The Mystery of Artie Shaw; Jazz Talk on Bluesky; More Website Improvements; Miles at 100, Continued, and much more

It seems that with each passing week we have something new to share on All About Jazz. This week, it's our new shopping cart / storefront, which makes purchasing our services easier and will make the fund drive donation process a breeze. It's not exactly headline news, but it is worth mentioning as it's a vast improvement and will soon allow us to phase out some legacy technology.

New One Question Survey

Our latest survey is just one question and should take all of five seconds. We're curious to know if you use Bluesky. Just answer yes or no here. You can always sign in with your Google account if that's easier. Your feedback really does help shape what we do next, so please take a few seconds and let us know. Thanks!

The Mystery of Artie Shaw... Returns!

Artie Shaw was an enigma. A self-taught, brilliant clarinetist blessed with movie-star good looks, he became one of the defining musicians of the Big Band era. Yet at the height of his fame, he walked away from the music business, leaving behind a legacy as fascinating as it was influential.

In the early 1990s, Ted Hallock—a passionate jazz scholar and former Oregon State Senator—spent a week with Shaw, then in his early 80s, recording an extraordinary series of in-depth conversations about music, life and the times in which he lived.

The result was The Mystery of Artie Shaw, a 13-part radio biography and interview series that aired on public radio stations across the United States and Canada. After its original broadcast, the series quietly disappeared and remained unavailable for more than three decades.

Now, through a collaboration between the Ted Hallock Estate, the Artie Shaw Estate, Larry Slater of Jazz Connections and All About Jazz, this remarkable archival series returns, giving listeners the rare opportunity to hear Artie Shaw tell his own story—in his own words.

You can listen to the first three of thirteen episodes here.

Album Reviews

The album reviews below represent our most popular from the past week. View more recent reviews.

Voo Voo Runs the Voodoo Down Voo Voo	Bolts Møster!	Fifteen Henry Threadgill Vijay Iyer Dafnis Prieto	Eve Again... Naturally Eve Cornelious
Waypoints Arman Sangalang	Odyssey Denny Zeitlin	Tony Williams Lifetime Emergency! Reference: With John McLaughlin & Larry Young Tony Williams Lifetime	North York Skies Ben Crosland Quintet

Looking for an album review?

If you're a musician, publicist, or record label seeking album review coverage on All About Jazz, please read our review submission guide, then complete the coverage request form here. When submitting your request, include up to five AAJ album reviewers who best align with your music.

The Tension Is Where the Music Lives: Miles Davis at 100, Part 3

The Hollywood Bowl began as a picnic ground called Daisy Dell, a canyon chosen for its acoustics, willed into being largely by women, chief among them Artie Mason Carter, a music teacher who believed music was for everyone and priced every seat at a quarter. It opened in 1922 and still seats around 17,500 under the open sky; the audience still arrives with picnics. Miles Davis played his last concert on this stage, on August 25, 1991. Within days, he entered the hospital and died in Los Angeles on September 28. On August 19, 2026, six days short of thirty-five years later, the musicians who carry what he left returned to where he set it down. Continue reading...

Canarias Jazz Y Mas 2026

Having barely survived the "inner city blues" (more on that later) of intense London temperatures during three successive heatwaves it was with some relief to revisit the Canary Islands to enjoy some cool jazz at their annual jazz festival. This, the 35th edition of the Canarias Jazz Y Mas festival featuring both American and European artists proved to be as invigorating and innovative as were the previous years. Set over all eight islands of the archipelago some of the best shows are to be enjoyed on the islands of Tenerife and Gran Canaria in the capital and surrounds of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and on Gran Canaria in and around the capital of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Continue reading...

Moldejazz Jam Sessions: What Makes Them Tick?

Jam sessions are greatest fun for jazz musicians and the audience. Yet behind their apparent spontaneity lies one of the most demanding traditions in jazz. Learning the repertoire, the language and the unwritten codes can take years, and it is in this sometimes intimidating setting that musicians can make or break their reputation. The Moldejazz jam sessions have long been legendary. Drummer Rino Sivathas has been in charge of the festival's jam sessions since 2018, and was joined by Isak Austnes Brekken. In 2026, he looked back at their history and explained what makes them special: a place where musicians of all generations share the stage, giving the next generation the chance to learn, grow and gain confidence. Continue reading...

Help Us Build What Comes Next for Jazz

For more than 30 years, All About Jazz has documented the music through the people who make it, present it, and care deeply about it. In "Thirty Years Later, the Vision Remains," we talked about where All About Jazz is headed. Now we're inviting more people to help us get there. If you'd like to become part of what we're building, we'd like to hear from you. Our contributors participate in many different ways: writing album and concert reviews, interviewing artists, photographing performances, producing podcasts, researching jazz history, covering local jazz scenes, and telling stories about the people, places, and ideas that make up the jazz world. We're especially interested in people who bring a distinctive perspective—whether that's knowledge of a particular style of music, involvement in a local jazz scene, photography or audio skills, historical knowledge, or simply curiosity and an interesting idea. Continue reading...

