Dinah, Keep Blowing Your Horn
Last fall I wrote an essay for The Syncopated Times titled, “Reconsidering “Dixieland Jazz”, How The Name Has Harmed The Music”. It encouraged the remaining
Recording the Cotton Club Soundtrack, Part Two
See, Part 1 A Real New York Story We had been recording double sessions, often earning overtime to complete more difficult or complicated arrangements. We
Miss Dixie: A Gay Icon’s Almost-Forgotten Music Career
When Yvonne Marther Fasnacht died—on Sunday, 13 November 2011, aged 101—Variety.com carried her obituary. The top entertainment website remembered a pioneering nightclub owner who helped
Hal Smith and Kevin Dorn: Let’s Talk Great Drummers
Following the publication of “Nick Fatool – the Perfect Jazz Percussionist” (Syncopated Times, Nov. 2019), I have been carrying on a dialogue with Kevin Dorn—a
Musicians Hunker Down During COVID
New Yorkers think of themselves as a pretty tough bunch. But even the coolest, most nonchalant among them has to admit: they’ve never seen a
The New Saturday Night
There is this old joke about two musicians catching up on the latest news, and the conversation goes something like this: Musician One: Did you
Bix, West Coast Ragtime Fests Go Virtual
With the avalanche of festival cancellations and postponements that have occurred due to the coronavirus crisis this year, festival organizers are looking for possible ways
Musicians Rise to the Occasion with Good Deeds
Guitarist Jared Engel is one of the more than 175,000 residents of New York City, considered the epicenter of the COVID-19 epidemic in the United
54th annual West Texas Jazz Party rescheduled.
This event was Cancelled. Will be back in 2021 The 54th annual West Texas Jazz Party is rescheduled for August 6-8, 2020 in the beautiful
Don Vappie: the Heart of Creole Jazz
I asked multi-instrumentalist Don Vappie some questions about his life growing up and becoming a musician in the Crescent City. (His latest release, The Blue
Chris Tyle’s Lifelong Musical Odyssey
Hal Smith: You are best known among Traditional Jazz fans as a cornetist, but can you tell us about the instrument you started with? Chris
Roya Naldi: In Tune With the Past
Vocalist Roya Naldi, in her mid-twenties, is probably not a household name among Syncopated Times readers—yet. This interview will hopefully change that. She has just
Texas Shout #3 Hot Dance
Set forth below is the third “Texas Shout” column, reprinted from the February 1990 issue of The American Rag (then West Coast Rag). It was
Texas Shout #8 Guide to Classic Dixieland
Set forth below is the eighth “Texas Shout” column. It first appeared in the July 1990 issue of The West Coast Rag, (now known as
Texas Shout #38 Jazz Singers
Set forth below is the thirty-eighth “Texas Shout” column. It first appeared in the April 1993 issue of the West Coast Rag now The Syncopated
A Visit with Paris Washboard
The renowned French quartet Paris Washboard made a brief trip across the pond in February to play four concerts in my neck of the woods.
A Visit with Matt Tolentino
At the West Coast Ragtime Festival in November I sat down for about half an hour for a wide-ranging conversation with multi-instrumentalist Matt Tolentino, who
From the 2019 San Diego Jazz Festival
Combined with my trip to the West Coast Ragtime Festival as reported last month, I attended for the second time the San Diego Jazz Fest
Lil Armstrong and her Swing Band • Hot Miss Lil — Born to Swing
The Blue Book of Storyville by Don Vappie and Jazz Creole
Easy Riders Jazz Band • Then” and “Now,” Vol. 1
Easy Riders Jazz Band • Then” and “Now,” Vol. 2
Benoit Viellefon and his Hot Club • Paris 19:36 – London 20:16
Benny Carter • Further Definitions
Walter Donaldson • My Blue Heaven
Duchess • Live At Jazz Standard
Better Days Will Come Again: The Life of Arthur Briggs
You Gotta See Your Mama Every Night: Pat Yankee’s Eight Decades in Show Business
I Thought You’d Never Ask: The Recollections of “Ragtime Bob” Darch
Bud Freeman: Profile in Jazz
The tenor-saxophone took a little while to be accepted in jazz. Unlike the alto-sax and C-melody which were considered lead instruments, the tenor did not
Wilbur DeParis: Profiles in Jazz
In the 1950s, trombonist Wilbur DeParis led his New New Orleans Jazz Band, one of the most exciting groups of the era. Accomplishing his stated
Ben Pollack: Profiles in Jazz
