Monday, June 29, 2009

Saxophonist Chris Potter Interviewed at AAJ...And More

Saxophonist Chris Potter, at age 38, has long been fast-tracked to the head of his class to become regarded as one of the strongest players on the scene. It doesn't seem that long ago that he was first making waves on recordings, and then became part of the superb Dave Holland quintet, where his strengths were put on display all over the globe.

Fact is, Potter has earned his stripes every step of the way. He's made his bones with some of the greats in the art form, all along the way developing his thing. It can be heard in his recordings over time. Growth. Maturity. Strength. It's evident, and other musicians are aware of it. That's why his phone is always ringing. That's not bound to stop. Not because of his age and how much he has before him, but because Potter possesses the attitude of many of his influences, like Holland. The spirit of adventure; the desire to take on challenges.

AAJ's R.J. DeLuke spoke at length with Potter about Ultrahang, his third release with his Underground group--Craig Taborn , Adam Rogers and Nate Smith, being released officially on July 1, 2009. The two also discussed how the saxophonist has managed to achieve such in-demand status at such a young age, and his experience working with artists including Marian McPartland and Jim Hall. Learn all about it in Chris Potter: Way Above Ground with Underground, published at AAJ today.

Additionally, Managing Editor John Kelman has weighed in on Ultrahang in his CD review, also published today.

AAJ is committed to bringing you the most extensive coverage available surrounding important new releases, so be sure to check out the buzz about Chris Potter and Ultrahang at AAJ today!

More Pagination!

For all you pagination lovers, we've added scrolling to the MP3 Download of the Day, Video of the Day, Musician Kudos, Contest Giveaway of the Week, and Podcast of the Week pages.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Contributor News: June 2009

Dear fellow AAJ contributor,

2009 continues to be our year as we recently won our 8th consecutive Jazz Journalists Association (JJA) Jazz Award for best website. For more exciting news please read on...


AAJ: Built to Last

Amongst all the industry doom and gloom, AAJ remains a beacon that is experiencing significant growth. Regardless of what you hear about the state of the music business in general, we remain optimistic about our future as more and more sponsors (and readers) turn to the web and choose All About Jazz. Our content is stronger than ever, we're building a formative editorial and writing staff, our technology is constantly improving, we're following our project plan and seeing impressive results, we're developing strategic partnerships, and above all, we're having fun and serving jazz.


Embedded Comments and Pagination

We made two significant improvements to article.php (the script that presents articles and CD reviews). You'll notice that we now show the comments box to registered members. Adding the box has already given our reader comment volume a boost and activity grows by the day. We also added a new pagination feature to make our longer articles easier to read. Check out this example.


Gina Vodegel: How You Can Help

We're always on the look out for more editors to help us prepare articles and CD reviews. Please read this request by fellow editor Gina Vodegel on how you can participate.

First, I'd like to say a few words about being an editor for All About Jazz. The job description is simple, to edit incoming reviews by various contributors. You never know what will be next, what artist or style you'll be reading about. This is a nice surprising element I enjoy very much. And it's also very handy to learn about new music this way!

The work itself requires a sense for the English/American language, of course. And has a few basic and often practical or technical guidelines. In general, contributors are free to write in their own style and voice. As such, editing is never the same, never boring and always a challenge in the most positive meaning of the word. Another nice aspect is the opportunity to communicate and become friends with other people.

Contributors as well as editors hail from different backgrounds, with one main thing they share: commitment to spread the word about music. Good music. So, if you happen to be reading this and feel an itch to join the editorial staff, please do. Visit the Contributor Center and click the appropriate links.

Thank you!
Gina

Contact John Kelman if you have an interest in joining our editorial staff.


Big Numbers

Speaking of encouraging signs, All About Jazz won its 8th consecutive Jazz Journalists Association (JJA) Jazz Award, we exceeded 91,000 readers on June 9th, we topped 60,000 MY AAJ registrations on June 22nd, and we raced past 4,000,000 MP3 downloads on May 26th. The web is all about building momentum, and we're definitely on a roll.


Jason Crane's Podcast of the Week

Long-time AAJ contributor and podcaster Jason Crane is now featuring his outstanding weekly program The Jazz Session at AAJ. You can access it by clicking "Podcast" in the navigation bar or scroll down the right side of each page and click the latest podcast. This week Jason is featuring the band Rudder.


CD Assignments

We just sent out a big batch of CD packages to several writers. If you requested CDs over the last couple of months, chances are your package is on the way.

