who release albums usually tour to promote them. While this may be true for the most part, there are exceptions. San Francisco-based bassist and composer Frank Swart is quick to point out that artists such as The Beatles were more focused on spending time in the studio creating albums than taking the show on the road. Swart's project Funkwrench Blues uses the studio to full effect, and this is evident on This Is The ...

Album Review

Jun Iida: Bellflower

Read "Bellflower" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
July 27, 2026

Bellflower, trumpeter Jun Iida's second recording, is a cordial and even-tempered survey of nine of his original compositions and one by the late Japanese composer Nujabes, ably performed by Iida's talented sextet with spoken word by Zelda Harris on Iida's heartfelt response to warfare and its anguish, “Will They Remember?" While Iida is a technically precise soloist, his repertoire does little to separate him from the legion of proficient trumpeters in his peer group. He plays (and writes) ...

Catching Up With

Tyler Soifer: The Art of Audio

by Kitty Kalriess
July 26, 2026

On April 8, 2026, musicians Joe Lovano, Melissa Aldana, Nduduzo Makhathini, Linda May Han Oh and Jeff Tain Watts treated an audience to their collaborative reflection of John Coltrane in celebration of what would be the the centennial of the birth of the iconic saxophonist. The McCarter center on the campus of Princeton University hosted Coltrane 100, and the touring group performed to an almost sold-out house. After long contemplation of the masterful performance, a thought lingered; the ...

In Pictures

Vision Festival 2026, Part 1

by Luciano Rossetti
July 26, 2026

A collection of photos from the Vision Festival in New York City from June 22, 2026 to June 28, 2026 featuring Joe Morris, Marshall Allen, Nicole Mitchell, Matthew Shipp, William Parker, Jen Shyu, Luke Stewart, Ingrid Laubrock, Tomeka Reid, Craig Taborn, Val Jeanty, Alexis Marcelo, James Brandon Lewis, DoYeon Kim and many others. ...

In Pictures

Vision Festival 2026, Part 2

by Luciano Rossetti
July 26, 2026

More photos from the Vision Festival in New York City from June 22, 2026 to June 28, 2026 featuring William Hooker, Alan Braufman, Ahmed Abdullah, Dave Sewelson, Eri Yamamoto, Bobby Zankel, Chad Taylor, William Parker, Jason Kao Hwang, Taylor Ho Bynum, Steve Swell, Rob Brown, Whit Dickey, Matthew Shipp, Brandon Lopez, Ned Rothemberg, Sylvie Courvoisier, Nasheet Waits, Daniel Carter, Federico Ughi, Matt Lavelle, Hamid Drake and many others. ...