Jazz Articles about John Bailey

About John Bailey

Album Review

There are two ways of looking at Hubub!, pianist Ted Kooshian's fifth album as leader. The first is, “nothing new here"; and the second, “everything is new here." On the one hand, Kooshian's able quintet hews closely to the post-bop canon which has given rise to its fabric; on the other, they do so within the framework of Kooshian's bright and engaging melodies, none of which seems commonplace or shopworn. Kooshian wrote nine of the album's eleven ...

Album Review

Arturo O'Farrill: Four Questions

Read "Four Questions" reviewed by Jerome Wilson

by Jerome Wilson
September 2, 2020

Surprisingly this set marks the first time Arturo O'Farrill has recorded a set of solely his own compositions. It was worth the wait because this music, played by his Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, really demonstrates the cinematic sweep and variety of his writing. The set is constructed around two topical extended works. The first, “Four Questions," is based on four questions about the struggle for human rights and personal dignity first posed by African-American author W.E.B. DuBois in ...

Album Review

Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra: Four Questions

Read "Four Questions" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
May 25, 2020

The Four Questions addressed by composer / pianist Arturo O'Farrill's Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra on its latest album were first posed in 1903 by W.E.B. DuBois in his book The Souls of Black Folk and are answered herein by the esteemed educator / historian / social activist Dr. Cornel West. For the record, the questions are “what does integrity do in the face of adversity and oppression, what does honesty do in the face of lies and deception, what does ...

Album Review

John Bailey: Can You Imagine?

Read "Can You Imagine?" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
February 28, 2020

Letting his imagination roam free, trumpeter John Bailey envisions a world in which one of his musical touchstones, trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, is president of the United States--one in which Gillespie's cabinet includes Duke Ellington (secretary of state), Louis Armstrong (secretary of agriculture) and Miles Davis (CIA director). The fact is, Gillespie did “run" for president in 1964, a crusade that was far more satirical than serious. Nevertheless, as was his fashion, Gillespie milked his “candidacy" for all it was worth, ...

Album Review

John Bailey: Can You Imagine?

Read "Can You Imagine?" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

by Dan Bilawsky
February 25, 2020

The world loves a good “what if..." story, so why not explore the idea of Dizzy Gillespie as president? The famed trumpeter actually ran for the highest office in the land in 1964. And though the move was largely in jest, he didn't shy away from the issues of the day while campaigning. Sadly, many of the same problems that Gillespie explored still plague the United States, but trumpeter John Bailey doesn't get weighed down by that sobering sadness—or pure ...

Album Review

John Bailey: In Real Time

Read "In Real Time" reviewed by Jerome Wilson

by Jerome Wilson
October 19, 2018

John Bailey is a veteran New York-based trumpet player who has worked as a sideman in a variety of genres. Now, at the age of 52, he has released his first CD as a leader and it's as stylish and professional as would be expected. Bailey's playing is full of passion and fire, and he brings that energy to several musical styles. “Blues for Ella" is a hard bop blues, notable for the trumpeter's slashing howls, Stacy Dillard's ...

Album Review

John Bailey: Oneiric Sounds

by Karl Ackermann
September 12, 2018

English guitarist and composer John Bailey holds a Master's Degree in Jazz Performance but has a background that includes a fondness for everything from heavy metal to classical music. The latter of the two is in evidence throughout the two suites that comprise Oneiric Sounds, a study in the blending of jazz and classical influences. This is the third release from Bailey including Heart Horizons (Self-Produced, 2013) and Black Ship, Bright Sea (ASC Records, 2015) with a considerably smaller group. ...