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Article: Multiple Reviews

Vince Guaraldi��s Charlie Brown: Jazz Impressions and Good Sport

by Mark Sullivan
August 8, 2025

Everyone knows the Vince Guaraldi soundtrack A Charlie Brown Christmas (Fantasy Records, 1965). However, Guaraldi composed and performed music for many other Peanuts-related projects, two of which have been recently released. They represent the beginning and end of the journey: Jazz Impressions of a Boy Named Charlie Brown was recorded in 1964, one year before the ...

Article: Multiple Reviews

Opa and The Blackbyrds: Coveted 1970s Jazz-Funk

by Mark Sullivan
July 29, 2025

Opa released only two albums before disbanding in the early 1980s. While neither of their albums found commercial success during their initial releases (despite the high-profile personalities involved), both titles gained underground followings over the following decades. The Blackbyrds' City Life celebrates its golden anniversary. “Happy Music," the dancefloor-ready title track and the group's heavily sampled ...

Article: Live Review

Festival International de Jazz de Montr��al 2025

by Mark Sullivan
July 16, 2025

Various Venues Festival International de Jazz de Montr��al Montr��al, Canada June 28-July 2, 2025 The headliners of the 45th edition of the festival included names like Gospel legend Mavis Staples, Canadian rockers Blue Rodeo, Canadian Inuk musician Elisapie, New Orleans musician Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Nigerian singer/songwriter Ayra Starr, Canadian ...

Article: Live Review

Joe Troop's Whirlwind at The Evening Muse

by Mark Sullivan
June 7, 2025

Joe Troop's Whirlwind The Evening Muse Charlotte, NC April 23, 2025 Joe Troop grew up in the tobacco town of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. However, a year of study abroad in Spain led him to move to Argentina, where he lived for several years. He absorbed Latin music until it became his ...

Article: Live Review

Big Ears Festival 2025

by Mark Sullivan
April 8, 2025

Big Ears Festival Knoxville, TN March 27-30, 2025 This year's festival again featured several spotlighted events (but none of them required special ticketing, as was tried last year). “Across the Horizon" was a series of concerts combining Americana and ambient music, curated by Bob Holmes and the band SUSS. “Age ...

Article: Year in Review

Mark Sullivan's Favorite Jazz Albums of 2024

by Mark Sullivan
December 25, 2024

This was an exceptional year for jazz albums of all sorts, as well as jazz-adjacent experimental music. The supply of previously unreleased live recordings seemed nearly inexhaustible! People discovered tapes right and left, presenting exceptional performances in good to excellent recording quality. My lists could easily have been much longer. Lists are unranked. ...

Article: Liner Notes

Quartet Diminished: Deerand

by Mark Sullivan
December 15, 2024

Deerand is a Persian term which means “duration" of instrument's tones. Quartet Diminished was established in Iran in 2013 by guitarist Ehsan Sadigh. This is their fourth album, following Station Three (Hermes Records, 2021). Their music is stylistically diverse, drawing freely from contemporary jazz, art rock, and avant-garde music. The membership has been relatively ...

Article: Live Review

The Best of Larry Carlton At Middle C Jazz

by Mark Sullivan
August 20, 2024

Larry Carlton Middle C Jazz The Best of Larry Carlton Charlotte, NC August 15, 2024 Legendary session guitarist Larry Carlton has a deep catalog of memorable tracks that featured his playing. He announced that he was going to follow Frank Sinatra's dictum to always start a show with two songs ...

Article: Big Band in the Sky

Remembering All About Jazz's Dave Binder / John Kelman

by AAJ Staff
August 15, 2024

It is with great sadness that All About Jazz must announce the death of Dave Binder, better known to millions of readers as John Kelman. Dave died of a heart attack on August 10th, after a long bout of illness. For twenty years Dave was the most internationally renowned of all AAJ's contributors, penning over 2,700 ...

Article: Live Review

Festival International de Jazz de Montr��al 2024

by Mark Sullivan
July 11, 2024

Various Venues Festival International de Jazz de Montr��al Montr��al, Canada June 30 to July 4, 2024 This year's official announcement of the headliners of the 44th edition of the festival included André 3000, Norah Jones, Hiatus Kaiyote, Laufey, Robert Glasper, and Orville Peck. This diverse group is notable for departing from ...