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Best of 2025, Part 5; Happy 2026; Cafe Central; Jazz Philosophy; and a Songs of the Week
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Happy New Year, everyone! If you're like me, you spent the holidays cooking, reading, assembling puzzles, binging movies and shows, and listening to music while enjoying a bit of well-earned downtime.
As it relates to All About Jazz, we're hoping to be just as productive and creative in 2026 as we were in 2025. We picked up the pace this past year, and we expect more of the same as we continue building on the momentum that began when we kicked off our 30th year. The improvements we're making during this milestone year are significant and are helping shape a strategic direction that will serve us well for years to come.
As always, there's much work to do, and we'll continue to share our progress in both the All About Jazz and Jazz Near You newsletters.
A story of Madrid's Cafe Central, going out of business after over 40 years as the beating heart of jazz in the Spanish capital. The old saying "wherever you go, there you are" is one of those deceptively simple adages that never lets you down. And yet, the longer I've lived with it, the more I've come to believe that there are certain times and places when a person is just a little more where they are. In my life, there is one place above all others that has marked my adult years—a place that has been as constant as the calendar itself. And next week, as the calendar turns, it is closing. Café Central, located at Plaza del Ángel 10, just off the Puerta del Sol—considered to be Kilómetro Cero of Spain, the point from which all national roads are measured—is one of Madrid's most enduring music rooms. Continue reading...
If you had to recommend just one book on jazz history to a neophyte, which would it be? Ted Gioia's The History of Jazz (Oxford University Press, 1997) is rightly regarded as a definitive account, but at nearly 600 pages it may deter readers looking for a lighter introduction. What if the essential information could be distilled into something closer to 100 pages? That is precisely what Kevin Le Gendre achieves with The Philosophy of Jazz—a compact, engaging primer that explains the when, where, who, why, and how of jazz in clear, succinct language. Beyond its utility as an overview, this slim but engaging book also grapples with the larger and more elusive question of what jazz actually is. Continue reading...
Nowadays, every move we make is recorded in some way, and wherever a person goes, whatever they do or say is often captured. Of course, this has not always been the case, and in fact, many details concerning historical events frequently rely on speculation based on the evidence at hand. This is undoubtedly the case with many blues and jazz musicians during the early twentieth century, such as Charlie Christian and T-Bone Walker, two of the most influential guitarists in jazz and blues. Both were pioneers of the electric guitar and close friends. Although their reputations are firmly established, part of their story remains a mystery, such as their association with Ralph "Bigfoot" Hamilton. So who was Ralph Hamilton, and why does it matter? Hamilton was a musician whom both T-Bone Walker and Charlie Christian studied under while living in Oklahoma City during the late 1930s. Continue reading...
"La Sabrosura" by Juan Manuel Romero Silvera
Record Label: Supertraditional
Released: 2025
"Patchouli" by Dré Matsumoto
Record Label: Ajamu Records
Released: 2025
"Hatfield 22" by Marc van Vugt
Record Label: Baixim Records
Released: 2025
Sivan Arbel: Oneness is the Hopefullest Number (read); Carl Medsker's Best Jazz Albums Of 2025 (read); Maurizio Zerbo's Favorite Jazz Albums of 2025 (read); Shuteen Erdenebaatar & Nils Kugelmann: Quiet Excitement for the Unknown (read); Mary Lou Williams: A Fungus Amungus (listen); In the Mood for Love (Songs): The Red Pavilion Jazz Band at The Red Pavilion (read); John Sharpe's Best Jazz Albums Of 2025 (read); Karan Khosla's Best Jazz Albums Of 2025 (read); Ben Boddie On Jazz 2025 (read); Libero Farnè's Best Jazz Albums of 2025 (read); Jerome Wilson's Favorite Jazz Albums Of 2025 (read); Kyle Simpler's Best Jazz Albums Of 2025 (read); Cab Calloway & The Nicholas Brothers: Jumpin' Jive (listen); Pink Martini at Auditorium Theatre in Chicago (view photos).
Mondo Jazz: The Final Batch of My Favorite 2025 Jazz Things—Part 1 (listen); Allston Boylston: Deep Cuts: Probably not on anyone's list, but real fine tunes (listen); The Outer View: John O'Gallagher, Flora Purim, And Lena Bloch (listen); North Star Sounds: Charles Tolliver's Music Inc., Late 60's/mid 70's J-Jazz, Roy Brooks Live and More! (listen); Mondo Jazz: Bill Ware, The Jazz Passengers, Csaba Palotai, Rosa Brunello & More (listen); One Man's Jazz: Thomas Strønen, Gard Nillsen, Things Of This Nature & Atlas Maior (listen); A Broad Spectrum: Holiday Music By Nicole Zuraitis, Darius de Haas, Emilie-Claire Barlow, Maud Hixson, New Releases From Jeff Dingler, Sacha Boutros & More (listen); The Jazz Disturbance: Eydís Evensen, Orlando Molina, Rempis-Adasiewicz-Corsano, Out Of/Into (listen); Neon Jazz: Wycliffe Gordon, Benny Benack III, Anais Reno & Tim Whitmer (listen); Exploration: Merry Christmas with Gregory Porter and others, Happy Hannukah with the Eyal Vilner Big Band, and Happy Kwanzaa with Rhonda Thomas (listen); North Star Sounds: You Know Arthur Blythe and Oliver Lake, What About Hadley Caliman and Krysztof Zgraja? (listen); Mondo Jazz: Dayna Stephens, Emiliano D'Auria, Charles Lloyd, Jérémie Lucchese, James Newton (listen); The Tonearm: Graham St. John: Terence Mckenna's Hallucinatory Life (listen); Backstage Bay Area: Sasha Berliner: A Homecoming That Charts the Future of the Vibraphone (listen); Jazz Bastard: Revenge of the Son of Holiday Jazz: Koz and Effect (listen); World of Jazz: New Music From Politzer, Davis, West, Genovese & More (listen).
