Krakauer's Ancestral Groove: Checkpoint

Clarinetist David Krakauer has been exploring his Eastern European Jewish background through music for the past quarter century. He's managed to touch on his roots in varied ways during that time, tapping into Jewish history with some help from the Kronos Quartet on The Dreams And Prayers Of Isaac T... [ read more ]

Krakauer's Ancestral Groove: Checkpoint

Clarinetist David Krakauer has been exploring his Eastern European Jewish background through music for the past quarter century. He's managed to touch on his roots in varied ways during that time, tapping into Jewish history with some help from the Kronos Quartet on The Dreams And Prayers Of Isaac T... [ read more ]

Daniel Freedman: Imagine That

Few can match drummer m: Daniel Freedman when it comes to pan-stylistic jazz presentations that cut across cultural lines. This lifelong New Yorker has found a way to bridge sonic worlds, erase boundary lines, and merge various musical languages in masterful fashion in his own work and i... [ read more ]

Daniel Freedman: Imagine That

Few can match drummer m: Daniel Freedman when it comes to pan-stylistic jazz presentations that cut across cultural lines. This lifelong New Yorker has found a way to bridge sonic worlds, erase boundary lines, and merge various musical languages in masterful fashion in his own work and i... [ read more ]

Pram Trio: Saga Thirteen

To the casual observer, a perambulator--pram, for short--is simply what it appears to be: a baby carriage. But to the pram's inhabitant(s), it's something else entirely. To those wee babies, the carriage is, in fact, a world in motion and a home away from home that serves as a vehicle for travel to... [ read more ]

Pram Trio: Saga Thirteen

To the casual observer, a perambulator--pram, for short--is simply what it appears to be: a baby carriage. But to the pram's inhabitant(s), it's something else entirely. To those wee babies, the carriage is, in fact, a world in motion and a home away from home that serves as a vehicle for travel to... [ read more ]

Sari Kessler: Do Right

In just under five minutes--the running time for producer/percussionist m: James Shipp's album-opening arrangement of "Walk On By"--Sari Kessler successfully makes the case that jazz singing is her real mA(C)tier. That particular truth may not have materialized until recent times, as Kessl... [ read more ]

Sari Kessler: Do Right

In just under five minutes--the running time for producer/percussionist m: James Shipp's album-opening arrangement of "Walk On By"--Sari Kessler successfully makes the case that jazz singing is her real mA(C)tier. That particular truth may not have materialized until recent times, as Kessl... [ read more ]

Myles Wright: The LA EP

Composer / arranger Myles Wright deserves full credit for truth in advertising, as The LA EP is precisely that--an abbreviated CD with three selections whose playing time is roughly twenty-four minutes. On the other hand, Wright doubles the listener's pleasure by including with the album a well-prod... [ read more ]

Walt Weiskopf: The Way You Say It

Do jazz jukeboxes exist? I'm not referring to an online streaming service that tells you what to like. I'm talking about a mechanical box in a roadhouse you put money in, and everyone in the joint listens to your selections. If there are such establishments with said jukeboxes, I'm certain customers... [ read more ]

Ehud Asherie: Shuffle Along

Israeli-born pianist m: Ehud Asherie delves deep into a quintessentially American Music on Shuffle Along. The score for the 1921 Broadway musical--tunes that were crafted before the beginning of a true "Popular" recording industry--was groundbreaking. Written by Eubie Blake and Noble Sis... [ read more ]

Sue Sheriff: Better Than Anything

It was in one of those art pieces often used to close an hour out on National Public Radio where a jazz vocalist was being interviewed about the durability and longevity of the "Great American Songbook." The singer remarked that as long as listeners age and have life experience, the standards compos... [ read more ]

The Scrambling Ex: The Scrambling Ex

Deftly juggling twisted harmonic sequences, free improvised passages, sweet and simple jazz melodies, and stop-on-a-dime rhythmic convolutions, The Scrambling Ex nods at all sorts of musical reference points without aping anyone in particular. An equal collaboration between multi- reed player {{m: P... [ read more ]

Robin Hayward: Stop Time

In his native Manchester, England, tuba player and composer Robin Hayward had originally studied classical music before he became involved in London's growing improvisation culture in the mid to late 1990s. Hayward then moved to Berlin to engage with the more open musical culture among younger, like... [ read more ]

Simians Of Swing: Simians Of Swing

Sometimes the best legends are the ones you create about yourself. The Simians of Swing, whose debut release this is, understand. As this legend has it, the London-based band is co-led by an ex-member of the Russian mafia--skilled in the martial arts--and a man who spends his days playing chess on h... [ read more ]

: Dominican Jazz from Summit Records: The Dominican Jazz Project and Socrates Garcia Latin Jazz Orchestra

There must be something in the air, as the Dominican Republic suddenly finds representation on two latin jazz releases from Summit Records. The Dominican Jazz Project grew out of pianist m: Stephen Anderson's visit to the 2014 Jazzomania Jazz Festival in Santo Domingo. After an additiona... [ read more ]

Take Five with Josh Hanlon

About Josh Hanlon Josh Hanlon's love of music has spanned five continents. He has played piano with luminaries of country music, musical theatre and film, and almost every other genre, but he is first and foremost driven by a love of jazz. He has two albums to his credit as a leader and several more...

