Attn: Photographers! New AAJ Photo Gallery Testers Wanted

Dear Fellow Photographers,

All About Jazz is nearing the completion of our new photo gallery and we're looking for a handful of testers that can help us find bugs and give us their impressions on our software (features, ease of use, missing functionality, etc.)

We're looking for testers that can dedicate a couple of hours a week of quality testing time which means putting our software through its paces. You'd work directly with AAJ's lead programmer (and gallery developer) Mike Lorenz. If you're interested, contact Mike at mlorenz@allaboutjazz.com and he'll send you info on how you can get started.

The new gallery will allow you to upload high volume photos and associate them with musicians and events. We also employ tagging technology making your photos easier to find. And we plan to use the gallery to drive traffic to your website, so if you sell prints or want to market your services, this is an ideal way to reach the largest collection of jazz enthusiasts on the web.

Contact Mike if you can help us.

And we look forward to featuring everyone's work at AAJ in the near future.

Thank you!

Michael Ricci
Founder/Publisher, All About Jazz

P.S. If you haven't signed up at AAJ, please do so here. You'll need to register to test. If you signed up but forgot your login info, contact me.

Photo Credit
John Fowler

Legendary British Saxophonist John Surman Interviewed at AAJ

It's increasingly risky to be a musician on the road. When British saxophonist John Surman was traveling from his home in Oslo, Norway, to New York City in September, 2007 for a recording session, he almost lost his baritone saxophone to the airlines. "It is a nightmare traveling now," says Surman, "and hardly a tour goes by without something going missing, and of course there's the damage problem. Nowadays you get one handbag, which of course is my soprano, so I always have that; and wherever possible, I'll perhaps take the baritone mouthpiece in case worse comes to worst. But that being a metal mouthpiece, it's always a trouble at security. The security guards think I've got a snub nose revolver or something. I don't know what they think I'm gonna do with a metal mouthpiece [laughs]."

In AAJ Managing Editor John Kelman's extensive and in-depth interview with the legendary saxophonist, John Surman: From Boy Choirs to Big Horns, Surman talks about his lengthy career and the perils of traveling, with particular focus on his latest release, Brewster's Rooster (ECM, 2009), an overdue return to conventional jazz form with an anything but conventional jazz group - guitarist John Abercrombie, bassist Drew Gress and drummer Jack DeJohnette.

As part of AAJ's extensive coverage of Surman and Brewster's Rooster, you can also read John Kelman's review, published a couple weeks back, as well as a brand new review of Rain on the Window (ECM, 2008), a stunningly beautiful duo date with church organist Howard Moody, published today at AAJ.

AAJ is committed to providing the most extensive and in-depth coverage surrounding new releases, so be sure to check out all the buzz about John Surman, Brewster's Rooster and Rain on the Window at AAJ today!

Pianist Yaron Herman Interviewed at AAJ

Pianist Yaron Herman, an Israeli now living in Paris, is one of the most talented artists of the Parisian jazz musical scene. He was a promising basketball player on the Israeli national junior team when he was cut short by a knee injury. He then decided to take up playing the piano at age 16. His teacher, the renowned Opher Brayer--famous for his methods based on philosophy and mathematics--taught him the craving for self-knowledge and discovery.

At 19, Yaron left for Boston to learn at the Berklee College School of Music, but quickly decided to return to Tel Aviv as it didn't satisfy his personal search. On the way back he stopped over in Paris, met some musicians during a jam session and decided to remain there. He has developed a theory of musical improvisation called Real Time Composition, which led to a series of lectures, given at the Sorbonne University in Paris.

Following the success of his two last albums, Time for Everything (2007) and Muse (2009)--the latter recently nominated for the French Victoires du Jazz award, and both released on the superb French label Laborie Jazz--Yaron Herman is pursuing a marathon-like tour that is taking him to the four corners of the world.

AAJ Contributor Jean-Marc Gelin spoke with Herman about his trio, working with American musicians, and his uncompromising view of what his artistry must be.

Check out Yaron Herman: An Urgent Need to Play at AAJ today!

Guitarist Wayne Krantz Interviewed at AAJ...And More!

Guitarist Wayne Krantz is one of the great non-conformists. An improviser who avoids stylistic limitations and cliche like the plague, his music draws from diverse elements and welds them sonically to create something quite personal.

