Interviews
Daily articles carefully curated by the All About Jazz staff. Read our popular and future articles.
Gong gave me jazz ears - an investigation into the recent evolution of Gong
Introducing the band Gong, or as they are frequently known on the internet the Gong-band, is somewhat similar to introducing a primary color to a blind person. The more words used, the less clear the idea. Suffice it to say that a band which has existed for over 50 years, has included well over 50 musicians from 15 or so different countries, and been classified under almost as many genres, is tricky to pin down. In fact to quote their ...
read moreScott Kinsey: On speaking Luniwaz with an accent
Scott Kinsey belongs among the most influential keyboard players of the past decades and seems capable of adapting to any style of music. Unlike those who came before him, Kinsey was born into the golden era of keyboards and synthesizers, when visionaries such as Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock had already begun to explore the vast possibilities these instruments provided. The biggest idol and influence for Kinsey however was and remains Weather Report's Joe Zawinul. At the beginning of the ...
read moreKendrick Scott: Making Walls into Bridges
Kendrick Scott authored one of the most compelling jazz releases of last year with A Wall Becomes a Bridge (Blue Note, 2019), a nuanced meditation on identity, history and prejudice, shepherded under the direction of producer and former band mate Derrick Hodge. Pairing gorgeous, searching improvisatory canvases with break beat interludes and samples from guest DJ Sundance, it's a record that feels unmistakably engaged in its moment, and marks the culmination of Scott's work with his quintet Oracle, unmistakably colored ...
read moreBruce Jones: Growing Up With Jazz
The impact of living in a musical household, witnessing your dad and your uncles jamming in the basement can definitely create a positive and meaningful outlook for a young kid. Stories of growing up jazz come to mind for Bruce Jones, the eldest son of trumpeter, composer, and band leader Thad Jones. Bruce is also the nephew of pianist, arranger, composer and band leader Hank Jones, and nephew of drummer and band leader Elvin Jones.Bruce is the eldest ...
read moreRuslan Sirota: A Journey Away
Ruslan Sirota would bristle against the classification of “pianist," “multi-instrumentalist," or “composer." He is, of course, all of these things... which is precisely the point. Raised on the songs of the Soviet and nurtured by the fusion alumni of the 1960s, Sirota has thus far navigated his professional career with an acute sense of sound, unencumbered by futile terminology. This disregard for straitjacketing semantics extends from his musical tastes to his job description. He casts such inhibitors aside in the ...
read moreBob Lanzetti: Snarky Guitars, Part 2
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 For the second installment in our series on the guitarists of Snarky Puppy, we spoke with Bob Lanzetti. In addition to being the guitarist who logged the most miles with the band in its early days, he has also appeared on every recording SP has ever released. In 2017, Lanzetti independently released his debut solo album Whose Feet Are These That Are Walking? He is also a member of the ...
read moreJonathan Kreisberg: A Spirit Captured in Constant Motion
Over 3,000 miles separate jny: New York City from Europe. A distance that feels a little smaller every day--traveled in a virtual way in less than a second, even physically in a matter of only roughly 7 hours. Musicians especially are prone to crossing the pond rather frequently. New York-based guitarist Jonathan Kreisberg tends to make the trip a few times a year, either touring in an intimate duo set with Brazilian nylon-string guitarist Nelson Veras, with Lonnie Smith's trio, ...
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Contest Giveaway
ELIGIBLE WINNERS: 5 | DAYS REMAINING: 23
Prize: Ragmala: A Garland Of Ragas by Adam Rudolph
World music pioneer Adam Rudolph and his groundbreaking Go: Organic Orchestra join forces with Brooklyn Raga Massive to create the monumental new album, Ragmala – A Garland of Ragas (Meta Records). Ragmala bridges generations, cultures and traditions in a deep-rooted, forward-looking sound born of 21st-century innovation and hybrid voices. Epic in scale and ambition, the project features 40 world-class musicians including Gnawa master musician Hassan Hakmoun, legendary drummer/percussionist Hamid Drake, forward-thinking cornetist Graham Haynes, and tradition-blurring flutist...
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