Jazz Articles

Alexis Korner: Kornerstoned: The Alexis Korner Anthology 1954-1983

by Chris May
June 12, 2006

There's a stack of mighty fine jazz and blues music here, just about all of which has stood the passage of time well. But it has to be said that the other chief pleasure of Kornerstoned is historical, and of a train-spotting nature.

Korner, known as the Godfather of British Blues during his lifetime (1928-84), was a prodigious spotter of young talent, and many of the best known British R&B and jazz players of the '60s and '70s passed through ...

Adrian Belew: Side Three

by Glenn Astarita
May 26, 2006

Amid stints with King Crimson, guitar hero Adrian Belew has continued his solo career with his Side One and Side Two recordings, recently adding this final installment. Following suit in numerical title only, this set finds Belew grouping stylistic pieces that didn't fit into the motifs presented on the previous albums. Though much acclaimed for his work as an experimental guitar-slinger, the artist is also a strong vocalist and crafty multi-instrumentalist.

With the opening “Troubles," Belew incorporates twisted ...

Paul Grabowsky: Tales of Time and Space

by Michael McCaw
October 30, 2005

There is little question that for the public at large, pianist and bandleader Paul Grabowsky is the largest question mark when it comes to the personnel on this album. Holding company with Branford Marsalis, Joe lovano, Scott Tinkler, Ed Schuller, and Jeff “Tain" Watts is no small feat. And although the liner notes to Tales of Time and Space attempt to answer the question of who Grabowsky is, the just-under-fifty Australian pianist is more than a musician with wide ranging ...

The Allman Brothers Band: One Way Out-Live At The Beacon Theater

by C. Michael Bailey
April 12, 2004

The Allman Brothers Band could have very easily been a casualty of the bad luck and bad decisions that have plagued many popular bands coming out of the early 1970s. Following the deaths of Duane Allman and Barry Oakley, the band continued to record with various personnel and configurations, never fulfilling the promise the band originally held. The recordings after Brothers and Sisters were largely disappointments until the band signed with Epic Records and produced a string of comeback records ...

Galactic: Ruckus

by Charlie B. Dahan
October 16, 2003

On Galactic’s new recording Ruckus they blend their usual spices of New Orleans funk, jazz and soul with the urban sound and feel of hip-hop music and culture, along with a healthy dose of dance and techno. Galactic has found a niche on the jam-band circuit, which encourages freedom of experimentation, and that is what this outfit has been doing for the past few years. They have dug into the soul of urban music and come up with the sound ...

James Moody: The Teachers

by Charlie B. Dahan
November 1, 2002

Sanctuary/Castle Music’s latest reissue contains a collection of albums from James Moody in the early 1970’s. Both albums, The Teachers and Heritage Hum, were from Moody’s work on Perception Records that found him expressing himself politically with a funky / soulful groove. Evident in this collection is Moody’s virtuosity at his instrument and his ability to tell a story and convey his thoughts or emotion using his instrument as a vessel, all while keeping your attention with ...

Dizzy Gillespie: Matrix

by Charlie B. Dahan
October 25, 2002

The name Dizzy Gillespie conjures up the image of the hip trailblazer in the world of bop jazz and later the synthesis between jazz and the sounds and rhythms of Cuba and Africa. However, this period encapsulated his early years--but what happened to him after the 1960’s? The release of Matrix hopes to revive this era in Gillespie’s career. After the '60s had passed, Gillespie, much like his Bop era contemporaries, was not a man to stand ...

Jack Bruce: Shadows In The Air

by Glenn Astarita
July 1, 2001

Bassist/composer/vocalist Jack Bruce has undoubtedly led a storied musical career. During his days with the power trio “Cream”, the bassist along with guitarist Eric Clapton and drummer Ginger Baker offered novel perspectives on how to incorporate virtuosity into rock-based elements while also melding jazz-style improvisation with blues-drenched motifs deemed suitable for radio airplay. With Shadows in The Air, Bruce surges into refreshingly new terrain, as his somewhat enviable legacy continues to unfold after well-known stints with the ground breaking “Tony ...

Marillion: Marillion.com

by Glenn Astarita
December 1, 1999

Here is a rock band that has been kicking around since the early 1980’s while building a rather large loyal fan base. Traditionally, a prog-band along the lines of early Genesis, complete with onstage theatrics and a charismatic vocalist named “Fish” (Derek William Dick),Marillionfollow up last year’s Radiation with Marillion.com.

Vocalist Steve Hogarth replaced “Fish” in 1989 as we might add that Fish’ Raingod with Zippos reviewed here on AAJ should be counted among the finest prog-records of 1999, yet ...