Articles by Michael Ricci
The Infinite Groove: Top 10 Classic Jazz Marathons
by Michael Ricci
Classic Jazz | Prog Rock While the “3-minute single" was the rule for radio, the jazz world of the mid-20th century operated on a different internal clock. With the arrival of the Long Play (LP) record, jazz musicians finally had the “room" to let their ideas breathe. This era gave birth to the extended jam, often referred to as a “blowing session," where the primary goal was to capture the spontaneous telepathy of a group of virtuosos. These ...
Continue ReadingThe Grand Sonic Journey: Top 10 Progressive Rock Epics of All Time
by Michael Ricci
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a musical revolution occurred when rock musicians decided the standard three-minute pop format was no longer enough. Enter progressive rock--a genre characterized by boundless ambition, virtuosic musicianship, and a sheer fearlessness when it came to track length. Bands fused rock and roll with classical structures, jazz improvisation, and avant-garde experimentation to create sprawling, multi-part suites that often required an entire side of a vinyl record. These extended compositions, typically running anywhere ...
Continue ReadingResonant Access
by Michael Ricci
In this jazz fiction piece, Resonant Access, music is more than expression--it's a form of inquiry. Elliot Mercer, a modern jazz alto saxophonist and theoretical physicist, discovers that sustained tones and careful listening can destabilize the very systems meant to observe and control the world around him. Blending improvisation, science, and quiet resistance, the story explores jazz as a discipline of resonance, choice, and freedom--one that exists only in the moment it is played. Elliot Mercer discovered it ...
Continue ReadingTo Boldly Swing
by Michael Ricci
I boarded the U.S.S. Enterprise at Starbase 11 with my hands in my coat pockets, feeling for all the universe like a kid walking into his first club date--equal parts confidence and nerves. The ship loomed above me, impossibly clean, humming softly, as if already in a comfortable vamp. You could feel it breathing. “Welcome aboard," said the transporter chief, smiling as if jazz bands materialized on Federation starships every day. Maybe they did. It was 2265, after ...
Continue ReadingMost Viewed In Pictures articles: 2025
by Michael Ricci
Photographers report on jazz happenings from around the world, and we present them on All About Jazz as In Pictures articles. We also track the frequency these articles are viewed, and the articles listed below represent our most popular in .2025. SFJAZZ Spring Concerts In Pictures August 28, 2025 Views: 26,671 Laufey and the Virginia Symphony at the Chartway Arena In Pictures August 17, 2025
Continue ReadingMost Read Album Reviews: 2025
by Michael Ricci
All About Jazz tracks how often an album review is read, and the reviews listed below represent our most popular in 2025 Alma Libre Arturo Sandoval Reviewed by Karan Khosla July 23, 2025 And Now Kjetil Mulelid Reviewed by John Eyles February 16, 2025 Old Home/New Home Brian Martin Reviewed by Jack Bowers August 23, 2025 Lado B Brazilian Project 2 Otmaro ...
Continue ReadingPopular Jazz Songs: 2025
by Michael Ricci
All About Jazz tracks how often a featured song is heard, and the following represent the most popular in 2025. If you missed them the first time around, give them a listen now, and enjoy! I'll Be Always With You From: Alma Libre By Arturo Sandoval Tutu From: TUTU -Tribute to Miles (Feat. Stefano Andreatta) By Selma Boragian Rising From: Rising By Daniel Garbin ...
Continue ReadingMost Read Articles: 2025
by Michael Ricci
All About Jazz tracks how often an article is read, and the articles listed below represent our most popular in 2025. Best Jazz Albums of 2025: All-Star Break Edition Year in Review July 2, 2025 Bob Schlesinger at Dazzle Live Review August 20, 2025 The Unlikely Story of Cannonball Adderley's Rise to the Top So You Don't Like Jazz ...
Continue ReadingGiving Thanks & Spreading the Jazz Joy
by Michael Ricci
As always, we're celebrating Thanksgiving by recognizing two special groups of people: our benefactors, who helped make much of the 2025 website improvements possible, and our staff, who contribute and edit articles throughout the year. Both contributions are immeasurable, and we thank you all for your generosity, passion, creativity, and friendship. The good people who support this website are as cool--and as essential--as the music itself. With deep appreciation, thank you again! A daily commitment since 1995 At ...
Continue ReadingChuck Mangione: Back On Track
by Michael Ricci
This article first appeared on All About Jazz in June 1999... without embedded videos. For three decades, Chuck Mangione's infectious energy, unbridled enthusiasm, and pure joy have defined his deep passion for music. Born and raised in jny: Rochester, New York, he first garnered attention playing with the Jazz Brothers alongside his older brother, Gap. Chuck later left home to join Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, stepping into the trumpet chair once held by Clifford Brown, Lee ...
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