Articles

Daily articles carefully curated by the All About Jazz staff. Read our popular and future articles.

UNDER THE RADAR October 13, 2020

The Word from Johannesburg, Part I: Nduduzo Makhathini

In 1919, the Pasadena Evening Post said: “the friends of Mr. Whiteman have with much enthusiasm bestowed the title of “King of Jazz" upon him." While Paul Whiteman was heavily criticized for wearing the crown, it was not one that was self-attributed or with which he felt completely comfortable. But Whiteman was a brilliant marketer and used his notoriety to become the most financially successful bandleader of the 1920s. He had taken territory bands to franchise-like status with dozens of ...

RADIO November 18, 2018

Jazz of the New South Africa, Part Two

By Seton Hawkins

South Africa celebrated its first democratic elections in April 1994, entering a new phase of its history. During that decade, an incredible new array of Jazz artists emerged in the country, exploring Jazz's role in the New South Africa. Playlist Hilton Schilder “Email to the Ancestors" from No Turning Back (Mountain Records) 1:11 Tribe “New Tricks" from Our Language (Ready Rolled) 4:54 Carlo Mombelli and the Prisoners of the Strange “Ethical Sam's Cookery School" from I Stared ...

INTERVIEW February 1, 2018

Nduduzo Makhathini: Jazz Is a Shared Memory

By Seton Hawkins

It can be overwhelming to keep up with the artistic growth, creative reach, and constant development that marks the career of Nduduzo Makhathini. In the past four years, he has released eight solo albums, all exploring remarkably different territories and demonstrating a ceaselessly probing mind and inventive creative urge. In addition to that, he has emerged as one of the top Jazz producers in South Africa, bringing a unique vision to others' works, and helping to birth some of the ...