Featured Videos

In the Night

Featuring the music of Larry Tamanini
Duration: 6:14

Front & Center is an exciting EP from jazz guitarist Larry Tamanini and is the second album Larry has released as a leader. On this second album is was important for him to showcase his compositional skills as well as his talents as an improviser.

All of the six songs on this album were written by Larry and feature his unique and personal songwriting style, ranging from the high energy opening title track "Front & Center" to the melodic odd meter excursion "Five Minds" and the super soulful earthy picking on "In The Night" which evokes a classic Blue Note feel while still sounding current and fresh.

Throughout this album, Larry had the great fortune to be accompanied by a stellar lineup of musicians including George Hazelrigg on piano with impeccable timing and taste coupled with some powerful soloing and responsive comping. Geoff Hazelrigg on bass holding down the low end with authority and defining the group sound with spirited interplay with all soloists as well as some poignant moments out front. West Coast import John O'Reilly Jr completes the quartet with his remarkable dynamics John is the catalyst for so much of the music and spontaneity that happens on this album.

A thoroughly well played and recorded album Front & Center is a must-listen statement from Larry and for any fan of hi-resolution sounding creative music and definitely changes the game for how any guitar plus an acoustic rhythm trio can sound and be produced.

Chicken Tenders

Featuring the music of Daniel Mandrychenko
Duration: 8:43

"Chicken Tenders" by guitarist Daniel Mandrychenko is the first track on his debut album, Anti, which is available now. "Chicken Tenders" is also the most-listened-to track on All About Jazz so far this year. Daniel Mandrychenko is a multi-genre guitarist from the Bay Area. For his debut, Daniel chose producer Adam Munoz, known for his work on multiple Grammy-nominated Bill Frisell records. Evan Williams (drums) and Danny Castro (bass) cut their teeth with some of the Bay Area's best musicians. Dann Zinn (tenor sax) has played with Joe Henderson and Freddie Hubbard. 'Anti' is one of the last albums ever recorded at Fantasy Studios - a remarkable musical statement from this promising young guitarist.

The audience is growing

Featuring the music of Chris Abelen
Duration: 0:45

"The audience is growing" is from Chris Abelen's solo trombone album due out in April 2020.

Life Goes On

Featuring the music of Carla Bley
Duration: 6:00

A striking album of new music from pianist/composer Carla Bley, whose trio with Andy Sheppard and Steve Swallow is now in its 25th year. Individual associations among the players go back much further: bassist Swallow first recorded music by Carla in 1961. So when Bley says “Life Goes On”, a lot of life is alluded to. The album, realized in the Auditorio Stelio Molo Studio in Lugano in May 2019, with Manfred Eicher producing, takes the form of three suites. The title piece begins as a stoical blues, at first melancholic then hopeful. “Beautiful Telephones”, inspired by a US president’s first observation on entering the Oval Office, has plenty of Bley’s dark wit. And “Copycat” explores the notion of call-and-response in fresh ways as the improvisers continue each other’s thoughts. Throughout, Carla’s distinctive piano, with its hints of Monk and Satie, is beautifully framed by Swallow’s eloquent, elegant bass guitar and Sheppard’s yearning saxes. This trio has a unique collective sound, reflecting – as The Telegraph recently noted – “musical mastery of a rare order”.   

Balinese Butterflies by Frank Macchia & Brock Avery

Featuring the music of Frank Macchia
Duration: 3:21

Rhythm Abstraction: Azure is the first volume of new compositions created as a follow up to 2018’s release Rhythm Kaleidoscope. As with that release, Brock Avery improvised drum and percussion solos. Frank Macchia then composed music for woodwinds and orchestra to Brock’s creations. Azure is the first of three extended play albums of 6-7 compositions which will be released starting in January and followed up in April and July. In Azure we have a created a group of pieces that continue our quest for honoring the art of improvisation with a “stream-of-consciousness” sense of composition, where Frank reacted to whatever Brock created with his drum improvisations and continued to pursue the use of tone rows and motifs to create a music journey that ebbs and flows with the rhythm and takes the listener on a journey through rhythm and sound.

Go: Organic Orchestra and Brooklyn Raga Massive - RAGMALA

Featuring the music of Adam Rudolph
Duration: 8:09

World music pioneer Adam Rudolph and his groundbreaking Go: Organic Orchestra join forces with Brooklyn Raga Massive to create the monumental new album, Ragmala – A Garland of Ragas (Meta Records). Ragmala bridges generations, cultures and traditions in a deep-rooted, forward-looking sound born of 21st-century innovation and hybrid voices. Epic in scale and ambition, the project features 40 world-class musicians including Gnawa master musician Hassan Hakmoun, legendary drummer/percussionist Hamid Drake, forward-thinking cornetist Graham Haynes, and tradition-blurring flutist Kaoru Watanabe combining forces with Brooklyn Raga Massive’s Trina Basu, Jay Gandhi, Samarth Nagakar, and many others.

Gravy Waltz featuring Christian McBride

Featuring the music of Benny Benack III
Duration: 4:49

A duo performance of Ray Brown's tune "Gravy Waltz" ft. Christian McBride on bass from trumpeter/vocalist Benny Benack III's sophomore album "A Lot of Livin' to Do".