Timely announcements covering new album releases, tours, special events and more. View all recent announcements.
Top Read All About Jazz News Announcements: 2025 (read); All About Jazz Top 10 Songs: December 2025 (read); Gio Guido Announces Live Composition Project For Upcoming Solo Guitar Album (read); The Beatroot Road Champion Post-genre Music, Unite Artists From Across The Globe On 'Humanimal' (read); Elizabeth Naccarato Creates Musical Alchemy On Powerful 'Salonnières' Album (read); Benjamin Dean Wilson Releases Cinematic Musical 'Until The House Falls' (read); Charisa The Violin Diva In First Sunday Blues And Blessings At Mt Zion Ame Millburn NJ on January 4 (read).
Got news? Share it in our newsletter and on our website. Learn how, here.
Posted to All About Jazz Newsletter IN THE All About Jazz GROUP
Read more posts by Michael Ricci
As it relates to All About Jazz, we're hoping to be just as productive and creative in 2026 as we were in 2025. We picked up the pace this past year, and we expect more of the same as we continue building on the momentum that began when we kicked off our 30th year. The improvements we're making during this milestone year are significant and are helping shape a strategic direction that will serve us well for years to come.
As always, there's much work to do, and we'll continue to share our progress in both the All About Jazz and Jazz Near You newsletters.
Album Reviews
The album reviews below represent our most popular from the past week. View more recent reviews. Haunted Heart: The Legendary Riverside Studio Recordings (Remastered 2025) Bill Evans Trio |  Bremen 1965 Thelonious Monk |  The Nutcracker Remix Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra |  Art Blakey And The Jazz Messengers Strasbourg 82 Art Blakey And His Jazz Messengers |
 Through The Storm Carole Nelson Trio |  Beauty in Loss Brian Eaton & Aneta George |  Tell Me The Truth Or Don't Tell Me Anything Ubunye |  Alive and Well Yoshie Fruchter |
¡Viva la resistencia! Cafe Central, Madrid
A story of Madrid's Cafe Central, going out of business after over 40 years as the beating heart of jazz in the Spanish capital. The old saying "wherever you go, there you are" is one of those deceptively simple adages that never lets you down. And yet, the longer I've lived with it, the more I've come to believe that there are certain times and places when a person is just a little more where they are. In my life, there is one place above all others that has marked my adult years—a place that has been as constant as the calendar itself. And next week, as the calendar turns, it is closing. Café Central, located at Plaza del Ángel 10, just off the Puerta del Sol—considered to be Kilómetro Cero of Spain, the point from which all national roads are measured—is one of Madrid's most enduring music rooms. Continue reading...
The Philosophy Of Jazz
If you had to recommend just one book on jazz history to a neophyte, which would it be? Ted Gioia's The History of Jazz (Oxford University Press, 1997) is rightly regarded as a definitive account, but at nearly 600 pages it may deter readers looking for a lighter introduction. What if the essential information could be distilled into something closer to 100 pages? That is precisely what Kevin Le Gendre achieves with The Philosophy of Jazz—a compact, engaging primer that explains the when, where, who, why, and how of jazz in clear, succinct language. Beyond its utility as an overview, this slim but engaging book also grapples with the larger and more elusive question of what jazz actually is. Continue reading...
Ralph "Bigfoot" Hamilton: The Lost Legend Behind Two Guitar Pioneers
Nowadays, every move we make is recorded in some way, and wherever a person goes, whatever they do or say is often captured. Of course, this has not always been the case, and in fact, many details concerning historical events frequently rely on speculation based on the evidence at hand. This is undoubtedly the case with many blues and jazz musicians during the early twentieth century, such as Charlie Christian and T-Bone Walker, two of the most influential guitarists in jazz and blues. Both were pioneers of the electric guitar and close friends. Although their reputations are firmly established, part of their story remains a mystery, such as their association with Ralph "Bigfoot" Hamilton. So who was Ralph Hamilton, and why does it matter? Hamilton was a musician whom both T-Bone Walker and Charlie Christian studied under while living in Oklahoma City during the late 1930s. Continue reading...