Songs of the Week

Two lyrical, contemplative compositions that favor melody, spacious interplay and subtle ensemble color. Enjoy them. I did!

Top Songs

The songs below represent the most heard in the past four weeks. View the Song of the Day archive.

IT's Gotta B U! From the album It's Gotta B U! By Tony Adamo	Seer From the album Seer By Loren Stillman	Just When You Think You Know From the album Just When You Think You Know By Brian Landrus	Chalk From the album Katarahi By Myra Melford
Like a Rolling Stone From the album Jackson Plays Dylan By Javon Jackson	Guanabara Eyes From the album Anahí By Jon Gold	April From the album The Light Ahead By Sarah L King	Landings From the album Landings By Ingrid Jensen

Choice Content

Clément Reboul: How to Love and Learn Gypsy Jazz (read); 2026 Newport Jazz Festival (view photos); Après le déluge: Cécile McLorin Salvant's Radiant Performance at Little Island (view photos); Herbie Hancock Quintet at Mondavi Center for Performing Arts (view photos); Clara Wedel Quartet at Jazzclub Hürth (read); Angélique Kidjo: Voodoo Child (Slight Return) (listen); Petr Studený: Listening as a Creative Act (read); The San Jose Jazz Fest 2026 was on Fire (view photos); Disconfusion (read).

Radio & Podcasts

Tune into our extensive collection of quality programs every week.

Allston Boylston: Snarky Puppy's Bob Reynolds Channels Eddie Harris + Tunes from South Africa's Linda Sikhahkhane, Leigh Pilzer, Ralph Alessi, and Early John Coltrane Remastered (listen); Jazz Odyssey: New Releases From Linda Sikhakhane, Elias Haslanger, Skinny Hightower, Plus Classics From Willie Bobo, Weldon Irvine, Gilberto Gil And Eddie Henderson (listen); The Third Story: Ashley Kahn on the Miracles and Wonder of Paul Simon's Graceland (listen); Mondo Jazz: Dorota Piotrowska, Seamus Blake, Elsa Nilsson, Christian Dillingham & More (listen); JazzNow: New releases from Bruce Williams, Rachel Spencer, Russ Anixter's Hippie Big Band and Kay Kostopoulos (listen); Exploration: Classic Jazz from Freddie Hubbard, Art Blakey, and Others; Happy Birthday to Tim Hagans, Vernon Reid, and More (listen); One Man's Jazz: Ben Goldberg, Dave Holland & Lily Finnegan (listen); A Broad Spectrum: Faye Carol, Denise Donatelli, Miki Yamanaka, Alex Hamburger, Nicolle Yvette, Ilaria Capalbo, Jazz Leos & More (listen); Neon Jazz: Herbie Hancock, Christian Dillingham, Miki Yamanaka & Jeremy Monteiro (listen); Mondo Jazz: The Vampires, Fairfield Ethio-Jazz Project, Al Doum & The Faryds, People in Orbit & More (listen); The Tonearm: Josh Mason: Punk And Circuitry, Zippered Together (listen); Jazz Connections: The John Coltrane Centennial, part 2: 1950s era recordings as a leader (listen); The Mystery Of Artie Shaw: Chapter 2: I Want To Be A Sideman (listen); Live At The Bop Stop: José Luiz Martins (listen); Rotations: Kelan Phil Cohran, Airto Moreira, Nicholas Payton & Butcher Brown, Plus Others (listen); Ben Boddie On Jazz: Miki Yamanaka, Stefon Harris, Paul Yonemura, Amber Weeks and more (listen); The Jazz Disturbance: Paul Janoschka, Lolivone de la Rosa, Ambrose Akinmusire-Mary Halvorson (listen); World of Jazz: New Releases From Sam Blakeslee And More (listen); Jazz Bastard: Boxes: Mass Market, Boutique, and Odd (listen).

News Announcements

Timely announcements covering new album releases, tours, special events and more. View all recent announcements.

Saxophonist Rahsaan Barber Attains A New Level Of Artistic Vigor With 'Eternal,' Coming October 9 From Jazz Music City Records (read); Singer Songwriter Captures The Zeitgeist On Potent Ep "Greed" (read); JazzWeek Radio Chart: August 24, 2026 (read); Help Us Build What Comes Next for Jazz (read); Ashley Paul Gains Smooth Jazz Radio Momentum With 'I Just Had To Fall' (read); Nick Finzer Turns Seven Songs Into 'Songs & Stories, Chapter One' (read); Nigerian-Born Vocalist, Composer & Bandleader Douyé Announces 'Stay With Me,' Featuring George Cables (read); Where To Find Jun Hee Park This Year (read).

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Posted to All About Jazz Newsletter IN THE All About Jazz GROUP
Read more posts by Michael Ricci