Jazz Articles about Various Artists

Various Artists: Verve//Remixed

by AAJ Staff
May 10, 2002

This ambitious project throws the doors of the Verve vault wide open, to be raided by the cream of the crop electronic producers. The Verve Records catalog boasts a plethora of classic jazz vocalists, from Billie Holiday to Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Nina Simone and more. It almost sounds sacrilegious to allow such classics to be exhumed by a bunch of studio vampires and knob-twiddlers. But the results are thankfully impressive, demonstrating not only the producers’ affinity for the music, ...

Various Artists: Vocal Blues & Jazz Volume Four 1938-1949

by Jim Sangrey
May 6, 2002

The 1940s were a pivotal decade for jazz. As they began, jazz was very much a popular music, with even the increasingly advanced work of Duke Ellington & Coleman Hawkins meeting with great popular approval. By 1949, the music had clearly been divided into “populist” and “art” camps. There was much audience crossover between the two, but it would prove to be a divide that would gradually widen over time, and the crossovers, for the most part, ended up on ...

Various Artists: CTI: The Master Collection

by Jim Santella
May 2, 2002

More reissues from the CTI catalog are due out next month, and this 2-CD overview gives one a pretty good idea of what's going on. Saucy and hip, Creed Taylor's label provided many adventures over the years. The 1970s were undeniably different. Hairstyles, hemlines and sparkling wardrobe colors combined with new electronic keyboards, guitars and basses to shape our music. And that was only the beginning. Jazz-fusion moved away from straight-ahead art and caught on as popular as the Frisbee. ...

Various Artists: Music From And Inspired By Spider-Man

by Jim Santella
May 1, 2002

Heroes allow us to model portions of our lives after what we perceive as good. Superheroes go a step further, giving us pause to reflect on the big “what if."

We've grown up with superheroes. They're fantasy, but it's all a part of learning right from wrong. That, we've done since early childhood. Guys like Peter Parker stand up for what's right and do their best to ensure that society's ills never go unchecked. ...

Various Artists: Everyone Has a Story: The Songs of Adryan Russ

by Dave Nathan
May 1, 2002

The musical creations of lyricist/composer Adryan Russ have found their way into the scores and productions of musical revues, off Broadway shows, cabaret and the movies. Among her credits for the latter is “Save the Earth," which she penned for the English language version of the Japanese cult film Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster. Presenting her material on this compilation of her songs, vignettes of life's ups and downs - - written by herself or with others - - are ...

Various Artists: The Classic Columbia Condon Mob Sessions

by C. Andrew Hovan
January 1, 2002

As documented over the past century, the jazz message can be a varied and diverse thing, encompassing everything from the blues to the avant-garde. This is not to say that some styles haven’t been more popular than others. Clearly, the swing music of Benny Goodman and Count Basie rings truer for the average jazz fan than the adventurous explorations of Cecil Taylor or Ornette Coleman. Taking this a step further, it seems that modern jazz of the ‘50s and ‘60s ...

Various Artists: MAXJAZZ Holiday

by Jim Santella
December 1, 2001

The holiday season always brings pleasant surprises to those who wish it. It's a time for letting go of the routine and having a little fun. It's also a time for making plans for the year ahead and doing something to ensure success. MAXJAZZ has. Their catalogue features seven singers with modest reputations. Six are represented on this holiday collection; each showing unique vocal characteristics. Phillip Manuel carries his theme with a smiling confidence that takes his message even deeper. ...