Jazz

Jazz Reviews and Appreciations: Sheila Jordan at 95 and Ran Blake at 88

January 4, 2024
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It is something of a miracle that we can still hear Sheila Jordan and Ran Blake in live performance, and those experiences should be treasured by their audiences because those opportunities are so precious.

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The 18th Annual Francis Davis Jazz Poll: The State of Our Union Could Be Better

January 2, 2024
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Major record labels were once notorious for trying to entice jazz musicians into selling out; they now find it more expedient to ignore them, leaving them to sell themselves.

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The 18th Annual Francis Davis Jazz Poll: Rare Birds

January 2, 2024
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The special categories tend to get overlooked, or sampled erratically, in the new releases lists, so Francis Davis thought a nudge might help.

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Music Feature: The Best Jazz Albums and Live Shows of 2023

December 20, 2023
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The magazine’s jazz critics look back over the past year and highlight their favorite albums and live shows.

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Concert Review: Indie-Folk Sensation Anjimile at the ICA

December 11, 2023
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The heart of Friday’s performance came in stark impressions borne through Anjimile’s vulnerable voice — along with a little help from his friends.

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Jazz Concert Review: “Samara Joy: A Joyful Holiday” — A Prodigious Joy

December 9, 2023
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Samara Joy uncorked her gospel pipes, the likes of which probably haven’t been heard on mainstream secular stages since Aretha Franklin.

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Book Review: Ella Fitzgerald — A Sublime American Songstress

December 1, 2023
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Biographer Judith Tick is reverent about the singer without falling into hagiography: with honest scrutiny, she asserts the enduring value of Ella Fitzgerald’s achievement for generations to come.

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Jazz Album Reviews: Supple Piano Trios — Led by Les McCann and Bill Evans

November 22, 2023
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Two highly recommended sets available on vinyl in limited editions on Record Store Day, November 24. CD issues will follow shortly afterward.

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Jazz Album Reviews: Craft LP Reissues — Prime Examples of the Golden Age of Jazz Recording

November 21, 2023
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These jazz albums are splendid representations of the first full decade of LPs and of stereo recording as well.

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Jazz Album Reviews: Cal Tjader’s Quintet and Wes Montgomery with the Wynton Kelly Trio in the Mid-’60s

November 15, 2023
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Two upcoming releases of restored radio broadcasts offer so much good listening and so much deeply satisfying jazz that they deserve to share the spotlight. One of them is destined to be seen as a landmark document in jazz history.

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