Feature Articles
SWLA violin prodigy Jairus Daigle carries on a legacy of jazz music – KPLC
Lake Charles, La. (KPLC) - This week in our tribute to Black History [...]
Language of the Blues: CONJURE
In The Language of the Blues: From Alcorub to ZuZu, author and rocker [...]
Five New Dexter Gordon Videos
As jazz musicians go, Dexter Gordon was among the coolest. He walked cool, [...]
Reviews
Jazz at Lincoln Center took jaunt through jazz with ‘Songs We Love’ – Indiana Daily Student
Jazz at Lincoln Center brought their show, “Songs We Love,” to the IU Auditorium Feb. 20. A revival of the opener to JALC’s 2016 season, the show explores the early years of [...]
KENNEY POLSON – Colors of Brazil
Born in Kansas City and now based in the Pacific Northwest, veteran jazz saxophonist Kenney Polson is a true musical citizen of the world, having visited and/or performed in over 50 countries (including [...]
KEVIN STEVENSON – Talk To Me
One of the most interesting aspects of checking out new artists making waves on the contemporary jazz scene is realizing that in many cases, they've been with us all along. So as [...]
DUFFMUSIQ – Sidewalk Sequel – Review
Engaging in the most basic online research, we learn some fascinating things about veteran guitarist Duffmusiq as we listen, dance, bop, sway, chill and groove along to the multitude of funky/bluesy/jazzy old-schooling vibes [...]
GRACE BRANCALE – Superhuman Vol. 2
If “The Father of Invention,” Thomas Edison had Grace Brancale’s energy and drive, he probably would have had about 5,000 inventions instead of the mere 1,093 patents that he actually had! Grace [...]
TONY SAUNDERS – One of the most versatile artists in today’s music world.
When the great Duke Ellington wanted to praise someone, he would grant that person his signature phrase “Beyond Category.” Well, Mr. Ellington’s expression, comes the closest in describing bass and synthesizer artist Tony Saunders. [...]
LES SABLER – Tranquility
We were all eagerly waiting for a new album by contemporary jazz guitarist Les Sabler, and once again Sabler and his musical colleagues delivered. The album on New Vista Records is called “Tranquility.” This [...]
MATTHEW ALEC and THE SOUL ELECTRIC – Cleveland Time
A graduate of Kent State University where he studied music, tenor-saxophonist Matthew Alec was a founding member of the soul and funk band Winslow, playing with the group for 12 years. In [...]
EVAN CARYDAKIS – Groove House
Evan Carydakis’ infectious, multi-faceted five track EP Groove House is more than his high impact debut in the funky and soulful realms of the smooth jazz genre. For the Melbourne, Australia born [...]
KARMACODA – Make Me The One
“Make Me The One,” the ultra-emotional, mystically ambient and super sultry lead single from Karmacoda’s upcoming provocatively titled full length album Slow Down, Melt and Catch Fire, marks a special anniversary for [...]
VANN BURCHFIELD – Keep Pressing On
Though he has been a multi-faced independent force in the smooth jazz realm since his 2007 debut album Par For the Course, saxophonist Vann Burchfield has for the last two decades also [...]
Glastonbury Favorite Grainne Duffy Gains Chart Success With Sensational ‘Voodoo Blues’ Album
What started out as a slow burning, blues-rocking CD release last October, Voodoo Blues is deservedly achieving acclaim of incendiary proportions as word travels globally about Grainne Duffy’s best album to date. [...]
Melanie Charles is out to ‘make jazz fun again’
Jazz skeptics may have never heard Alice Coltrane and Pharaoh Sanders trade trippy harp and saxophone licks on “Journey in Satchidananda,” but they probably conjure something akin to the song’s avant-garde experimentation [...]
Nomadim – ‘Nomadim’
Nomadim – Nomadim (Unit Records. CD review by Jane Mann) Nomadim is the first album from a young Switzerland-based trio of the same name. Nomadim were originally the Marc Crofts Trio but [...]
Jeff Williams: Live At The London Jazz Festival – Road Tales
If there is one thing that jazz fans are probably missing most of all during the current pandemic, it is the ability to go out and listen to live music. I am [...]
Jeremy Pelt: Griot – This Is Important! review – a jazz album for everyone
Jeremy Pelt, a trumpet virtuoso who could have dropped without blinking into classic 1960s Blue Note sessions cut years before he was born, has interlaced his familiar mix of agile contemporary bop [...]
J.D. ALLEN – Love Stone
A major tenor-saxophonist since the turn of the last century, JD Allen performs a set of vintage ballads on Love Stone, his 13th CD as a [...]
