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Is it OK for artists to pay writers for reviews?
by John Kelman
As a public service, we will periodically republish this article as it remains relevant and opportunists with dishonorable intentions are still out there operating without impunity. When did it become acceptable or common practice for artists to pay for an album review? Recently, All About Jazz writers have been asked by artists--and ...
When Is A Jazz Festival Not A Jazz Festival?
by Chris May
Dateline: February 13, 2024. Today Britain's long-running Cheltenham Jazz Festival announced its line-up for this summer's event. The press release is headlined thus: Cheltenham Jazz Festival 2024--Dionne Warwick, Robert Plant, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Jack Savoretti, UB40, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Huey Morgan, Morcheeba And More. Dee Dee Bridgewater is not the only ...
Is There Really Only One Guitar And Drums Duo Album in Jazz History?
by Ian Patterson
A veritable mountain of duo albums color jazz history. Vocal and piano duos abound. Think Ella Fitzgerald and Ellis Larkins, Tony Bennet and Bill Evans, or Carmen McRae and George Shearing for starters. Guitar and piano duos? Plenty of those too. Jim Hall and Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson and Joe Pass spring to mind. ...
Physical, digital or streamed? How do you like your recorded jazz?
by Chris May
Time was, round about when jazz was raising its head in New Orleans, if you wanted an affordable car it had to be a Ford Model T. And as Henry Ford said, perhaps apocryphally, you could have had any color you liked as long as it was black. Much the same went for recorded music. You ...
How Do You Rate Miles Davis’ Music, On Record and Live, In The 1980s?
by Ian Patterson
The release of The Bootleg Series Vol. 7: That's What Happened 1982-1985 invites renewed reflection on Miles Davis' music in the 1980s. A few tracks aside, these studio outtakes from the recording sessions that produced Star People (Columbia, 1983), Decoy (Columbia, 1984) and You're Under Arrest (Columbia, 1985) don't amount to a whole heap of beans, ...
Who Are The Stars Today?
by Joseph Vella
The other day a friend asked me the all-important question: Who are the new “stars" in jazz today? Some names that came to mind were James Francies, Oded Tzur, and Julian Lage but would I call them “stars" of the music? Technically proficient artists? Yes. Stars? Not sure. Today, there is no shortage of ...
Jazz in a Snow Globe
by Joseph Vella
One of the greatest gifts of listening to jazz is to simply get lost inside of a track and have it transport you to a state of bliss. These special pieces of music often discovered over time through countless of hours of listening. Like the diamonds of the music, no matter the era or style, they ...
What Jazz Is Best For Running?
by Steve Cook
New York City isn't just an epicenter for the music that All About Jazz readers love. It is also home to the largest marathon in the world. With tens of thousands training for the upcoming race, this edition of The Big Question considers: What jazz is best for running? The following reflects on the question through ...
How many listens does it take to grok an album?
by Doug Collette
A neologism coined by American writer Robert A. Heinlein for his 1961 science fiction novel Stranger in a Strange Land (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1961), “grok“ is summarized in the Oxford English Dictionary as “to understand intuitively or by empathy, to establish rapport with" and “to empathize or communicate sympathetically (with)"; “also, to experience enjoyment."
What is your preferred music listening format?
by Michael Ricci
Compact disc sales are in steady decline as most younger listeners opt for streaming services like Spotify, Pandora, and YouTube. Millennials are also the driving force behind vinyl sales growth (since 2008) as 9.2 million units were sold in 2014, up 51.8% from 2013. I was a heavy vinyl collector growing up, made mixtapes, ...
