Jazz Articles about Sam Jones

About Sam Jones

Album Review

Clifford Jordan Quartet: Night of the Mark VII

Read "Night of the Mark VII" reviewed by Pierre Giroux

by Pierre Giroux
October 24, 2026

Clifford Jordan's Night of the Mark VII, recorded live in Paris in 1975, is a remarkable document, a reminder of the simple pleasure of listening. It captures four musicians who know precisely who they are, yet remain open to whatever the moment brings. There is no unnecessary display or performative grandstanding. The players enjoy being together, and the audience is fortunate and discerning enough to be there. Jordan was playing his new Selmer Mark 7 tenor saxophone for ...

Album Review

Louis Stewart: I Thought About You

Read "I Thought About You" reviewed by Ian Patterson

by Ian Patterson
July 24, 2025

For jazz guitar fans, and for aficionados of Irish guitarist Louis Stewart in particular, the 2022 relaunch of '70s label Livia Records has been manna from heaven. This is the born-again label's fifth reissue of the great Dublin six-stringer's out-of-print recordings since the series launched with Stewart's other 1977 album Out on His Own (Livia Records, 2023). That album is widely viewed by guitarists past and present as a solo jazz guitar album for the ages. I Thought About You ...

Album Review

Kenny Dorham: From 'Round Midnight At The Cafe Bohemia To Matador Revisited

Read "From 'Round Midnight At The Cafe Bohemia To Matador Revisited" reviewed by Chris May

by Chris May
June 5, 2024

In his mostly sane and admirable book Black Nationalism and the Revolution In Music (Pathfinder Press, 1970), Frank Kofsky describes Kenny Dorham as “house trained." The calculated insult attempts to conflate Dorham's respect for form and structure with an Uncle Tom outlook on the world. Some might say Dorham would have been justified in following (or, rather, anticipating) the example of the writer Stanley Crouch, who on spotting in a Manhattan restaurant a critic who had recently dissed one of ...

Album Review

Phineas Newborn, Jr.: A World of Piano!

Read "A World of Piano!" reviewed by Richard J Salvucci

by Richard J Salvucci
November 21, 2023

Did a critic ever accuse classical concert pianist Martha Argerich of displaying too much technique while playing Ravel? It is hardly an idle question as Argerich, one of the most gifted pianists in history, plays Ravel beautifully precisely because she has the technique to do so. She could not play “Sonatine" or “Gaspard de la Nuit"--fearsomely difficult, say pianists--if she did not. The beauty is inseparable from the technique; and the technique part of the beauty. This is ...

Album Review

Clifford Jordan: Drink Plenty Water

Read "Drink Plenty Water" reviewed by Pierre Giroux

by Pierre Giroux
October 28, 2023

Clifford Jordan, the iconic American jazz tenor saxophonist, has left an indelible mark on the world of jazz. Known for his dynamic playing style and innovative compositions, his album Drink Plenty Water and Walk Slow is a testament to his unparalleled musical prowess. The original album was recorded in 1974 for Strata-East as an LP but did not make it to the catalogue during this period. However, his wife, Sandy Jordan, unearthed this gem, which was remastered for presentation in ...

Album Review

Clifford Jordan: Drink Plenty Water

Read "Drink Plenty Water" reviewed by Dave Linn

by Dave Linn
July 1, 2023

In August 1974, Clifford Jordan entered the studio for what was to be the follow-up to his acclaimed 2-LP set, Glass Bead Games (1973) for his third album on the Strata-East label. Sadly, the label folded in 1975, and the album was never released. Now, 49 years later, Drink Plenty Water, has finally seen the light of day. It is a time capsule of that collaborative era when jazz stretched its boundaries. It features an all-star roster with a front ...

Album Review

Sonny Stitt: Boppin’ in Baltimore Live at the Left Bank

Read "Boppin’ in Baltimore Live at the Left Bank" reviewed by Alberto Bazzurro

by Alberto Bazzurro
May 1, 2023

L'11 novembre 1973 alla Famous Ballroom di Baltimora il quartetto di Sonny Stitt, fresco reduce dai fasti dei Giants of Jazz (Gillespie, Monk, Winding, Blakey, McKibbon) e certamente in stato di grazia (non aveva del resto ancora cinquant'anni pur essendo già un veterano, per qualcuno addirittura un sorpassato), tenne un concerto ricco di fuoco e invenzioni a getto continuo che oggi, grazie a Jazz Detective, trova posto in un doppio album (CD o LP) comprensivo di ampio libretto di accompagnamento ...