Psychedelic Rock Meets Jazz x 2; New Faces; NOLA Trip; David Ambrosio's Civil Disobedience; Bill Doggett's Honky Tonk @ 70; Songs of the Week and more

It feels like only yesterday I was writing last week's newsletter from a Marriott hotel room in New Orleans' Warehouse District. The trip was a big success, and I even managed to squeeze in some jazz-related fun along the way. Though I was there for a family event, I caught a highly enjoyable late set by Oscar Rossignoli's Trio at Snug Harbor. I only knew Oscar's music from a couple of records where he appeared as a sideperson—I left the club impressed and eager to explore more of his work. Hopefully, his New Orleans trio records something soon. Due to a schedule conflict, I missed the Johnny Vidacovich Trio at Maple Leaf Bar. A shame, because I was really looking forward to meeting the man himself.

I also connected with Euclid Records owner and all-around good guy Joe Schwab (more about him next week). The National WWII Museum lived up to—and maybe exceeded—the hype. What an experience!


(L to R) Oscar Rossignoli (piano), Lex Warshawsky (bass) and Peter Varnado (drums)

Not to be missed

A quick heads-up: we updated our FAQ this past week, adding answers to several questions that have come up often enough to deserve a permanent home on the page. If you've ever wondered how certain features, listings or submissions work, there's a good chance you'll find the answer there. You can also access the FAQ anytime from our EXPLORE page.

Thinking about upgrading your AAJ musician profile page to premium?

We're excited to see more musicians recognizing the value of our premium musician page service. Before upgrading, however, we strongly recommend making sure your standard page is current and complete. A standard page that includes your bio, photos, tags, albums, links, etc., makes the transition to premium smoother and faster for all. We explain the process—and why it matters—here.

Meet the Staff

Things have been hopping behind the scenes at All About Jazz. Thanks to head trainer Scott Lichtman, we've been onboarding new writers and contributors at an impressive pace, with nearly 30 people either fully trained or currently working through the process.

Among the new faces who have already contributed at least one article are Mark McKergow, Jacob Sylvester, Ron Kalb, Jeff Cebulski, Blue Summers, Daniel Peck, Kitty Kalriess, Patrick Doyle, Andrew Schinder, Todd Steed, Kevin Poindexter, Daniel Mege, Lee Whiteman, Tamara Yadao, Jon M. Greenbaum, Maciej Stasiowski, Todd Carlsen, Kofi Adjepong-Boateng and Sherry Rubel. And in our ongoing effort to "get the band back together," we're also delighted to welcome back R.J. DeLuke and Samuel Chell.

One of the great things about AAJ is that contributors come from all walks of life and all corners of the jazz world—writers, broadcasters, photographers, musicians, collectors and passionate fans alike. If that sounds like your kind of community and you'd like to contribute as a staff member, complete this form and someone will get back to you about next steps.

Album Reviews

The album reviews below represent our most popular from the past week. View more recent reviews.

Tunnel of Love: The Gary Burton Quintet Project Adam Berenson	Storyboard (Vinyl Reissue) Didier Lockwood	Members... Don't! Tyshawn Sorey	Joyful Noise—Live In Hamburg 1984 Carla Bley
I Can Dream, Can't I?: Illusions & Conversations from the Great American Songbook Melissa Errico	Shmeisani Jazz Massive Shmeisani Jazz Massive	Thank You Notes—The Music of Gregg Hill The Paul Keller Orchestra	The Deconstructed Songbook Daniel Bennett Group

Looking for an album review?

If you're a musician, publicist, or record label seeking album review coverage on All About Jazz, please read our review submission guide, then complete the coverage request form here. When submitting your request, include up to five AAJ album reviewers who best align with your music.