Best of 2025
We'll keep a running list of our staff's favorites with nine new submissions this past week:
Songs of the Week
A mixed bag threefer to close out the year. Enjoy! "La Sabrosura" by Juan Manuel Romero Silvera
L I S T E N
Album Information
Title: La SabrosuraRecord Label: Supertraditional
Released: 2025
"Patchouli" by Dré Matsumoto
L I S T E N
Album Information
Title: PatchouliRecord Label: Ajamu Records
Released: 2025
"Hatfield 22" by Marc van Vugt
L I S T E N
Album Information
Title: The Soundmakers ProjectRecord Label: Baixim Records
Released: 2025
Top Songs
The songs below represent our most heard in the past four weeks. View the Song of the Day archive. Corcovado From the album Memory By Paloma Dineli Chesky |  Fake Block From the album Familiar Beginnings By Ben Dameron |  Ready 'N Able From the album Zito's Jump! By James Zito |  Four Minute Mile From the album City Lights By Anthony D'Alessandro |
 Transencion From the album A Seeker's Dream By Marubia |  Si tu Vois Ma Mère From the album Sacha: Paris After Dark By Sacha Boutros |  Button Up Your Overcoat From the album Swinging In The Holidays By Songbook Ink All-Stars |  Spirals From the album Spirals By James Renna |
Choice Content
Sivan Arbel: Oneness is the Hopefullest Number (read); Carl Medsker's Best Jazz Albums Of 2025 (read); Maurizio Zerbo's Favorite Jazz Albums of 2025 (read); Shuteen Erdenebaatar & Nils Kugelmann: Quiet Excitement for the Unknown (read); Mary Lou Williams: A Fungus Amungus (listen); In the Mood for Love (Songs): The Red Pavilion Jazz Band at The Red Pavilion (read); John Sharpe's Best Jazz Albums Of 2025 (read); Karan Khosla's Best Jazz Albums Of 2025 (read); Ben Boddie On Jazz 2025 (read); Libero Farnè's Best Jazz Albums of 2025 (read); Jerome Wilson's Favorite Jazz Albums Of 2025 (read); Kyle Simpler's Best Jazz Albums Of 2025 (read); Cab Calloway & The Nicholas Brothers: Jumpin' Jive (listen); Pink Martini at Auditorium Theatre in Chicago (view photos).
Radio & Podcasts
Tune into our extensive collection of quality programs every week.Mondo Jazz: The Final Batch of My Favorite 2025 Jazz Things—Part 1 (listen); Allston Boylston: Deep Cuts: Probably not on anyone's list, but real fine tunes (listen); The Outer View: John O'Gallagher, Flora Purim, And Lena Bloch (listen); North Star Sounds: Charles Tolliver's Music Inc., Late 60's/mid 70's J-Jazz, Roy Brooks Live and More! (listen); Mondo Jazz: Bill Ware, The Jazz Passengers, Csaba Palotai, Rosa Brunello & More (listen); One Man's Jazz: Thomas Strønen, Gard Nillsen, Things Of This Nature & Atlas Maior (listen); A Broad Spectrum: Holiday Music By Nicole Zuraitis, Darius de Haas, Emilie-Claire Barlow, Maud Hixson, New Releases From Jeff Dingler, Sacha Boutros & More (listen); The Jazz Disturbance: Eydís Evensen, Orlando Molina, Rempis-Adasiewicz-Corsano, Out Of/Into (listen); Neon Jazz: Wycliffe Gordon, Benny Benack III, Anais Reno & Tim Whitmer (listen); Exploration: Merry Christmas with Gregory Porter and others, Happy Hannukah with the Eyal Vilner Big Band, and Happy Kwanzaa with Rhonda Thomas (listen); North Star Sounds: You Know Arthur Blythe and Oliver Lake, What About Hadley Caliman and Krysztof Zgraja? (listen); Mondo Jazz: Dayna Stephens, Emiliano D'Auria, Charles Lloyd, Jérémie Lucchese, James Newton (listen); The Tonearm: Graham St. John: Terence Mckenna's Hallucinatory Life (listen); Backstage Bay Area: Sasha Berliner: A Homecoming That Charts the Future of the Vibraphone (listen); Jazz Bastard: Revenge of the Son of Holiday Jazz: Koz and Effect (listen); World of Jazz: New Music From Politzer, Davis, West, Genovese & More (listen).
News Announcements
Timely announcements covering new album releases, tours, special events and more. View all recent announcements.
Top Read All About Jazz News Announcements: 2025 (read); All About Jazz Top 10 Songs: December 2025 (read); Gio Guido Announces Live Composition Project For Upcoming Solo Guitar Album (read); The Beatroot Road Champion Post-genre Music, Unite Artists From Across The Globe On 'Humanimal' (read); Elizabeth Naccarato Creates Musical Alchemy On Powerful 'Salonnières' Album (read); Benjamin Dean Wilson Releases Cinematic Musical 'Until The House Falls' (read); Charisa The Violin Diva In First Sunday Blues And Blessings At Mt Zion Ame Millburn NJ on January 4 (read).
Got news? Share it in our newsletter and on our website. Learn how, here.
Posted to All About Jazz Newsletter IN THE All About Jazz GROUP
Read more posts by Michael Ricci
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