Jazz Articles about Various Artists

Various Artists: Brazilian Horizons

by AAJ Staff
January 1, 1998

The influence of Caribbean and South American musical ideas on jazz goes as far back as Jelly Roll Morton and his “Latin tinge." Brazilian music, which first became popular in this country in the 60s with the samba craze, has always possessed a unique identity and sound. After Brazilian music was imported into America, a two way flow was established, with musicians from each culture listening to and working with musicians from the other. The results of this “cross-breeding" are ...

Various Artists: Songs That Made The Phone Light Up

by AAJ Staff
January 1, 1998

Jazz, through all of its changes and all of its manifestations, has always been about people. From the musicians to the fans to the club owners to the DJs and record company people, jazz's power has always been its people. People like Ronnie Scott, and the Baroness Nica, and Francis Wolfe and Alfred Lion. And people like Joel Dorn, long time producer and former DJ who has gone on to head up the new label 32 Records. As a DJ, ...

Various Artists: A Contemporary Jazz Christmas

by Robert Spencer
January 1, 1998

Contemporary yes, but some of these folks have been around for awhile. The lineup is George Howard on “The First Noël," B.B. King's “Merry Christmas Baby," Tom Scott with “Feliz Navidad," Phil Perry and “The Christmas Song," Chick Corea's Elektric Band offering “God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen," Spro Gyra on “I'll Be Home for Christmas," Nelson Rangel's version of “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!", David Benoit with the old Charlie Brown and Snoopy hit “Christmas Time ...

Various Artists: A Traditional Jazz Christmas

by Robert Spencer
January 1, 1998

An eclectic lineup of heavyweights makes this Christmas collection worth more than passing notice: Louis Armstrong, Mel Torme, Kenny Burrell, Lionel Hampton, Ahmad Jamal, Gene Ammons...let's hear a nice round of applause also for Al Hibbler, Ramsey Lewis, Les Brown, Peggy Lee, and Soulful Strings. Everyone sounds just fine enough on this CD to make great background music for the holidays; at the same time, there are a few standouts.

Pops, for one, is tops. “Christmas in New Orleans" and ...

Various Artists: Black Saint/Soul Note Critics Pick Sampler, Vols. 1 and 2

by Joel Roberts
December 1, 1997

Since 1977, the Milan-based Black Saint/Soul Note label has established a reputation among jazz lovers for its uncompromising commitment to cutting-edge, non-mainstream music. The artists featured on the label's 500 releases (all of which remain in print) include most of the leaders of the avant-garde and modern creative movements of the past twenty years, such as Anthony Braxton, Chico Freeman, Charlie Haden, Lee Konitz, Steve Lacy, Joe Lovano, Roscoe Mitchell, Paul Motian, Sun Ra, and Cecil Taylor. Important and influential ...

Various Artists: Music From and Inspired By The Motion Picture - Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil

by AAJ Staff
December 1, 1997

Clint Eastwood is on a role. After winning critical acclaim for his modern Western Unforgiven, Eastwood has enjoyed the clout to pursue the projects that he has been interested in. One of those projects was the launching of his own jazz label, Malpaso. Another of those projects was the attempt to produce a movie adaptation of the popular book Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil. Eastwood directs the film, and organized the soundtrack which has been released on ...

Various Artists: Monterey Jazz Festival: Forty Legendary Years

by Chris M. Slawecki
October 1, 1997

In my wilder, more unforgiving days, I might have merely typed up the personnel and set list and submitted only that in review of Monterey Jazz Festival: Forty Legendary Years, and argued to the powers-that-be that if the reader couldn’t comprehend its abundant magnificence of music from the unadorned facts, my descriptive and persuasive prowess would be of slight use.

I must have grown either more wise or more foolish since then.

Make no mistake: Monterey Jazz Festival: Forty Legendary ...