From Harlem to Hollywood: Van Alexander’s Remarkable Career
Alexander Van Vliet Feldman was born in 1915 and he lived until 2015, mostly using the name Van Alexander. He had a long and successful
The Miller Effect: How One Bandleader Shaped American Music
Glenn Miller’s legacy continues to spark debate among historians and musicians alike. His orchestra’s polished sound captivated wartime audiences, yet not everyone viewed it fondly.
Washington National Opera Production of Treemonisha ‘Triumphant’
The recent production of Scott Joplin’s opera Treemonisha took place at the Lisner Auditorium on the campus of George Washington University in Washington D.C. on
The Opening of the Savoy, the Most Inclusive Club in Harlem, 100 Years Ago
March 12, 2026, marks the centenary of opening night at the palatial, opulent Savoy Ballroom, which occupied an entire block of Lenox Avenue between 140th
Ken Peplowski: Remembering a Magnificent Reedman
On February 3rd, I went out to shovel snow and buy some groceries. When I got back home, I checked messages. The first, just two
Bill Charlap On Finding Teddy Wilson’s Legendary Work
Teddy Wilson looms over early jazz piano, just as Bill Charlap does today. It is unsurprising that Mr. Charlap, who in addition to his performing
Jon-Erik Kellso: A Motor City Jazz Master in NYC
We all search for our place in the world. Some find it and some don’t. For Jon-Erik Kellso, the stars lined up early. To borrow
Pianist Peter Mintun: The Talk of the Town
Long before anyone used the word “retro,” pianist Peter Mintun fell in love with music from the decades before he was born. And he has
Multi-Instrumentalist Gavin Rice Brings the Jazz Age to Life
There’s a new face on the New York-area trad jazz scene that I think is worth your attention. But you may not have to travel
Ellisons Make Takeover Bid For TST, Editorial Changes Planned
Media moguls Larry and David Ellison, well-known for their recent acquisition of Paramount and planned takeover of Warner Bros., have made a bid to acquire
Readers Correspondence April 2026
– Kind Words from the Board – Dear Andy and Syncopated Times (one and the same), My hearty congratulations on ten unqualified successful years! Your
Tribute to George Smith
I spent a lot of time with George Smith and I want to share my memories of him. Our family moved here in 1999 and
From the 2026 New York Hot Jazz Camp
I spent Presidents’ Week in New York working at the annual New York Hot Jazz Camp. I have missed only one year in the Camp’s
From the 2025 Central PA Ragtime Festival
The 16th Central Pennsylvania Ragtime and American Music Festival took place, as usual, at several venues in Huntingdon County on September 18-21. While most events
Cat and the Hounds at Birdland
There is a question in Judaism that’s asked once a year: “Why is this night different from all other nights?” It refers to the festival
Jay Hickerson & Carol Leigh with the GJB
Thomas Morris • When A ‘Gator Hollers’
Sue Palmer and her Motel Swing Orchestra • Eight To The Bar
The Django Festival All Stars • Evolution
Paul Marinaro • Mood Ellington
Red Hot Jazzmen: The Singers
Meet The Little Jazz Trio
Jazzing the Classics: ‘A Good Tune is a Good Tune’
Speakeasies to Symphonies: The Genius of James P. Johnson
Speakeasies to Symphonies: The Genius of James P. Johnson
As Long as They Can Blow: Interracial Jazz Recordings and Other Jive Before 1935
Concerto for Cootie: The Life and Times of Cootie Williams
Ken Peplowski: Profiles in Jazz
Although Ken Peplowski had been battling multiple myeloma for five years, his sudden death on February 2 is still a bit of a shock. He
Billy Butterfield: Profiles in Jazz
A superb all-round trumpeter, Billy Butterfield had a warm tone, strong technical skills, and a versatile style that found him equally at home playing swing,
Muggsy Spanier: Profiles in Jazz
Cornetist Muggsy Spanier always had a distinctive sound, was consistently enthusiastic in his playing, and was very reliable whether leading a Dixieland ensemble or taking
California Dreamin’ at the SDJP
What a fun weekend celebrating the 38th anniversary of the iconic San Diego Jazz Party where 19 artists descend on the Hilton Del Mar to
All Because It’s Carnival Time!
When Al Johnson recorded that song in December, 1959, I’m sure he had no idea it would be recreated thousands of times since and certainly
You’ve Never Had King Cake?
