In 1920 Mamie Smith’s Crazy Blues paved the way for Black Music
Mathematical sticklers may demur, but I take pleasure in declaring the twenties have finally arrived again. The ringing in of a new decade—a twenties that
A History of New Orleans Mardi Gras
Fat Tuesday, also known as Mardi Gras, is Feb. 25th this year. Mardi Gras dates back thousands of years to pagan celebrations of spring and
Move Over ODJB: Jazz Was First Recorded in 1916
When looking at music history, it is easy to focus on the canon—artists of undisputed importance who more often than not have achieved some kind
The First Jazz on Disc: Why Haenschen Swings
Sound recordings as documents of stylistic development are an integral part of jazz research. Being able to hear musical transformation and evolution over a period
Golden Anniversary for New Reformation Band
It all began innocently enough in the late 1960s when Dave Oppermann, a business person by day and a sing-along piano player by night, and
Steel to Brass: The Life and Times of a Yorkshire Jazzman
Colin Yates’ musical resume straddles the Atlantic, encompassing two very different styles. He was born in South Yorkshire, a county famed for collieries and their
Going Forward: Building on the Legacy of Bryan Cather
When I reached out about contributing stories to The Syncopated Times last fall I included a long list of topics for articles. I had carefully crafted
The Barbary Coast Dixieland Jazz Band Retires After 52 Years
The Barbary Coast Dixieland Jazz Band holds a special place in Minnesota music history—and not just because its members were inducted into the Minnesota Music
Paris Washboard Make Rare US Tour
Paris Washboard, the renowned French quartet, will be making its first US appearance in over two years, with four concerts in February in Pennsylvania and
John Royen Rules the Ivories, Feeds the Gators
John Royen is one of the premier stride pianists active today. His background includes work with some of the best-known Traditional Jazz performers in the
Legendary Guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli turns 94
Bucky Pizzarelli turned 94 on January 9th. Lew Shaw interviewed him for this profile when both men were a mere 88. Having a conversation with
Manhattan Transfer’s Alan Paul on Five Decades of Vocal Harmony
A founding member talks about the group’s history and its enduring appeal The Manhattan Transfer is the most successful vocal jazz group in music history.
Texas Shout #68 Dixieland Revisited, part 2
Set forth below is the sixty-eighth “Texas Shout” column. The concluding installment of a two-part essay,(part 1,) it first appeared in the December 1995 issue
Texas Shout #67 Dixieland Revisited
Set forth below is the sixty-seventh “Texas Shout” column. The initial installment of a two-part essay, it first appeared in the November 1995 issue of
Texas Shout #66 Government Subsidies
Set forth below is the sixty-sixth “Texas Shout” column. The concluding installment of a two-part essay (part 1), it first appeared in the October 1995
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
From the 2019 West Coast Ragtime Festival
Sometimes too much of a good thing is, well, too much. Such is the case with the West Coast Ragtime Festival, which I attended for
From The Central Pennsylvania Ragtime & American Music Festival
The eleventh annual Central Pennsylvania Ragtime & American Music Festival took place on September 20-22 in Orbisonia and Mount Union. There was a slight change
Barber, Ball and Bilk: At The Jazz Band Ball
The Swingsations are Still Swingin’
The Crustaceous Capers of the Jumbo Shrimp Jazz Band
Don Vappie & Jazz Créole: The Blue Book Of Storyville
The Eighty-Six Years Of Eubie Blake
George Lewis & Alton Purnell
Phil Napoleon: That’s A Plenty
Sail Along Silvery Moon by The Golden Eagle Jazz Band
A&R Pioneers: Architects of American Roots Music on Record
Jazz Beat: Notes on Classic Jazz by Lew Shaw
Clive Wilson: Time of my Life
Music: A Subversive History, by Ted Gioia
Paul Whiteman: Profiles in Jazz
A household name during the 1920s, Paul Whiteman led the most popular orchestra of the decade. He expertly mixed together occasional jazz pieces with semi-classical
Jelly Roll Morton: Profiles in Jazz
Jelly Roll Morton was a towering figure in early jazz, and one with a very large number of accomplishments. As a pianist who had his
Nat King Cole: Profiles in Jazz
The Nat King Cole story is a tale of two major talents, both owned by the same person. Equally skilled as a jazz pianist and
New Orleans Music Observed: The Art of Noel Rockmore and Emilie Rhys
The New Orleans Jazz Museum’s new exhibition: New Orleans Music Observed: The Art of Noel Rockmore and Emilie Rhys had its grand opening on January
New Decade, Old Friends, Live Music, and Lots of Saints!
