Jazz News (3312)
Find out what's going on in the world of jazz through industry press releases, news stories, and staff viewpoints.
Of course it goes without saying that jazz has continued to struggle to find its place within a market that has changed dramatically over the past few years. In many ways, the presentation of jazz recordings from a historical perspective is directly opposed to current technological favorites such as iPods and MP3s. For the jazz fan, the album has always been the main artifact in developing familiarity with an artist. From the cover and liner notes to the programming of the t …
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In place of my usual "Top Ten of 2005" favorites listing, here’s something of a "shoppers’ guide," an overview of some of the most noteworthy CD releases of 2005, accenting some dandy platters off the beaten path/under the radar/etc. Call this "Shopping for Music Fans Made (sort of) Simple!" For the bebop/hard bop devotees, 2005 has been a very good year. Some of the sharpest entries feature musicians no longer with us Woody Shaw, Stepping Stones (Columbia/Legac …
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In 1958, Alvin Ailey, famed American dancer and choreographer founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, which has since become one of the world’s most revered modern dance organizations. The premise behind Ailey’s conceptualized idea was to draw upon his "blood memories" of his native Texas, while conveying those ideas elaborately in a modern dance setting. He drew upon the music that included gospel, jazz, spiritual influences and the blues as a source of inspirati …
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On a very chilly Wednesday evening at Manhattan Jazz, Manhattan Beach, California, jazz was in the air. On stage with me were three of the finest jazz musicians I have ever had the pleasure of working with: Tom Owens-piano, Richard Simon-bass, and Mike Whited-drums. This gig took place in December 1987. We played many charts that night so I will highlight just a few, in that it was a tribute to Dexter Gordon, I’ll mention the charts he had recorded. In the first set we kicked off with Dex …
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Since migrating from Brazil to America’s jazz scene in the 60s, bossa nova has been one of my favorite styles. I bought my first bossa LP in 1962, "Jazz Samba," featuring tenor Stan Getz and guitarist Charlie Byrd playing compositions by innovators such as Antonio Carlos Jobim (pictured above) and Joao Gilberto. "Desafinado" was the big hit and the album skyrocketed to popularity, becoming one of the best sellers in jazz history. This was followed in 1964 with the collaboration between Getz a …
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Ann Hampton Callaway Blues In The Night (2006 Telarc) Your emotions will fall from your eyes when the first spin takes off into your heart from the vocals of Ann Hampton Callaway and her Blues in the Night. Excellence in the "blues feel" is as simple as I can script it. With a tearful sax in the background guided by the others, Callaway’s voice and execution bleeds the lives of many. Callaway’s sultry and heart felt tones range from brassy to bashful as this disk unfolds emotion …
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Buck Hill - Relax (2006 Severn Records) Tenor sax aficionado Buck Hill extracts the classic tunes of Miles Davis, Charlie Parker along with himself to fashion a spin worth any collection. Distinct reverberations such as the Ozment organ thrusting out mystic grooves offers to the listener added adventures presented on this disc. The project is a very respectful example of pure jazz swing. Sit back with Hill’s "Old Folks" and the intro sax weeping and setting the tempo, so very cool! …
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Bonnie Bramlett-Roots, Blues, & Groove (2006 ZOHO Records) Bold, Brassy, and bursting of Blues is the only way to script this groove we are stuck in when Ms. Bonnie Bramlett vocalizes. At first listen I was caught up in her delivery and execution of deep soulful emotion. This will be the equivalent for you! Selections range from standards to her own artistry, which are the highlights of this disk. Case in point "I Can Laugh About It Now" is pure untarnished classic blues with a …
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Ranee Lee & Oliver Jones Just You, Just Me (2005 Justin Time Records) Hot sizzle with a splash of elegance, as one would say pure temptation! It’s a continuous groove from spin to spin with charisma injected into the soul of Canadian sensation Ranee Lee and Oliver Jones as they perform Just You, Just Me and of course the heated beat does makes three . Lee’s tenacious feel to "Stardust" is just a hypnotic sensuality laced with innocence however as absurd as this may sound, spin i …
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Sara Gazarek-Yours (2005 Native Language Music Inc.) If your choice vocals are that of the "Girl Next Door" appeal then I will make your day with a recommended spin of this jewel box "Yours", for Ms. Gazarek is it! Intimate and tender sultry yet innocent at times, her presentation is very much worth the listen. Her 2006 "Yours" possibly could open new doors for this impressionable yet knowledgeable songster. I am eager to follow her development with her next release as she unravels …
