Home » Jazz News

Video / DVD News

Timely announcements covering new album releases, tours, concert series, special events, job postings, crowdfunding campaigns and more. You can find more news by searching our website, viewing our news stream, seeing what's trending or reading our blog posts. Subscribe to our news RSS feed and/or embed AAJ news content on your website or blog. Learn about our news service here. Submit news here.

Video / DVD

Freddie Slack in the '40s

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
August 7, 2018

Pianist Freddie Slack led smart bands between 1942 and 1949. Many of them featured crafty arrangements that delivered a spectacular snap. They also had marvelous sidemen. Players at different points in time included guitarist T. Bone Walker, trumpeters Mannie Klein and Ray Linn, reed players Barney Bigard and Les Baxter, bassist Howard Rumsey and Harry Babison, arranger Paul Weston, guitarists Remo Palmieri and George Van Eps, bassist Clyde Lombardi, and drummers Irv Kluger, Nick Fatool and Ray McKinley. Singers were ...

Continue Reading...

Video / DVD

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: 50 years of Tower of Power

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
August 4, 2018

This week, our video spotlight is focused on Tower of Power, who will be coming to St. Louis to perform next Saturday, August 11 at River City Casino. Touring this summer to celebrate 50 years as a band and to support a newly released album called Soul Side of Town, TOP under the direction of co-founder and tenor saxophonist Emilio Castillo has maintained its signature sound through dozens of personnel changes and shows no sign of slowing down. You can ...

Continue Reading...

Video / DVD

Electrifying Track: Miss Fine

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
August 2, 2018

Let's stick with Oliver Nelson today. In addition to being a high-impact modernist jazz arranger, Nelson was a sensational composer. Miss Fine is from Full Nelson, Nelson's second album as the leader of a big band. The album was recorded for Verve in 1962 and '63, and produced by Creed Taylor. The song, which has a Shiny Stockings feel, was named after and dedicated to Nelson's younger sister, Leontine LaCoste, who in 1963, when this album was released, was playing ...

Continue Reading...

Video / DVD

Steven Allen and Oliver Nelson

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
August 1, 2018

Let's downshift slightly today during this week of little-known jazz albums with big-name arrangers conducting supersized orchestras. On Monday, I told you about Jimmy Smith's Portuguese Eyes (with Thad Jones) and yesterday I showcased Billy Taylor's Right Here, Right Now! (with Oliver Nelson). Today, let's look at two albums that Oliver Nelson recorded with TV host, composer and pianist Steve Allen. Admittedly, these albums are breezier by comparison and lean into the pop realm. But they were still arranged by ...

Continue Reading...

Video / DVD

Jimmy Smith: Portuguese Soul

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
July 30, 2018

One of organist Jimmy Smith's most interesting albums is Portuguese Soul. Recorded for Verve in February 1973, the album remains unknown by many, largely because it was out of print for years. The album wasn't helped by the cover, which has a horror film poster thing going on in the design. Those who do know the album are often surprised to learn that it was arranged by Thad Jones, who conducted a large orchestra that sadly remains uncredited. As Smith ...

Continue Reading...

Video / DVD

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Nels Cline 4 offers guitar times two

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
July 28, 2018

This week, let's take a look at some videos of the Nels Cline 4, who are coming to St. Louis to perform on Friday, August 10 at Delmar Hall. They're on the road for a series of dates in August in support of their album Currents, Constellations, which was released in April on the Blue Note label. Cline probably is best known these days as a member of alt-rock band Wilco, but he started out playing jazz-fusion as a teenager ...

Continue Reading...

Video / DVD

Prog Ensemble 41POINT9 Premieres Second Video "These Four Lands" From Forthcoming Album

Source: Glass Onyon PR - Keith James
July 21, 2018

Prog ensemble 41POINT9 is premiering their second video titled “These Four Lands” from their forthcoming album Mr. Astute Trousers on Sonic Perspectives! The band has two albums being released internationally on September 21, 2018. One is the brand-new sophomore release Mr. Astute Trousers and the other is a remixed and remastered version of their debut album Still Looking For Answers. The band has been busy creating a series of high quality concept videos to help get word about the album ...

Continue Reading...

Video / DVD

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Spotlight on No BS! Brass Band

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
July 21, 2018

This week, let's take a look at some videos featuring the No BS! Brass Band, who are returning to St. Louis to perform on Wednesday, August 1 at the Old Rock House. Coming out of Richmond, Virginia, the NBBB offers their own take on the classic New Orleans brass band tradition, adapting popular contemporary tunes from a variety of genres for the format, and performing their own originals as well. They've released five albums to date, the most recent being ...

Continue Reading...