Decades ago, a classic Fletcher Henderson four-LP set was titled A Study In Frustration. I always thought that that title was inaccurate as far as
Jazz Festing in Place
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival’s 50th anniversary celebration was cancelled for the weekends of April 23-26 and April 30-May 3. The local radio
Quarantine Reads: Books about New Orleans
Since all of the April festivals have been cancelled, it is a good time to delve into the many available books about New Orleans. The
From the 2020 San Diego Jazz Party
The San Diego Jazz Party began in 1988 and recently celebrated its 32nd anniversary on the weekend of February 21st at the lovely Hilton San
From inside a Livestream with Carl Sonny Leyland
The Basin Street Regulars had finally lined up a band for its March Sunday session and it looked like it was going to be a
Cardinals Host Carl Sonny Leyland and the St. Louis Steady Grinders
What is the best way to spend a Thursday night on the California Central Coast? The best way is by a warm fire, with a
From the 2020 Fresno Sounds of Mardi Gras
On the second weekend in February the Doubletree Hotel in downtown Fresno was filled with the “Sounds of Mardi Gras.” All four venues are located
What We Don’t Know About Justin Ring
When researching, oftentimes what we don’t know about someone can be more interesting than what we do know. In this situation, it can allow our
Fred Hager and ‘Handsome Harry’
This month’s article in this column will step away from the usual type of research done here; this month we will explore a bit of
Fred Hylands in Vaudeville
For researchers, scouring newspaper archives is an essential, yet at times tedious, process. Hours spent reading through century-old papers may yield only a small nugget
Keep Your ?#@*&%! Distance!
My eyes are drilling into a Walgreens cashier as she chats up a small boy with his family. I look to the other person in
The Old Town Music Hall and the King of Jazz
When your friend Katie Cavera invites you to go to the movies to see “the worst movie ever made” you cringe, ponder, and then say
Give a gig this Christmas
This year I saw a covert “holiday” laced commercial in August. The commercial might have been about hemorrhoid cream. I really don’t remember. I do
Frank “Big Boy” Goudie, Pt. 1 of 3, Paris 1924-1939
The path of Creole multi-instrumentalist Frank “Big Boy” Goudie (b. 1899 Lafayette, LA 1899 – d. 1964 San Francisco, CA) parallels the history of Jazz
Farewell to Bob Mielke: Photo Essay and Rare Audio
This lively tribute to Mielke offers three dozen exclusive photos and music tracks from his personal collection. Included in this profile of an innovative bandleader
Dynamic Women of Early Jazz and Classic Blues, Pt 2
Concealed in the shadows of early Jazz, Blues and Popular music history are dynamic and accomplished women who nurtured, guided and developed the music. Several
Your Own Jazz Club at Home
Okay folks, we’re hitting three months of lockdown. And it seems like there’ll be no live music for some time now, at least not here
How to Survive Quarantine
Here we are folks—for most of us, it’s just another day in self-quarantine. How long has it been already? A month, a week, two years?
Preparing for a Performance
When you see a jazz musician up on stage, baring their heart and soul to their audience, you’re witnessing something bordering the miraculous. The true
Brandon Byrne’s Ragtime Composers’ Corner
Several years ago, I met a remarkable young man at the Sedalia Ragtime Festival named Brandon Byrne. Later, I discovered an on-line newsletter he produces
Thinking Positive
Like many reading this, I suspect you are nearly overwhelmed by the negativism accompanying the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a pessimistic time and for many
Peter Lundberg’s Ragtime Odyssey
One of the great ragtime adventure stories I ever heard was of Peter Lundberg’s tour of America in 1963, vising and interviewing ragtime greats across
Remembering Bassist Jerry Bruno
Bassist Jerry Bruno (January 10, 1920 – June 22, 2020) graduated at the age of 100. He was born in Rochester, New York into a
Pianist Freddy Cole has died at 88
Pianist Freddy Cole died on June 27th in Atlanta, he was 88. Born in 1931 in Chicago, he had called Atlanta home for the last
“Forces Sweetheart”, Vera Lynn has died at 103
Dame Vera Lynn, “Forces’ Sweetheart” of WWII Britain died at home on June 18th, she was 103. Forces’ Sweetheart is an honorific given to women
