Home » Jazz Articles » Jazz Is Dead
Jazz Articles about Jazz Is Dead
About Jazz Is Dead
Instrument: Band / ensemble / orchestra
Related Articles | Concerts | Albums | Photos | Similar ToJazz Is Dead: Great Sky River
by Todd S. Jenkins
One of America's hottest jam bands continues to mine the bottomless repertoire of the Grateful Dead. On their third album, Jazz Is Dead breathes new life into classics that Deadheads haven't ever gotten enough of. The intuition between guitarist Jimmy Herring (Aquarium Rescue Unit, Allman Brothers Band, Phil Lesh & Friends), bassist Alphonso Johnson (Miles Davis, Weather Report, Billy Cobham, The Other Ones), and keyboardist T Lavitz and drummer Rod Morgenstein of the Dixie Dregs has become more uncanny over ...
read moreJazz is Dead: Laughing Water
by Dave Hughes
On their sophomore release, Laughing Water, Jazz is Dead continues their mission of presenting the catalog of the Grateful Dead in sort of a country-rock context, with occasional classical, gospel, and jazz flavoring. It's unpretentious, infectious jamming by musicians with virtuoso chops to burn. The exuberant “Let Me Sing Your Blues Away" (not a vocal) alternates hard-driving edgy guitar choruses with fleet-fingered, grooving organ. “Row Jimmy" has a laid-back country-rock feel. The next tune, “Stella Blue," begins with an almost-classical ...
read moreJazz is Dead: Laughing Water
by Dave Hughes
On their sophomore release, Jazz is Dead continues their mission of presenting the catalog of the Grateful Dead in sort of a country-rock context, with occasional classical, gospel, and jazz flavoring. It's unpretentious, infectious jamming by musicians with virtuoso chops to burn. The exhuberant "Let Me Sing Your Blues Away" (not a vocal) alternates hard-driving edgy guitar choruses with fleet-fingered, grooving organ. "Row Jimmy" has a laid-back country-rock feel. The next tune, "Stella Blue," begins with an almost-classical fugue, ...
read moreJazz Is Dead: Laughing Water
by David Adler
Essentially a Grateful Dead repertory ensemble, Jazz Is Dead boasts a fusion dream lineup: T. Lavitz on keyboards, Alphonso Johnson on bass, Rod Morgenstein (or Jeff Sipe) on drums, and rising star Jimmy Herring on guitar. If you like the Grateful Dead and know their songs, you'll probably warm to this disc. If you don't, you might still find it rewarding. The musicianship is top-notch and the recording sounds sharp (it was taken from live shows in Colorado and California). ...
read moreJazz Is Dead: Laughing Water
by Ed Kopp
On Laughing Water, the fusion ensemble Jazz Is Dead one-ups the band that it sets out to honor. Laughing Water is a superior remake of the Grateful Dead's rather ordinary rock album Wake of the Flood.Jazz is Dead's core musicians Jimmy Herring (guitar), T Lavitz (keys) and Alphonso Johnson (bass) trade melodic licks as they reinterpret the Dead's modal tunes from 1973. Fortunately you don't have to be a Deadhead to appreciate this album. Laughing Water not only ...
read moreJazz Is Dead: Laughing Water ("Wake Of The Flood - revisited")
by Glenn Astarita
Grateful Dead fans or “deadheads” who demand only the finest from those who cover Dead tunes or in this case, a complete rendition of the Dead’s classic “Wake Of The Flood” LP should find much to get excited about here. Jazz is Dead, touted as one of the best “jam bands” on the globe have carved out a nifty if somewhat deeply personalized stylization of this – crossroads – LP from those rock icons of year’s past. Laughing Water was ...
read moreJazz Is Dead: Laughing Water
by Paula Edelstein
Now that you know the group’s name is an announcement of their respect for the vast collection of Grateful Dead compositions and not a proclaimation of the death of jazz, you are in for more flawless musicianship and wicked jazz-rock fusion. On their second release for Zebra Records, the critically acclaimed jazz-rock fusion quartet Jazz Is Dead interprets the entire 1973 Grateful Dead, WAKE OF THE FLOOD album. LAUGHING WATER, “WAKE OF THE FLOOD REVISITED” features eight tracks filled to ...
read more
Giveaway
Days remaining: 3
