Featured Jazz Articles
Record Store Day 2024 Jazz Releases
by Kyle Simpler
Every year, Record Store Day (RSD) promises limited edition vinyl releases for all tastes in music. From the latest popular artists to the most obscure archival releases, RSD drops try to cover a lot of musical territory. Practically all genres of music are represented and, of course, jazz is no exception. Fortunately, the April 2024 drop promises plenty of jazz offerings, so the most difficult part for most jazz collectors might easily be deciding what not to buy.
read moreJames Brandon Lewis: Jazz, Spirituality, and the Art and Science of Musical Abstraction
by Dave Kaufman
The contemporary jazz world is currently witnessing an artistic renaissance, characterized by an upsurge in creativity and innovation. This movement is fueled in part by rising stars such as Joel Ross, Immanuel Wilkins, and Isaiah Collier, as well as seasoned veterans like Charles Lloyd, David Murray, William Parker, Joe Lovano, and Bill Frisell, whose creative passion remains vibrant and fires undiminished decades into their career. However, much of the surge in innovation has been driven by artists who are entering ...
read moreCyrille Aimée: Music Flows From Within
by Scott Lichtman
Renowned vocalist Cyrille Aimée possesses a wholly unique sound. Certainly, it is based on her voice timbre but also reflects her approach to music. She is equally adept at jazz standards and pop-jazz. She can swing and scat on cue, then shift to high tech sound loops. Songs in English, French and Spanish are delivered with equal expressiveness, the same for Stephen Sondheim and Michael Jackson hits. Most importantly, her songs are joyful, buoyant; even the ballads are uplifting. Aimee's ...
read moreBig Ears Festival 2024
by Mark Sullivan
Big Ears Festival Knoxville, TN March 21-24, 2024 After last year's triumphant tenth anniversary, the festival returned with the slogan “The adventure continues." The iconic and influential Nonesuch Records' 60th anniversary was celebrated with performances by Brad Mehldau, Caroline Shaw, Darcy James Argue, Mary Halvorson, Davóne Tines, Sam Amidon, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Yasmin Williams, Rhiannon Giddens, Laurie Anderson and Molly Tuttle, and a rare live performance by Robin Holcomb. Electronica pioneer King ...
read moreBernardo Sassetti: The Pianist Who Danced With Silence
by Nathalie Tamara Freson
If a musician's degree of brilliance is measured by the emotions they awakens in his listeners, then Bernardo Sassetti was a genius. And that he certainly was. With a prolific career (which resulted in a discography and filmography of close to 30 CDs), Sassetti spent the first few years playing alongside illustrious figures of the jazz world, such as Freddie Hubbard, Paquito D'Rivera and Guy Barker, the latter with with whom he collaborated intensively (on albums such as ...
read moreFernando Trueba & They Shot the Piano Player
by Mark Sullivan
Spanish filmmaker Fernando Trueba has long been a jazz fan, and has made several films with a jazz focus. Calle 54 (2000) is still a notable documentary on Latin jazz. The film primarily consists of studio performances by a wide array of Latin Jazz musicians. Artists featured include Chucho Valdés, Bebo Valdés, Cachao, Eliane Elias, Gato Barbieri, Tito Puente, Paquito D'Rivera, Chano Domínguez, Jerry Gonzalez, Dave Valentin, Aquíles Báez, and Michel Camilo. The film takes its name from Sony Music ...
read moreWomen in Jazz Media: Kim Cypher
by B.D. Lenz
It is rare that a jazz musician is just a jazz musician. In order to survive you almost always have to have another gig, teach, or work in some auxiliary role to your music life. A musician who exemplifies this diversification is Kim Cypher, a saxophonist/vocalist based in the UK. Besides being a musician and composer, she is also a radio host, gig promoter and a member of Women in Jazz Media, an organization dedicated to promoting women in this ...
read moreThey Shot the Piano Player
by Mark Sullivan
They Shot the Piano Player Sony Pictures Classics Director: Fernando Trueba Run Time: 103 minutes 2023 They Shot the Piano Player is an animated docudrama that explores the real-world 1976 disappearance of Brazilian pianist Francisco Tenório Júnior. Tenório was a gifted young pianist (34 years old at the time of his disappearance) who was on tour with Toquinho and Vinícius de Moraes in Buenos Aires, Argentina, when he went out on a ...
read moreCharles Lloyd: Defiant Warrior Still On Song
by Chris May
As fool's errands go, few compare with selecting a Top Ten Albums collection from Charles Lloyd's extensive top-drawer output. But here goes. Lloyd newbies could consider the list a launch pad, and seasoned fans can compare the choices with their own... Anyone going to jazz festivals in summer 1966, and lucky enough to catch the Charles Lloyd Quartet, will likely have one tune in particular imprinted on their memory. Not because Lloyd had already twice recorded “Forest ...
read moreBack In The Groove: Material Matters
by Tarik Townsend
An aspect of jazz that is often overlooked is the material. That is, the very tunes that the musicians are performing. Arguably more important than the key or the tempo, the song itself dictates where the musician's inspiration will go, and even that isn't always a sure thing. They're a launching pad and an indicator of an artist's imagination. The material can also lead the players into some fascinating places normally not tread by anyone else--including themselves. Some recent records ...
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