We decided to spend New Year’s Eve and 12th night in New Orleans. I was thinking it would be somewhat of a “quiet” visit not
From The 30th Annual Arizona Classic Jazz Festival
The 30th Annual Arizona Classic Jazz Festival was held the first weekend in November at the always welcoming Crowne Plaza San Marcos Golf Resort in
Ragtime Bob Darch Centennial Concert set for March 27th
2020 will be the 100th anniversary of “Ragtime” Bob Darch’s birth and, thanks to the generous sponsorship of David “Smiley” Wallace of Kansas City, a
Valentine’s Day with Tatiana Eva-Marie & The Avalon Jazz Band
With a specialty in the music of mid century Parisian cafes, few groups are as uniquely suited to a Valentines’s Day show as Tatiana Eva-Marie’s
North Carolina Jazz Festival Plans 40th Annual Bash
On a cold winter’s night in Chicago, 1979, Dr. Harry Van Velsor, esteemed Wilmington, NC, dermatologist and jazz musician, stopped in a local bar for
From the 33rd West Coast Ragtime Festival
A plenitude of pleasures delighted fans who filled Rancho Cordova’s elegant Marriott Hotel and then some as the 33rd annual West Coast Ragtime Festival opened
Mike Durham’s Classic Jazz Party in Whitley Bay
I have attended quite a few jazz festivals over the years, but none like the Mike Durham’s Classic Jazz Party in Whitley Bay. If I
From the 2019 Suncoast Jazz Festival
I just returned from Suncoast Jazz Festival in Clearwater, Florida. Let’s cut to the chase. It was outstanding in every respect; organization, music, venue and
The Original Frank Banta
Record collectors may be familiar with the name Frank Banta—a name usually associated with hot novelty and jazz piano of the 1920s, and rightfully so.
Fred Hager’s Scraps and Scribbles
In the field of collecting acoustic era recordings, many scholars carry on their research and listening with the idea that items like diaries and scrapbooks
Fred Hager and the Birth of Country Music
The recent release of Ken Burns’ multi-part documentary Country Music has sparked much conversation in the music history community. Just a few months before this
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
Everybody Comes to Curley’s!
David Boeddinghaus, Banu Gibson, Tim Laughlin, Chloe Feoranzo, The entire Baker/Clancy family, Ralf and John Reynolds, Bob Ringwald, Dawn Lambeth, Chet Jaeger, and Pieter Meijers
Swinging with Trumpeter Buck Clayton
Jazz trumpet player Buck Clayton is best known for his role in the early years of the Count Basie orchestra and sensitive accompaniment to Billie
The Maestro and the Gypsy: Andre Ekyan and Django Reinhardt, 1932-50
This is an introduction to French jazz musician Andre Ekyan (1907-1972) who played alto saxophone and clarinet and made robust contributions to the development of
The Infamous Burp Hollow, San Francisco Nightclub, 1956-66
“A seamy hole in the wall on Broadway — the booming entertainment strip of North Beach— this joint was near the bottom of the long
The Professor in Bed
Okay folks, let’s talk about sex. We may as well do so…it’s on our minds all the time anyway (just ask Freud). Most of us
How to Pick Up a Jazz Musician
We, in the jazz community, can sometimes get lonely barricaded in our practice rooms or in green rooms. I know it can be intimidating to
Let’s Keep Jazz Alive…
I’ve heard this speech many times since moving to New York…a charitable request to the audience, and somewhat of a plea on behalf of the
Books about Sedalia Missouri, Birthplace of Ragtime
The docents at the KATY Depot Visitors Center in Sedalia regularly receive inquiries about the city and its ragtime heritage. Since the folks there are
A History of The Syncopated Times
This is supposed to be a column for the new year, but I find myself beginning to write on Thanksgiving Day, thinking of all the
Dorothy Kitchen was Sedalia’s ‘Treemonisha’
I knew Treemonisha. Well, I should have written “a Treemonisha.” I certainly knew her as surely as if the fictional heroine of Scott Joplin’s opera
Classic Jazz Bassist Billy Pillucere, dies at 62.
William Pillucere, Jr., known as “Billy”, was a professional bassist who specialized in classic jazz and could be heard at many festivals, particularly around Florida.
British Trad musician Louis Lince has died at 77
British Trad banjoist Louis Lince died February 3rd after a brief battle with cancer, he was 77. His career in music began in Skiffle groups
Bob Adams Banjoist and founder of the Buffalo Ridge Jazz Band has died
Bob Adams, a banjo player and the founder of Ohio’s Buffalo Ridge Jazz Band passed away on January 17th, he was 82. His last public
