Articles
Daily articles carefully curated by the All About Jazz staff. Read our popular and future articles.
Peter Archer: The True Inspiration of "Soul"
Disney / PIXAR's jazz-flavored movie Soul has garnered rave reviews and buzz worldwide. That's because in addition to its spectacular animation and meticulous production values, there's an honest and accurate representation of jazz and jazz musicians. What's behind that is the fact that the film was inspired by a dedicated Queens music teacher, Dr. Peter Archer. Archer's story and his involvement with the production is in itself a fascinating tale.All About Jazz: Dr. Archer, on behalf of All ...
read moreGuillermo Bazzola: Lost & Found
Argentinian guitarist Guillermo Bazzola's deep admiration for late flugelhornist and composer Kenny Wheeler began to blossom back in 1979, when Bazzola was only 17 years old and first discovered the trumpet player's early oeuvre. His love for the Canadian pioneer of post-romantic jazz manifests itself in, among other things, the name of the independent label the guitarist created as an outlet for releasing his music. It's called “Gnu Town"--a play on Wheeler's much revered 1975 studio album Gnu High (ECM), ...
read moreScott Sawyer: Night Visions
As a North Carolinian, guitarist Scott Sawyer may not enjoy the visibility of his counterparts in better-known jazz meccas, but fans of contemporary jazz guitar shouldn't pass him up. With some smart songwriting instincts and a knack for finding talented bandmates, not to mention possessing terrific guitar chops, Sawyer delivers on the promise of a career dating back to the 1980s that has involved sideman work with everyone from Nnenna Freelon to alt-rocker Chris Stamey. But Sawyer's had several releases ...
read moreNew Releases, New Faces and More Jazz Capricorns to Celebrate
This broadcast features new releases from vocalists Marya Lawrence, Janis Mann & Kenny Werner, pianist Chris Pattishall with a new look at Mary Lou Williams's Zodiac Suite and the group New Faces featuring Brandon Lee, Markus Howell Nicole Glover, Caili O'Doherty, Adi Meyerson and Cory Cox plus more birthday shoutouts to jazz Capricorns Myra Melford, Anat Cohen, Susannah McCorkle, Nancy Lamott and Carol Sudhalter. Thanks for listening and please support the artists you hear by purchasing their music during this ...
read moreCraig Taborn: Compass Confusion
Although a peerless pianist, Craig Taborn has been captivated by electronics since the age of 12, and he scratches that itch big-time on Compass Confusion. The role of post-production treatments in the creation of jazz records has a long history, from Orrin Keepnews piecing together the issued version of Thelonious Monk's 1956 classic “Brilliant Corners" from among 24 takes of the tune, to Miles Davis and Teo Macero forging masterpieces like Bitches Brew (CBS, 1970) from studio jams. Taborn's ethos ...
read moreThe Dancing Devils of Djibouti: The Dancing Devils of Djibouti
A historic cultural achievement, The Dancing Devils of Djibouti celebrates the first recording to emerge with international distribution from the East African nation of Djibouti. Djibouti, among the smallest and youngest nations of Africa, sits on the historic Bab El Mandeb (Gate of Tears) strait, a global trade corridor that connects the Indian Ocean with the Red Sea and Suez Canal. Through this geography, the native Afar and Somali music of Djibouti washes in musical streams originating in ...
read moreErik Verwey: People Flow
Dutch pianist Erik Verwey lives in a houseboat on the river Amstel, in Amsterdam. His view takes in the shimmering water and the geometry of the right angled architectures jutting from the greenery of the shoreline. It is a view that certainly influences his music. But not perhaps as much as do the encounters with people who flow, river-like, through his life. Encounters that Verwey has translated into People Flow, his debut album. Verwey's sounds, on eight piano ...
read more
Contest Giveaway
Weekly newsletter
Get more of a good thing
Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories and includes your local jazz events calendar.