OCTOBOP – Live @ Savanna Jazz
Formed in 1999, Octobop is an octet based in Northern California that has 1950s West Coast jazz as its roots. It does not stick exclusively to [...]
DEXTER GORDON QUARTET – Tokyo 1975
One of the all-time great tenor-saxophonists, Dexter Gordon (1923-90) had a fascinating life that someday should be made into a movie. After stints with the big [...]
Fred Hersch Trio, Live In Europe
Reviews - One of the giants of the jazz piano of the past 35 years, Fred Hersch has recorded prolifically as a leader since the mid-1980s [...]
Adrian Cunningham and Ken Peplowski, Duologue
Reviews - Clarinetist and tenor-saxophonist Ken Peplowski originally made his reputation as a brilliant swing player who was forward-looking and built upon the innovations of the [...]
JERRY VIVINO – Coast To Coast
Reviews - Jerry Vivino - Coast To Coast - Jerry Vivino is perhaps best known for playing tenor with the Basic Cable Band, the house group [...]
THE DJANGO FESTIVAL ALL STARS – Attitude Manouche
Reviews - The Django Festival All Stars - Attitude Manouche - The comeback of Django Reinhardt's music and style is unprecedented in jazz history. The great [...]
TIA FULLER – Diamond Cut
Reviews - Tia Fuller - Diamond Cut -Tia Fuller is one of the top alto-saxophonists in jazz of the past decade. She plays with the passion of a [...]
KENNY BARRON QUINTET – Concentric Circles
Reviews - Kenny Barron Quintet - Concentric Circles - One of the great veterans of jazz, pianist Kenny Barron, who recently turned 75, has been an important [...]
OSCAR PETERSON – Plays
Reviews - Oscar Peterson - Plays - Producer Norman Granz, who discovered Oscar Peterson playing in Montreal in 1949, loved the pianist's playing so much that [...]
MARTIAL SOLAL – My One And Only Love
Reviews - Martial Solal - My One And Only Love - One of Europe's (and jazz's) finest pianists during the past 60 years, Martial Solal turned [...]
THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER – The Junction
Reviews - The Manhattan Transfer - The Junction - The Manhattan Transfer was originally founded in 1969 by Tim Hauser. After one recording, that version of [...]
DAVID KIKOSKI – Kayemode
Reviews - David Kikoski - Kayemode - Although never the most famous of jazz pianists, David Kikoski has been one of the most vital of the [...]
EVA CASSIDY – Songbird 20
Reviews Eva Cassidy Songbird 20 There are three remarkable facts about the late singer Eva Cassidy. One is that she had a tragically brief life, passing [...]
MILES DAVIS & JOHN COLTRANE – The Final Tour
Reviews Miles Davis & John Coltrane The Final Tour In 1960, John Coltrane faced one of the turning points of his career. A member of the [...]
THE CHICK COREA and STEVE GADD BAND – Chinese Butterfly
Reviews The Chick Corea and Steve Gadd Band Chinese Butterfly Chick Corea and Steve Gadd are old friends, having worked together on several notable occasions back [...]
ANAT COHEN AND FRED HERSCH – Live In Healdsburg
Reviews Anat Cohen and Fred Hersch Live In Healdsburg Anat Cohen, a superior clarinetist and tenor-saxophonist from Israel, and veteran pianist Fred Hersch have had [...]
HAROLD MABERN – To Love And Be Loved
Reviews Harold Mabern To Love And Be Loved The great veteran pianist Harold Mabern, who has been an important part of the New York [...]
MIKE VAX & RON ROMM – Collaboration
Reviews Mike Vax & Ron Romm Collaboration Mike Vax, an alumnus of the Stan Kenton Orchestra, has always been comfortable in several musical idioms. His career is [...]
NINA SIMONE, Mood Indigo: The Complete Bethlehem Singles
Reviews Nina Simone Mood Indigo: The Complete Bethlehem Singles Nina Simone (1933-2003) was unique in music history. She was a classically trained pianist who, due to the [...]
JOE LOVANO & DAVE DOUGLAS, Scandal
Reviews Joe Lovano & Dave Douglas Scandal Tenor-saxophonist Joe Lovano and trumpeter Dave Douglas have been major names for decades, always creating stimulating post-bop music that defies [...]
STEPHANE WREMBEL – The Django Experiment III
Reviews STEPHANE WREMBEL The Django Experiment III The Gypsy Jazz movement has resulted in a countless number of groups emulating the Django Reinhardt/Stephane Grappelli Quintet Of The [...]
