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Featured Jazz Articles
Frank Zappa's Jazz Legacy
Frank Zappa may have said “jazz is not dead, it just smells funny" but looking at his life and music one does not get the impression that he really believed that jazz was decomposing or dying a slow death. On Freak Out, one of the most impressive debut albums of all times, he included a list of 179 people that had influenced him, including jazz luminaries like Charles Mingus, Cecil Taylor, Eric Dolphy and Rahsaan Roland Kirk ...
read moreMichael League: Snarky Puppy's Jazz-Schooled, Grassroots Visionary
Bassist, composer, bandleader, sideman, producer, record label owner, festival head... These are some of the many hats Michael League has acquired since embarking on his musical odyssey at the University of North Texas with a “little" band named Snarky Puppy in 2003. With its Jazz-but-not-Jazz / Music for Brain and Booty ethos, multiple poll wins, Grammy awards, and a worldwide fan base that's still growing, Snarky Puppy is looked upon by many as more of a phenomenon than ...
read moreCelebrating the 2018 Super Fans
You've seen them around. They're at all the gigs, their attention focused deeply on the bandstand, as much a part of their local jazz scenes as the musicians and venues. They know and love the music, and musicians love them back. These passionate music-goers are the super fans, and they are an essential part of the concert experience. Each month, All About Jazz focuses the attention back on one of the super fans to find our who they ...
read moreBig in Japan, Part 2: Osaka & the Eri Yamamoto Connection
Part 1 | Part 2 In Part 1 of Big in Japan we looked at the early history of jazz music in that country -a history that dates back to the same time frame as the Jazz Age in the United States. The influence of American dance music was indisputable but it came to Japan through second-hand means. Sheet music and early recordings were enhanced by live performances--not from American musicians--but from Filipinos who learned from the occupying ...
read morePete McCann: Mild-Mannered Superhero Guitarist
A mainstay of the New York scene, guitarist Pete McCann released his sixth recording as a leader Pay For It On The Other Side (McCannic Music, 2018). He is also an in demand sideman working in everything from duos to big bands, and his guitar can be heard on 100 recordings. McCann shared with us what it is like to be a busy husband, father, and working musician in the 21st century. All About Jazz: Thank you for ...
read moreKris Funn: Bass Player, Story Teller
Kris Funn didn't start out on bass but, coming from a musical family, there was little chance he wouldn't at least test the water and see what music was all about. In time, the bass reached out and grabbed him. He's since had a career that has had him playing his immense bass skills to the bands of Kenny Garrett, Christian Scott, Nicholas Payton, Sean Jones and other notables. Now he is stepping out as a leader, when ...
read moreScenes from a life in Jazz
About the author Duncan Lamont is one of the UK's musical treasures. I've known who he is for years, but finally through a friend, got to meet and play with him only this year (2018) at The Pizza Express in Soho, London. Sammy Cahn, the legendary lyricist, said about Duncan, “It makes me very happy that people are still writing songs like “I Told You So." (The song won Duncan best Jazz Song of the Year in the U.S.). Tomorrow's ...
read more2018 Gift Guide
With the holidays just around the corner (not that corner, the next one, past the bank), you may find yourself in the midst of a panic. There's so much to be done, from decorating to cooking to shopping, when will you find time for it all? Don't panic. While we here at All About Jazz might not be able to supply all the answers, we can certainly help with some of the load. Like what to get your Jazz-loving friends--or ...
read moreRain Sultanov: Putting Baku On The Jazz Map
The Baku Jazz Festival has been a labor of love for its founder and Artistic Director, Rain Sultanov. And, like most love stories, there have been a few bumps along the road. Thirteen editions in, however, the Baku Jazz Festival is well established as one of the highpoints of Azerbaijan's annual cultural calendar. It mightn't draw the crowds or the sponsors of the Baku Formula 1 Grand Prix, but the Baku Jazz Festival is driven by something other than the ...
read moreJay Thomas: We Always Knew
Legacy is a fleeting notion. It is incomprehensible in real time when a career hits high points, when certain doors open to quantitative opportunity. Jay Thomas can tell you a thing or two about that, based on his own personal experience as a jazz artist over half a century. His story includes playing on the Seattle scene as a teenager, leading to opportunities hampered by among other things, drug addiction. It is as well a story of overcoming those obstacles ...
read moreAlbum Showcase
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Homeward by Mike Thornton
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Story of the Day
I was first exposed to live jazz by attending jam sessions held by South County Jazz Club at Snook Haven. I'd listed to jazz albums over the years, but this was my first “live” event.
By Sandra Kangas
Member since: 2018
