Long Live the King (Oliver, That Is!)
In my opinion, King Oliver doesn’t really receive the credit he is due. He’s all too often treated as a “stop along the way” for
James P. Johnson and the Birth of Modern Jazz Piano
January 10, 2021, Another Milestone Anniversary Not To Be Forgotten The centennial of the Jazz Age is upon us, and it has been commemorated with
Apostle of Shellac: Mathew “Fat Cat” Rivera
Born in 1996, in Louisville, Kentucky, Matthew Rivera is making jazz vibrate to new audiences in many ways. I met him first as a sound-phenomenon
The Best of 2020
Features Artist Profiles From our Monthly Columns
Songs To Think About… But Perhaps Not To Dance To
Here in the UK, speech isn’t entirely free. The right to offend whomever we want isn’t enshrined in statute, as in the US Constitution. We
Remembering Those We Lost in 2020
A chronological list of all of our final chorus remembrances from 2020.
Grammy Nominations for Rivermont and Archeophone
The Grammy Awards telecast doesn’t offer much for jazz fans, particularly not for fans of early jazz styles. But there are a couple of winners
Stimulus Act Includes Money For Struggling Venues and Festivals
Buried within the Stimulus Bill is a 15 Billion dollar lifeline for venues that host live events. Jazz societies that pay performers to appear at
Jazz Puzzles Vol. 4 now available for preorder
Jazz’Edit is a project by European record collector Jean-François Villetard to help publish important books about jazz history in the limited quantities the market will
Bassist Jen Hodge is in the Groove!
It’s tempting to describe Jen Hodge—female bassist, bandleader, composer, arranger and singer—as a rare phenomenon. But that’s not how she saw herself, growing up surrounded
Tony Desare: Songbook Comforts in Quarantine
When the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States, like thousands of musicians, Tony DeSare saw his jammed packed tour schedule quickly dwindle down to
Lew Shaw Still on the Beat at 95
Lew Shaw thanks his lucky stars that he was born in 1926. That meant he came of age—as a man and as a music fan—at
Texas Shout #23 Dixieland vs. Ragtime Part 1
Set forth below is the twenty-third “Texas Shout” column. The initial installment of a two-part essay, it first appeared in the November 1991 issue
Texas Shout #15 How to Improvise Solos
Set forth below is the fifteenth “Texas Shout” column. It first appeared in the March 1991 issue of the West Coast Rag, (now Syncopated Times.) Because
Texas Shout #9 Entertaining the Audience
Set forth below is the ninth “Texas Shout” column. It first appeared in the August 1990 issue of The West Coast Rag, now known as
Charlotte Dickison on her 25 years with the Olympia Jazz Festival
Charlotte Dickison retired as director of the Olympia Jazz Festival after the 2019 edition. She made many friends from all over the US and Canada
Joan Dragon: From Your Father’s Mustache to Suncoast
Suncoast Jazz Festival director Joan Dragon has had a long and varied worklife, in and outside the music world. Having never attended this festival, I
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.
Humphrey Lyttelton • Conway Hall Revisited, 1969
Branford Marsalis • Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom Soundtrack
The Complete Pete Stanton’s Stone Age Jazz Band (3 CD)
Chris Hopkins Meets the Jazz Kangaroos
Peter Nissen’s New Orleans Jazz Band • Bon Voyage, Jacques: Jacques Gauthé in Retrospect
Classic Album of the Month • Ridin’ In Rhythm
Sweet Mary Cat & Their North American Friends • Time To Dance Some More
Deborah Silver • Glitter & Grits
Film Noir Style: The Killer 1940s by Kimberly Truhler
Jazz and the Jazz Age by Daniel Hardie
Heart Full of Rhythm: The Big Band Years of Louis Armstrong
Jazz Beat Encore: More Notes on Classic Jazz
Yank Lawson and Bob Haggart: Profiles in Jazz
Trumpeter Yank Lawson and bassist-composer Bob Haggart, while having separate careers, were musical friends and collaborators for nearly six decades. They came together during at
Benny Carter: Profiles in Jazz
Was any jazz musician as consistent for as long a period as Benny Carter? One of the top alto saxophonists of 1927, he also ranked
Edmond Hall: Profiles in Jazz
Edmond Hall was one of a handful of jazz musicians who could be identified after one note. Playing on a famous filmed version of “St.