How John Coltrane Changed Rock Music: Eight Miles High

In a 1969 interview, Miles Davis said, "I could put together the greatest rock 'n' roll band you ever heard." In many ways, Davis did just that, though it remains a point of contention among many of his fans, who might argue otherwise. Davis himself later made the point that his music from the late sixties and seventies was not rock music. But whether you consider it rock or not, artists like Davis, Herbie Hancock and Larry Coryell laid the foundation for jazz fusion, which has since become a major style of jazz. While the overall concept of fusion generally centers on jazz players incorporating certain elements of rock into their music, rock artists such as Steely Dan, Frank Zappa and Chicago picked up on the vibe and started incorporating jazz elements into their music as well. Continue reading...

Sonic Loops: Eight Miles High on the Psychedelic Trane

In the popular music of the '50s, the landscape revolved around individual vocalists, vocal harmony groups, and instrumental ensembles. In the early '60s, something radical emerged: self-contained groups—a collective of individuals with a group dynamic and identity. They wrote, sang, played instruments, and performed as a unified artistic whole. This represented a structural revolution in how music was conceived, recorded, and experienced. This group dynamic helped shift popular music away from the dance-oriented 45-rpm single back toward the deeper, more immersive 33-rpm album, turning listening into a serious, repeated engagement. The transistor radios and low-fidelity 45-rpm record players were replaced with high-fidelity stereo setups. The modern rock group carried a clear set of characteristics. It rejected the "somebody and the whatevers" model that had dominated the '50s, where a charismatic frontman stood at the microphone while hired hands provided the backing. Continue reading...

Atlantic Road Trip: Three Voices, One Journey

Atlantic Road Trip comprises Paul Towndrow (saxophones, flutes and whistles), Miro Herak (vibraphone) and Chad McCullough (trumpet, flugelhorn and synthesizers). Their debut album ONE (Calligram Records, 2023) appeared in late 2023 to a chorus of international appreciation for its intercontinental folk and traditional influences, combining echoes of Scotland, Slovakia and the United States into an exciting musical whole. A second album, Watch As The Echo Falls (Calligram Records, 2026), has been launched with a tour of Czechia and Slovakia. Continue reading...

David Ambrosio Honors The Spirit of the '60s With Civil Disobedience

Social activism and jazz have a long mutual history that arguably reached an apex with the resistance music of the '60s. On record, that music found a home at labels such as Impulse! and ESP-Disk. At the same time, artists in the Blue Note Records stable were assembling a body of work that was inspired by the social and political upheavals of the decade. For a number of reasons, this music has remained somewhat obscure despite its high quality and prominent creators. Bassist David Ambrosio became interested in this music and formed a band that is dedicated to surfacing lesser-known music from the Blue Note catalog. That band Civil Disobedience, also keeps the flame of the '60s alive, not just rhetorically, but musically as well. Continue reading...

Honky Tonk at Seventy

Seventy years ago this summer, a group of jazz men made a record that became the genre's first million-seller. The group was the Bill Doggett Combo, and the track was "Honky Tonk, Parts 1 & 2" (King, 1956). It sold 4 million copies worldwide and went to #2 (Pop) and #1 (R&B). While Bill Doggett always said that the group spontaneously created the song on a bandstand in Lima, Ohio, the full story is perhaps a bit more nuanced and deserving of a full airing. Let's get the question of "Yes, but was it jazz?" out of the way. First, as writer Tad Richards argued in Jazz with a Beat: Small Group Swing 1940-1960 (2024), many musicians coming from a jazz background were recording "R&B" from the 1940s until Soul Jazz became the dominant subgenre with commercial appeal. Continue reading...

Songs of the Week

Two spiritually resonant journeys that blur the line between folk memory and modern improvisation, finding beauty in ritual and reflection. Enjoy them.


If you were one of the 500+ people who tried unsuccessfully to listen to Mike DiRubbo's "Inner Light" track, try it now. The issue was resolved yesterday.

Top Songs

The songs below represent the most heard in the past four weeks. View the Song of the Day archive.