We are heading back to New Orleans next week and looking forward to the Carnival tradition of King Cake…and some oysters of course! The round
Texas Shout #42 Reference Books
Set forth below is the forty-second “Texas Shout” column. It first appeared in the August 1993 issue of West Coast Rag now The Syncopated Times.
Texas Shout #52 Common Themes
Set forth below is the fifty-second “Texas Shout” column. It first appeared in the July 1994 issue of West Coast Rag, now The Syncopated Times. I
Texas Shout #51 What To Look For In Record Reviews
Set forth below is the fifty-first “Texas Shout” column. The concluding installment of a two-part essay, it first appeared in the June 1994 issue of
Mike Durham’s International Jazz Party: What a Blast!
At 4 am on a Monday last year, I ambled down the front steps of the Village Hotel, humming “Clap Yo’ Hands” from Michael McQuaid’s
Jazz is Where You Find It: Fest Jazz 2025 in Brittany
It has been our pleasure over the years to combine sight-seeing trips abroad with visits to diverse jazz clubs, festivals, and concerts in Ascona, Edinburgh,
‘We Go for That’: The Redwood Coast Music Festival (Oct. 2-5, 2025)
My title comes from a Thirties phrase for “I really like that,” found in a wonderful Frank Loesser left-handed love song (“Your fuzzy hair, your
‘Notorious Adultery’: The Divorce of Justin Ring
In 1911, Justin Ring found himself in court for divorce. It was a rather nasty case, and the reasons for it were different than I
Lambert Cylinders: Indestructible and Intriguing
Most recording companies of the acoustic era can be relatively well tracked in terms of their locations and employees, but there is one that still
P. S. Gilmore: Pioneer on the Bandstand and in the Studio
If you were a young musician in the late 19th century, you most likely would have aspirations to be in Gilmore’s band. This band was
‘Hello Mudduh, Hello Fadduh!’
How I wish I could fact check with a time machine! As with many formative strong childhood memories, music swirls in and out of the
The Lost Hook Tapes
It really is a waiting game based on luck and endurance. I am banking on the idea that if you stick to your artistic career
Birthday Blues
“Everything happens for the best” Does it really? In a continuation of last month’s theme of reality being how we perceive it, perhaps the better
The Odd Brilliance of P.T. Stanton
Horn player P.T. Stanton was a creative, original and mysterious musician who left his signature on the second wave of the Great San Francisco Jazz
Agent Josephine: American Beauty, French Hero, British Spy
“It seemed the perfect way to fight my war.”– Josephine Baker No American was ever more beloved by the French nation than Josephine Baker. In
Bush Street above Powell in San Francisco: The Club Hangover Story, 1949-61
Club Hangover was the foremost Dixieland and New Orleans Jazz nightclub on the West Coast in the 1950s. The intimate nightspot featured music six nights
Ain’t No Wrong Notes in Jazz
It is easy to be impressed by jazz musicians… if you are not one yourself. We are, after all, an impressive bunch. And I know
Bad Moon Rising
Jazz musicians are a mischievous bunch. I doubt that’s a surprise to any of you, as the history books are filled with stories of pranks
The New Syllabus
There’s been a lot made in the news in recent times about systemic issues in our education system. As I understand it, there seems to
‘Smiley’ Wallace, Beloved in Ragtime Community, Dies at 93
When Mary Grace Lanese called to tell me “Smiley” Wallace had died at age 93, on October 2, delightful memories of a long friendship with
Help Save Ragtime’s History
I was recently contacted by a gentleman in New York who has had to curtail playing the piano due to the challenges of aging and
Fifty Years Later, Here We Are!
We got old. Fifty years added to our twenties, thirties, and forties in 1974 equals old for those who have managed to survive. And. for
Kerry Price, Detroit-Area Blues Legend, Dies at 86
Kerry Price, longtime resident of Royal Oak, MI, age 86, passed peacefully into the arms of the Lord on March 2, 2026. Born on March
Floye “Flo” Dreyer
Floye “Flo” Dreyer, a trumpeter whose career stretched from the all-female swing bands of the 1940s to community ensembles in South Florida late in life,
Bill Sinclair
Bill Sinclair, longtime pianist with Connecticut’s Galvanized Jazz Band and a devoted interpreter of New Orleans-style jazz, died February 21. Sinclair spent decades performing traditional