JOEY ALEXANDER – Joey, Monk, Live!
Reviews JOEY ALEXANDER Joey, Monk, Live! 2017 was Thelonious Monk's centennial, a year in which there were quite a few recorded tributes to the unique pianist-composer. One [...]
HOUSTON PERSON – Rain or Shine
Reviews HOUSTON PERSON Rain or Shine Throughout his long career, which reaches back to at least 1963 when he recorded with organist Johnny "Hammond" Smith, Houston Person [...]
DAN BECK BAND – All The Fish are Hoppin’
Reviews DAN BECK BAND All the Fish are Hoppin' - Independent Expressive and soulful guitarist, vocalist, writer Dan Beck performs front and center with the Dan Beck Band on [...]
CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE BIG BAND – Bringin’ It Review
Reviews CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE BIG BAND Bringin' It One of the best-known and busiest bass players in jazz, Christian McBride is still just 45. A major performer by [...]
STEVE DAVIS – Think Ahead Review
Reviews STEVE DAVIS Think Ahead Trombonist Steve Davis has played such consistently rewarding music throughout his career that it is easy to take him for granted. He [...]
WES MONTGOMERY – In Paris
Reviews WES MONTGOMERY In Paris 1965 was one of the peak periods of Wes Montgomery's career. A major and influential jazz guitarist since at least 1959, Montgomery [...]
MARS WILLIAMS PRESENTS – An Ayler Xmas
Reviews MARS WILLIAMS presents An Ayler Xmas Albert Ayler (1936-1970) took jazz to its extreme. In fact, the saxophonist could be said to have brought jazz beyond its [...]
MATT KING – Monk In Brazil
Reviews MATT KING Monk In Brazil Many jazz artists had their centennial in 2017 including Dizzy Gillespie and Ella Fitzgerald, but somehow it has ended up being the [...]
MARTIAL SOLAL & DAVE LIEBMAN – Masters In Bordeaux
Reviews MARTIAL SOLAL & DAVE LIEBMAN Masters In Bordeaux Although it was not inevitable that they would record a duet album together, pianist Martial Solal and saxophonist-flutist Dave [...]
BILL EVANS – Another Time: The Hilversum Concert
Reviews BILL EVANS Another Time: The Hilversum Concert It is fair to say that there is no shortage of Bill Evans recordings available. In addition to the [...]
NESTOR TORRES – Jazz Flute Traditions
Reviews NESTOR TORRES Jazz Flute Traditions Nestor Torres made his early reputation as a talented flautist who played Latin pop/jazz. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, he [...]
PETER BERNSTEIN – Signs Live!
Reviews PETER BERNSTEIN Signs Live Back in 1994, guitarist Peter Bernstein recorded a CD, Signs Of Life, that found him leading an all-star quartet that also featured [...]
LARRY CORYELL’S 11th HOUSE – Seven Secrets
Reviews LARRY CORYELL'S 11th HOUSE Seven Secrets Larry Coryell was the first fusion guitarist. He brought the sound of electric blues and rock into jazz during 1966-67 [...]
DIZZY GILLESPIE, CONCERT OF THE CENTURY – A Tribute To Charlie Parker
Reviews DIZZY GILLESPIE, CONCERT OF THE CENTURY A Tribute To Charlie Parker In Nov. 1980, an all-star sextet filled with classic veterans performed at what was billed as [...]
CHRIS POTTER – The Dreamer Is The Dream
Reviews CHRIS POTTER, The Dreamer Is The Dream Chris Potter has been one of the most significant and stimulating saxophonists of the past 30 years. His latest [...]
Hilary Kole – Review
Reviews HILARY KOLE, A Self Portrait A perennially popular presence on the NYC jazz scene and a world renowned concert hall and symphony performer, Hilary Kole has [...]
Gregg Kallor – Review
Reviews GREGG KALLOR, A Single Noon Tremendously gifted pianist and composer Gregg Kallor describes his latest CD,”A Single Noon” as “a love letter to this incredible city.” [...]
Diane Reeves – Review
Reviews DIANNE REEVES, Beautiful Life (Concord) After a five year layoff, one of jazz’s most sparkling voices and innovative vocalists returns on a new label to celebrate [...]
Lawrence Blatt – Review
Reviews LAWRENCE BLATT, Emergence In 2007, acoustic guitarist Lawrence Blatt named one of his trademark recordings Fibonacci’s Dream, after one of the Middle Ages’ greatest mathematicians – [...]