We do have a surplus of vocal and straight-ahead jazz CDs, so if you have an interest in either style and would like to review some, contact me direct.


Looking for reviews of...

We're looking for reviews of the following three CDs for inclusion on the AAJ home page:


David Hazeltine & Joe Locke
Mutual Admiration Society 2
Sharp Nine Records

Bill Anschell & Brent Jensen
We Couldn't Agree More
Origin Records

Rudder
Matorning
Nineteen-Eight Records


Get Your Widgets!

We're expanding our suite of widgets in an effort to push our content out beyond All About Jazz. If you have a website or blog, please consider adding an AAJ widget or two.

What are AAJ widgets you say? AAJ widgets are dynamically updated and customizable content boxes that are pushed from AllAboutJazz.com to a user's website or blog. View how they appear at the Jazz Excursion website, the Montreal Jazz Festival website or the AAJ News Blog. See them all in action on a single page.


Chris May

Congratulations to one and all for a much deserved 2009 JJA Jazz Award. This year we'd like to bring special attention to the efforts of Chris May. Chris is a senior editor, a regular contributor, and has helped shape the direction of AAJ since he came on board back in 2004. Thanks, Chris!

All the best,

Michael Ricci

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Bill Frisell: The Quiet Genius

If there is a given within the music of guitarist Bill Frisell, it's the honest approach in every note he composes and plays. There are no compromises. His magical world of creativity incorporates yet transcends all styles and genres of music, and as one of today's most original and innovative composers, he has created a unique and distinct voice that has developed into his own personal musical language.

Without perhaps trying to do so, Frisell creates the greatest support yet for the argument that jazz doesn't have to be stylized, compartmentalized, or labeled. There is a seamless quality to his compositional approach that weaves between various cultures, generations, and styles within his art form. Bill prefers not to speak about his music but to let it unfold and thereby challenge listeners to find their own interpretation, their own relationship with the music.

Within the depths and at the heart of his creative process, he stays true to the jazz approach, yet on the surface, there lies a musical diversity from many generations of Americana to the music of South America, Europe, and Africa. A brilliant guitarist, one hears influences from Jim Hall to Jimi Hendrix, but to focus on his technical proficiency would be to deny his compositional genius as a painter of sound.

Continue...

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Pagination



We've added a new pagination feature to make our longer articles easier to read. Check out this example.

Trumpeter Chad McCullough Interviewed at AAJ

Seattle trumpeter Chad McCullough has been working hard to garner a reputation in his hometown and beyond as a versatile, creative musician. McCullough has performed with a wide range of artists, including Jay Thomas, Claudio Roditi, Marc Seales, Thomas Marriott, Ingrid Jensen and Bob Florence. He's toured extensively with the Glenn Miller Orchestra in the jazz trumpet chair, and also as the band's pianist.

McCullough's debut recording, Dark Wood, Dark Water (Origin Records, 2009), taken from the title of a poem by American poet Sylvia Plath (1932-1963), is a strong debut, emphasizing the 27-year-old trumpeter's prowess as an improviser who demonstrates an understanding of the rich lineage of jazz trumpet.

AAJ Contributor John Barron spoke with McCullough recently, providing a window into Dark Wood, Dark Water, as well as his day-to-day work behind the scenes with Origin Records.

Check out Chad McCullough: Playing to the Gig at AAJ today!

Monday, June 22, 2009

AAJ Wins 2009 Jazz Journalist Award for Website of the Year

All About Jazz won its 8th consecutive JJA Jazz Award. Click here to view the entire list of winners.

Pianist/Bandleader Arturo O'Farrill Interviewed at AAJ

Arturo O'Farrill, an extraordinary pianist, admits he came out of the bebop school of playing, a Bud Powell disciple, and his strong chops would attest to that. He didn't pursue the music of his father--the great Chico O'Farrill--in his younger days, but he came upon it as he studied the music. He came to not only appreciate it, but his excellent bands embody it.

He's led two Latin big bands, one celebrating his father's music (the Chico O'Farrill Afro Cuban Jazz Orchestra and the other--the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra--examining more broad influences. The latter's Una Noche Inolvidable (An Unforgettable Night), (Palmetto Records, 2005) was nominated for a 2006 Grammy and its Song for Chico (Zoho Music, 2008) won the 2009 Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album.

Veteran AAJ Contributor R.J. DeLuke spoke with O'Farrill about the genesis of the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, bringing Latin music into the mainstream, and his views on what jazz needs to do in order to regain its status as popular music.

Check out Arturo O'Farrill: Upholding the Latin Tinge at AAJ today!