Rachmaninoff en Ritmo From the album Rachmaninoff en Ritmo By Terry Heimat	Oppression Is Nine Tenths Of The Law From the album Oppression is Nine Tenths of the Law By Organic Pulse Ensemble	Rhythms Of Respiration From the album Two Sides of the Nonet—Live at Terraza By Dan Neville	The Gatekeeper From the album Chasin' the Dream By Sam Robinson
When A Cardinal Sings From the album Migration By Masa Ishikawa	The Hawk's Hills From the album Fearless By Diana Torti	Tribute To Rudy Van Gelder From the album Things Are Looking Up By Jon Gold	The Gifted People From the album Dear Cleveland, By Dimitri Nassar

Choice Content

John Beasley Sextet at Presidio Theatre (read); Dave King Trio At Buffalo's Art Of Jazz (read); One Night Only: Vinnie Sperrazza with Alex Laurenzi and Solomon Gottfried (read); Luciano Biondini, Michel Godard, Lucas Niggli: Lawns (listen); Wayne's Sessions for Miles and Lee at Bielska Zadymka Jazzowa (view photos); Moers Festival Interviews: Evi Filippou (read); Take Five with Pianist Jon Gold (read); Torino Jazz Festival 2026 (view photos); The Scent of Swing: Jazz, Fragrance, and the Invisible Aura of Cool (read); Phil Haynes and Bobby Broom: Empathetic Abandon (read).

Radio & Podcasts

Tune into our extensive collection of quality programs every week.

The Outer View: Shunzo Ohno, Adam O'Farrill, and Julian Lage (listen); The Third Story: Julieta Venegas Has A Good Memory (listen); Mondo Jazz: Hélène Duret, Jens Düppe, Jon Irabagon, Louis Matute, Joel Lyssarides (listen); Exploration: Classic Jazz from Sonny Rollins, Kenny Dorham, and others; recently released music from Steve Wilson, Snarky Puppy, and more (listen); Jazz Crumbs: Isabelle Bodenseh, Pat Bianchi, Mammal Hands, Bellbird & more (listen); A Broad Spectrum: Sharon Minemoto, Yvonne Rogers, Jody Redhage Ferber, Eliane Elias, Mark Winkler, Mothers Day & More (listen); The Stereo Image: Ashley Kahn: How do you listen to new music? (listen); One Man's Jazz: Pierre Favre, Micah Thomas & Columbia Icefield (listen); Neon Jazz: Pat Metheny, Mitch Dalton, Audrey Ochoa, Ben Wolfe & Nolatet (listen); The Tonearm: Maria Schneider: Composing In The Age Of Curated Rage (listen); Mondo Jazz: Javon Jackson, Luciano Biondini, Naïssam Jalal, Florian Pellissier & More (listen); Jazz Connections: Miles: The early years, with Miles narrating from his autobiography (listen); Rotations: The Bad Plus, James Falzone, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith And Many Others (listen); World of Jazz: New Music from Joe Fiedler, Billy Childs, Maria Grand, And More (listen); Ben Boddie On Jazz: Sharon Minemoto, Sean Imboden, Eliane Elias, Arturo Sandoval and more (listen); Rotations: Jah Wobble & Evan Parker, Maria Schneider, Nils Petter Molvaer And More (listen).

News Announcements

Timely announcements covering new album releases, tours, special events and more. View all recent announcements.

Trumpeter, Composer And Artistic Director Ted Chubb Releases 'live At The Statuary,' A Document Of Jersey City's Vibrant Arts Community (read); Storied West Coast Group Marley's Ghost Celebrate 40th Anniversary With Vibrant New Album Produced By Larry Campbell (read); Chris Van Voorst Van Beest Announces New Album Bye Design (read); Guitarist / Composer Rahul Mukerji Announces New Global Fusion Album 'Mridhangit' (read); Vel Lewis Ignites Memorial Day Weekend 2026 With New Smooth Jazz Single 'Smoovee' (read); JazzWeek Radio Chart: May 18, 2026 (read); British Vocalist Maggie Nicols Presents Long-awaited Standards Album (read).

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Posted to All About Jazz Newsletter IN THE All About Jazz GROUP
Read more posts by Michael Ricci