Rob Garcia: Finding Love in an Oligarchy on a Dying Planet

A complex amalgam, drummer-composer m: Rob Garcia's Finding Love in an Oligarchy on a Dying Planetis as densely constructed and provoking as its title. Despite the socially conscious themes that its track titles, lyrics, and multi-layered musical journeys explore, Garcia has made clear t... [ read more ]

Cristina Braga and Brandenburger Symphoniker: Whisper

It's not often that a harpist's name crowns the marquee above that of a jazz quintet and symphony orchestra, but that is the case on Whisper, the latest CD by Brazilian-born harpist / singer Cristina Braga whose almost-whispered vocals and virtuosic harp command the spotlight in a concert performanc... [ read more ]

Jon Balke: Warp

Best known for his Magnetic North Orchestra, pianist and composer Jon Balke has a background that is rich with global influences and diverse musical stylings. Trained as a classical pianist in his youth, Balke was playing with Masqualero on Bande A Part (ECM, 1985) by the time he was eighteen. That... [ read more ]

Ian Brighton: Now And Then

Ian Brighton's first album Marsh Gas was released on Bead Records in 1977. This, his second album, is released nearly forty years later. Marsh Gas is now, sadly, a rare and virtually unobtainable artefact (other than the availability of some tracks via YouTube) so it's significant that Brighton's No... [ read more ]

Victor Prieto: The Three Voices

On the cover of his CD The Three Voices, m: Victor Prieto looks as if he's going to do something crazy with his accordions. He is a giant behind the big city skyline, towering over tall buildings. It's sort of like a "Godzilla of the squeeze boxes" scene. But the accordionist doesn't loo... [ read more ]

Henry Threadgill Ensemble Double Up: Old Locks And Irregular Verbs

The premiere of Old Locks and Irregular Verbs--m: Henry Threadgill's tribute to his longtime friend and colleague, musical pioneer m: Lawrence D. "Butch" Morris--was easily one of the most talked about events at the 2014 edition of New York's Winter Jazzfest. The buzz factor... [ read more ]

Hendrik Meurkens: Harmonicus Rex

While the swing side of harmonica master Hendrik Meurkens' personality has basically been dormant for the past fifteen years, it hasn't disappeared. After highlighting his Brazilian jazz bona fides on record after record, Meurkens now returns to straight-ahead jazz on this instantly pleasing date. H... [ read more ]

Joe Ascione and His Brave New World

Author's Note: All About Jazz is sad to report the passing of spirited drummer Joe Ascione who battled Multiple Sclerosis for 20 years. In this encore presentation of a 2004 interview, Joe talks about the challenges of his new reality and shows his courageous determination to fight through them. Joe...

Harry Allen: Something About Jobim

Back in 1964, saxophonist m: Stan Getz made one of those perfect albums. He teamed up with famed Brazilian songwriters and guitarists, m: JoA o Gilberto and m: Antonio Carlos Jobim, and delivered one of the best records in his career: Gezt/Gilberto (Verve, 1964). The... [ read more ]

Socrates Garcia Latin Jazz Orchestra: Back Home

Back Home, the debut recording by composer / arranger / musicologist Socrates Garcia's Latin Jazz Orchestra, combines the best of two worlds: ardent Latin jazz that never forswears its roots, and emphatic American-designed big-band swing that provides a solid framework for Garcia's picturesque Latin... [ read more ]

Peter Erskine: Paging Dr. Um

There's not much ground drummer Peter Erskine hasn't covered. He's said to have appeared on more than 600 albums. He has won two Grammys and holds an honorary doctorate from the Berklee College of Music. He's been a part of the big bands of m: Stan Kenton and {{m: Maynard Ferguson = 6679...

Doug Webb: Sets The Standard

m: Doug Webb's newly released Sets The Standard is a textbook case of individual resourcefulness and group consonance in the context of songs often associated with the jazz tradition. For the most part, Webb, who plays tenor, stritch, and soprano sax on the record, puts his assertive, ha... [ read more ]

Danny Green Trio: Altered Narratives

The old adage, that you know you're a jazz musician when you realize that there are actually two 9 o'clocks in a day, has been replaced with the revelation that jazz is a musical omnivore. It can consume every style of music from classical to pop as sustenance for a performance. Pianist {{m: Danny G... [ read more ]

Vitor Pereira Quintet: New World

New World is the second album from this quintet, led by the London-based Portuguese guitarist and composer Vitor Pereira. Like the band's 2012 debut, Doors, the music reflects the many influences which Pereira has learnt from but New World sees his work move a step further, his voice as a writer and... [ read more ]