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By Paul J. Youngman KJA - Jazz Advocate May 10, 2006 What does Jazz do for your soul? Does jazz wake your spirit, can it make your heart soar? Will it lift you up to the heavens; does it fill you with divine inspiration? Can jazz bring you happiness, will it feed your passion, and is it the fix that heals what ails you? It’s all those things and so much more, jazz is and jazz will be, for now and forever more. I …
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Texas has a proud tradition of blues guitar players, from T-Bone Walker and Lightnin' Hopkins through to Jimmie and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Right in the middle of that tradition, hiding in plain sight, is Billy F. Gibbons of the 'rock' band ZZ Top. And not to denigrate rock and roll; fact is, they do rock, no question. But, then, so did the Muddy Waters Blues Band. All I'm saying, don't let their broad appeal mislead you, because ZZ Top is also one of the premi …
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Roy Hargrove is more than a fine trumpeter and bandleader, he's an ambitious and versatile one as well. In a day and age when artists sometimes go years between releases, Hargrove has separate discs with two different groups out simultaneously on Verve. One is a fairly straight-ahead set with the Roy Hargrove Quintet entitled Nothing Serious, while the other is Distractions, a funky workout from his neo-soul grou …
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IS JAZZ BLACK MUSIC?, "Where does jazz come from, to whom does it ‘belong’ and is this important?," as advertised publicly by Jazz at Lincoln Center (now on Columbus Circle), polarized some and infuriated many attendees of this "JAZZ TALK," a presentation of the Irene Diamond Education Center, January 31, 2008. As Moderator Lewis Porter, a Professor of Music and author, explained that he purposefully titled the topic as an issue to provoke inquiry and at the same time disavowed the statem …
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The following lists are some of my favorites of this past year, listed in no particular order and with no particular preference. 2007 CD’s: David Virelles Quintet Motion (Justin Time), Joel Miller Tantramar (Artist Share), Chembo Corniel For The Rest Of Your Life (Chemboro), Mike Barone Big Band By Request (Rhubarb Recordings), Mark Weinstein Con Alma (Jazzheads), Freddy Cole With The Bill Charlap Trio Music Maestro Please (Highnote), Tierney Su …
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There is a tradition as old as jazz itself of musicians finishing a gig, and then instead of going to bed, finding a little club or party where, safe among their fellow musicians and the equally appreciative faithful, they cut loose. Aside from providing a type of release, these after hour jam sessions sometimes allowed them to work out new theories. Like a lot of developments in modern art such as Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) using Ripolin house paint in his works (1912) one factor of i …
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Erik Satie (1866-1925) envisioned "furniture music". The nascent genre was, by half a century, an early precursor to the modern (techno) ambient genre. A concept of music heard in the background adding to the mood but not demanding the full attention of its listeners. Erik Satie’s music, upon first listen would seem deceptively simple; often made up of a repetitive pattern, somewhat trance inducing. It was this seemingly simplistic approach which made the influence …
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My first week back in a rainy Paris. The large old style windows in the bathroom are frosted a milky white. Below they look out onto the courtyard and above similar windows with their boxes of Geraniums drooping their heads in this heavy rain. There is something hypnotic about how the lone light over the entrance to the courtyard door, used to lead one out of the courtyard, is diffused through the panes. I can not just hang out in here, it is odd, so I take baths. Foreve …
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For more than 40 years, Carlos Augusto Alves Santana has pushed the envelope of rock guitar by melding blues, jazz fusion, R&B and salsa into a level of creativity that has been seldom paralleled by any other musician of his generation. As a Grammy Award-winning musician and Latin-rock guitarist, Santana has epitomized the sound of music by blending the elements of varying styles into one unique component. His approach to his craft is well known and documented; yet even by today’s …
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TJ Tangria Jazz Group (Self 2008) In an excursion that has brought this trio to their third spin, Tangria Jazz Group has proven to be bold in approach, precise in composition, and progressive in method. Leader Sheryl Mebane (Drummer) has come together with a vision, evolving her multi-directional craft. The result is seven imaginative cuts all with position and complexities purposely designed by a now, seasoned trio. The keys of pianist Simon Rochester are c …
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