For some jazz singers, telling a story through a song’s lyrics is a primary goal. The three vocalists covered in this month’s vocal reviews, newcomer Cécile McLorin Salvant , and veterans Carline Ray and Marlene VerPlanck, all share this ideal. Their latest discs are evaluated by Thomas Cunniffe.
Swing is a less important factor in the jazz of today, but that doesn’t mean that swing is dead. In this month’s instrumental CD reviews, Thomas Cunniffe examines a quartet of new discs by musicians of several generations that shows the validity of straight-ahead jazz.
In recent years, many jazz venues have added live video streaming as a way to add to their revenue and recognition. Theoretically, a live feed should be the next best thing to being there, but in this month’s Sidetracks, Thomas Cunniffe discusses the highs and lows of video streaming, and spotlights a club that’s trying to set the bar higher.
A Midsummer Night’s Stream Read More »
Jazz History Online marks the new year with a summation of the year just passed. Thomas Cunniffe’s Sidetracks essay discusses the highlights of concerts, books, DVDs, films, and CDs of 2012, and bids farewell to many great musicians who left our world in the past 12 months.
The Summation 2012 Read More »
Jazz History Online marks the new year with a summation of the year just passed. Thomas Cunniffe’s Sidetracks essay discusses the highlights of concerts, books, DVDs, films, and CDs of 2013, and bids farewell to many great musicians who left our world in the past 12 months.
The Summation 2013 Read More »
As 2017 comes to a close, Jazz History Online recognizes the best new and reissued CDs, DVDs, concerts and books that have appeared in our pages over the past 12 months. We also pay tribute to the great musicians and historians who left us in 2017.
The Summation 2017 Read More »
In a dazzling concert at the King Center, the Swingle Singers made their first appearance in Denver in three years. They brought with them a new bass singer named Edward Randell, and Thomas Cunniffe reports that Randell is not only carrying on the tradition of his predecessors but adding his own distinctive mark to the group.
The Swingle Singers at King Center, Denver (October 12, 2012) Read More »
Performing solo can be both liberating and challenging for a jazz musician. Yet solo performances tend to expose new dimensions of a player’s identity. This month, Ben Markley focuses his attention on new solo releases by guitarist Jonathan Kreisberg and pianists John Medeski and Frederick Moyer.
Jazz History Online: dedicated to the finest in jazz–past and present.
From the Editor 12-13 Read More »
Jazz History Online: dedicated to the finest in jazz–past and present.
From the Editor 12-14 Read More »
For the past 18 years, Howard and Cathy Stone have hosted a world-class jazz party in Vail, Colorado. The party attracts loyal groups of musicians and fans who share a love for great music. Thomas Cunniffe reviews this year’s festivities, which included Cyrille Aimée, Terell Stafford, Wycliffe Gordon, the Jeff Hamilton trio, Houston Person, James Carter, Niki Haris and the Clayton Brothers.
The Vail Jazz Party (August 31-September 3, 2012) Read More »
On the surface, the Vail Jazz Party doesn’t change much from year to year. But the continuing programs like the multi-media tributes and the Gospel Prayer Meetin’ have evolved over time, and each party includes fresh concepts, such as this year’s piano duets set. Thomas Cunniffe, who has attended several Vail jazz parties, offers his impressions of the 20th anniversary edition in this month’s Concert Review.
The 2014 Vail Jazz Party (August 29-September 1, 2014) Read More »
Years ago, jazz musicians would typically release two or three albums a year, but with the current state of the recording industry, new CDs appear much less regularly. The three instrumental albums reviewed this month by Thomas Cunniffe are by artists who have not released albums as leaders or with their usual groups in several years. However, these recordings by Pat Bianchi, Maria Schneider and Terell Stafford were worth the wait.
There are probably more women instrumentalists on the current jazz scene than at any other time in the music’s history. Thomas Cunniffe and Amy Duncan offer capsule reviews of new CDs led by Sarah Elgeti, Jessica Jones, Virginia Mayhew, Roberta Piket and Anne Sajdera.
Women in Jazz: The Instrumentalists Read More »