Krantz has turned his back on recording studios for the last 15 years, choosing instead to release live shows through his own Website. After a month or so, these recordings are removed, as Krantz has little interest in the work which lies behind him and is always searching for new challenges. Like a painter with a new canvas, his palette always throws up some interesting new colors.

A decade-and-a-half later, and reunited with long-term associates bassist Tim Lefebvre and drummer Keith Carlock, Krantz has returned to the recording studio to record Krantz Carlock Lefebvre, just released by Abstract Logix on August 18, 2009.

AAJ Contributor Ian Patterson spoke with Krantz about the making of the album, and blurring the boundaries between form and freedom. Check out Ian's interview, Wayne Krantz: Back on Track, at AAJ today.

But that's not all. AAJ is featuring even more coverage of what is surely one of the most important guitar releases of the year:

1. Read Ian's insightful review of Krantz Carlock Lefebvre;

2. Download and/or listen to Krantz's “Holy Joe," a complete track from Krantz Carlock Lefebvre, today's AAJ Daily Download;

3. Watch Krantz, Carlock and Lefebvre live in Marcia from 1999, today's AAJ Daily Video;

4. Watch out for Abstract Logix's giveaway of Krantz Carlock Lefebvre, an AAJ contest giveaway. The contest begins on September 4, and all you have to do is follow Wayne Krantz at AAJ by clicking here; you'll be automatically entered into the contest when it's formally announced.

AAJ is committed to providing the most extensive coverage available surrounding new releases, so be sure to check out all the buzz about Wayne Krantz and Krantz Carlock Lefebvre at AAJ today!

Harmolodic Guitarist Bern Nix Interviewed at AAJ

New York-based free jazz guitarist Bern Nix is one of the few people who are well-versed in Ornette Coleman's "harmolodics" style. He played with Coleman from 1975-1988, and now leads the Bern Nix Trio in New York City. In his compositions and his intriguing covers of standards, he is always looking in the corners of the music for something new.

AAJ Contributor Simon J. Harper spoke at length with Nix, about his early roots, the life-changing experience of working with Coleman, and his own more recent work.

Check out Bern Nix: A History In Harmolodics at AAJ today!

Bill Anschell's Notes from the Lobby: A New Column at All About Jazz

All About Jazz has launched a new column in collaboration with musician, composer, writer and humorist, Bill Anschell. You can read Bill's latest "Notes from the Lobby" installment "Careers in Jazz" (published yesterday) along with his archive here.

Bill Anschell's Notes from the Lobby

• Careers in Jazz
• Notes from the Lobby
• Jazz Jam Sessions: A First-Timer's Guide
• Jazz Math

More About Bill

Seattle native Bill Anschell returned to the Emerald City in 2002 after spending 25 years studying, composing, and performing across the country and around the world.

Anschell left Seattle after high school, studying for two years at Oberlin College (Ohio), then earning his Music Degree from Wesleyan University (Connecticut). At Wesleyan, Anschell worked closely with saxophone great Bill Barron. He also studied semi-privately with South Indian mrdangum master T Ranganathan, kindling a passion for rhythmic experimentation that has driven Anschell's music ever since.

Continue...

More AAJ widgets in the right column

We've added four more AAJ Widgets to the right column of our blog: Today's Birthdays, Quote of the Day, Contest Giveaway of the Week, and This Day in Jazz History.

If you want to add an AAJ widget (or two or ten) to your website or blog, click here.

Singer Karrin Allyson Interviewed at AAJ

Karrin Allyson is one of the busiest jazz vocalists on the domestic and international scene these days. Starting her musical journey studying classical piano, Allyson discovered jazz and jazz singing in college and thus claimed her future.

Over the years, Allyson has honed her singing, songwriting and piano skills and has recorded twelve CDs, all on the Concord Record label; the longtime association considered a major feat in the recording industry. This has led to three Grammy nominations in the Best Jazz Vocal Album category; the latest nomination coming in 2008 for her Imagina: Songs of Brasil CD.

AAJ Contributor Marcia Hillman spoke at length with Allyson about Imagina, why she sings, and the state of jazz festivals today.

Check out Karrin Allyson: Has Jazz, Will Travel at AAJ today!