Jazz Articles about Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson: Man in a Jazz Mirror - Part II

by Ludovico Granvassu
January 21, 2020

The second part of this week's special edition dedicated to jazz renditions of the songs of Michael Jackson (and the Jackson 5!) showcases a wide range of approaches, ranging from the muscular, to the atmospheric, deconstructivist and straight-ahead groovy, including a compare and contrast between Vijay Iyer's and Miles Davis cover of “Human Nature." At the end of the show, Jimmy Smith's precious collaboration with the King of Pop. [For the first part click here]

Michael Jackson: Man in a Jazz Mirror - Part I

by Ludovico Granvassu
January 7, 2020

This week let's pay homage to the musical legacy of Michael Jackson. It has been 10 years since Michael Jackson passed away and lots of things have emerged since then, but the popularity of his music remains strong, including among jazz musicians (the majority of the tracks featured this week was released after his passing). If you are concerned that jazz interpretations of pop music come very close to smooth jazz, don't worry... that's not Mondo ...

Michael Jackson: The Possibility of Communion

by Jeff Dayton-Johnson
July 5, 2009

Can anyone write about Michael Jackson's music without talking about themselves? My story goes like this. An after-school dance in the multi-use room at Charlotte Wood Junior High School. I'm 13 years old, my back firmly affixed to the wall, together with my coterie of friends, watching the less socially awkward kids dance in the center of the room. All of a sudden an insistent bass line, tapping me on the shoulder, resonating in my gut like butterflies in my ...

Remembering Michael: Help Me Sing It

by Chris M. Slawecki
June 29, 2009

“Lift your head up high / And scream out to the world I know I am someone / And let the truth unfurl Ain't no one can hurt you now / Because you know what's true Yes, I believe in me / So you believe in you Help me sing it..."

Just like I remember where I stood in 1977 when news of Elvis' death ripped across televisions everywhere, most ...

Michael Jackson: Lush Life

by Samuel L. Peapye
April 1, 2005

Queen Latifah recorded one, and Rod Stewart has released two. That's right, pop stars are making jazz records these days. It was just a matter of time before the King of Pop headed to the studio to make his jazz album. With a maturing audience for his music, the forty-something fan base for Michael almost demanded this recording.

Like the legendary silent film star Fatty Arbuckle, who had his career sidelined by legal woes, the pop star had ...