Joshua Bayer Jazz: Six By Five

m: Joshua Bayer can't be called a prolific artist in terms of CD releases. The bassist/guitarist has offered up only two previous albums this millennium: Lines and Grooves (Jazzhead Records, 2003) and New Voice: Old Voice (Self Produced, 2006). Both sets grooved nicely, lively mainstream... [ read more ]

Charles Lloyd and The Marvels: I Long to See You

Rather than easing off since turning seventy in 2008, Charles Lloyd has instead upped the ante, producing some of the finest music of his career. Whatever spiritual quest Lloyd is on, it continues to spur the veteran saxophonist to heady musical heights and I Long to See You (Blue Note, 2016) is no... [ read more ]

Leslie Pintchik: True North

Leslie Pintchik's music has a magical draw to it. Perhaps it has to do with her pearly and softly pronounced piano work, at once circuitous and direct in the way it shapes and navigates expressive pathways. Or maybe it has to do with her compositional acumen. Her pieces, after all, have a way of reg... [ read more ]

Gary Monheit and Dan Krimm: New Shoots

New Shoots , recorded in January 2015, is the most recent offering from fretless bassist m: Dan Krimm, featuring pianist m: Gary Monheit with drummer m: Scott Amendola filling out the trio. New Shoots features eight original tracks, all of which are composed either... [ read more ]

Los Hacheros: Bambulaye

New York City is the birthplace of salsa, a rhythmic combination of traditional Cuban son and Puerto Rican dance music, defined by a syncopated five stroke clave (pattern) beat. Developing during the sixties, it's popularity rose to international prominence during the early seventies. Through time... [ read more ]

Stockholm Jazz Orchestra: Today

Before proceeding, three cheers and a hearty round of applause are in order, as Today, the fifteenth album recorded by the impressive Stockholm Jazz Orchestra, helps mark the thirtieth anniversary of one of Scandinavia's most celebrated big bands. This truly is an ensemble with no discernible weakne... [ read more ]

Brian Groder Trio: R Train On The D Line

A New York City jazz scene regular, the trumpeter and flugelhorn player Brian Groder returns with the trio that helped make Reflexology (Latham Records, 2014) such a highly satisfying recording. Bassist m: Michael Bisio and drummer m: Jay Rosen are well-suited to supporting Gr... [ read more ]

Marcos Varela: San Ygnacio

Bassist m: Marcos Varela, Houston-bred and now New York-based, opens his recording debut, San Ygnacio, with a big, brash version of the standard, "I Should Care." His rhythm section is rounded out by veteran pianist m: George Cables and drum icon m: Billy Hart, so a... [ read more ]

Ira Hill: Tomorrow

Ira Hill. Remember that name, for you're likely to see it in print a lot more in the future. While this up-and-comer was still in his late teens when this album was recorded and released, you'd never know that from a blind listen. His debonair delivery, sure-voiced scatting, and all-around taste bel... [ read more ]

Charles Lloyd and The Marvels: I Long To See You

If ever there was an eternal explorer, it's Charles Lloyd. This inquisitive soul has made a career out of surveying new frontiers, both within himself and beyond the borders of his own being. He's taken every opportunity to peer and travel into the unknown, allowing only the sound and the spirits to... [ read more ]

Take Five with Andreas Loven

About Andreas Loven: Andreas Loven is a pianist and composer from jny: Oslo, Norway, and is currently signed to the acclaimed Norwegian jazz label e: Losen Records. He departed from his career in engineering, moved to South Africa and ventured into jazz in his early twenties. He has...

Ruben Machtelinckx: Ruben Machtelinckx and Linus: Belgian Experimental Music, Strings Attached

Belgian guitarist/composer m: Ruben Machtelinckx has built an impressive catalog of recordings as a leader since graduating from the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp in 2010. He tends to work in groups with no drummer, a chamber jazz approach that suits his lyrical, sometimes minimalist com... [ read more ]

Julian Lage: Arclight

Julian Lage's star has been on the rise since the premiere of Julian at Eight--the award winning 1997 documentary short about the precocious guitar prodigy's childhood years. Since then, Lage has become a key collaborator to modern masters like m: Gary Burton, m: Jim Hall and... [ read more ]

Bill Frisell: When You Wish Upon a Star

Bill Frisell's America is a true land of musical opportunity. It's a place where portraits of bucolic beauty can mingle freely with reflections on gritty urban jungles, giving voice to anything and everything from the lighter side of life to the dark underbelly of existence. This inimitable guitaris... [ read more ]

Larry Young: In Paris: The ORTF Recordings

You may know organist m: Larry Young from his work in The m: Tony Williams Lifetime band (with m: John McLaughlin) and later with m: Jimi Hendrix, and m: Carlos Santana or you may just be hip to his Blue Note 1960's years. Nonetheless, you wo... [ read more ]