Museums and Meetings and All That Jazz
The New Orleans Jazz Museum is strategically located in the Old U.S. Mint—built in 1838—at the juncture of the French Quarter and Frenchmen Street where
Live and in Person at the 31st Annual Arizona Classic Jazz Festival
The 31st Annual Arizona Classic Jazz Festival was held in Chandler the first weekend in November—and New Orleans moved 1300 miles closer to the Pacific
The Quiet Quarter
Live music venues are still not open in the French Quarter. Since May, the Jazz Museum on Esplanade is enjoying Tuesday afternoon “balcony concerts” outside
With CalBal Live, We Need Not Stop Dancing
As much as I’ve missed dancing during the pandemic—more than I can express, really—it’s not something I’ve sought out online. People have put a ton
From the Virtual West Coast Ragtime Festival
I remember reading Bill Hoffman’s fine column last year in The Syncopated Times describing his first visit to a West Coast Ragtime Festival (WCRF) and
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom: An In Depth Review
This film has received a lot of kudos and I can understand why: it’s an excellent piece of filmmaking. There are no energy let-downs throughout
Bass Drum Conundrum
In the 19th century, the bass drum in military bands was essential. The use of bass drums continued into the earliest days of recording, but
Milo and Rega
Justin Ring had a lot of love to give in his long life, as he cared for so many close friends and family. Later in
Justin Ring’s Family Life
For many decades, Justin Ring has been an elusive character in the world of early recording and ragtime. Researcher Jim Walsh spoke of him only
Clichés in the COVID Cabaret
I am a bacon-wrapped cliché, an idiom in puffed pastry. And sometimes I am the wrong that proves the right. I have been absent from
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
Casa Loma Orchestra: A Vanguard of Swing
At the outset of the Swing era, Casa Loma Orchestra set the highest standards for superb musicianship, arranging, presentation, sweet ballads and hard-driving dance rhythms.
The Trombone Eloquence of Bill Bardin, Part 2: Integral Component, 1965-2000
Jazz trombonist Bill Bardin played gutty two-beat Stomps, sophisticated four-beat Swing and lowdown Blues. His rich tone and tasteful instrumental voice made him a stalwart
The Trombone Eloquence of Bill Bardin, Part 1: Brushes with Greatness, 1940-65
Whether you love New Orleans tailgate trombone or sophisticated Swing, Bill Bardin (1924 – 2011) is your man for tasteful, expressive jazz trombone. He was second
My Time With The Nighthawks
Such is the nature of pandemia—with its unapologetic ravaging of one’s gigging calendar—that to find inspiration, it can be useful to look backwards. And lately
The Professor’s Jazz Glossary of Practical Musical Terminology
The worlds of jazz and classical music are often mysterious to both parties, and sometimes jazz musicians can get overwhelmed with understanding the classical tradition.
Passing the Torch
Jazz is a unique tradition, one that continues to evolve from its humble New Orleans roots. This noble American art form is unique within Western
5th Anniversary of The Syncopated Times
It doesn’t seem like five full years since the first issue of The Syncopated Times began appearing in our mailboxes. Since the February 2016 issue,
Ragtime and the Railroads
Recently, I have been considering the relationship between ragtime and the railroads more intently than ever. First, because Marcello Piras wrote to inquire about railroad
The Saga of Brun Campbell Challenged
When I get a message from Ed Berlin, it gets my immediate attention. Last month I received a most fascinating document Ed was passing along,
Record auctioneer Warren Hicks has died.
Warren W. Hicks died on Thursday January 7 2021, he was 89. Hicks turned his love of classic jazz into a respected record auction business
British Bandleader Keith Nichols has died.
British bandleader, pianist, and vintage jazz authority Keith Nichols passed away on January 21st in a London hospital, he was 75. He fell ill with
Count Basie arranger Sammy Nestico has died
Samuel Louis Nestico died on January 17th, he was 96. He began writing arrangements while still in high school learning trombone in the school band.
