On February 26, 2017, the hundredth anniversary of the epochal Victor recording session by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, the Original Cornell Syncopators recreated those sounds in Barnes Hall on the campus of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.
The Syncopators, led by Cornell sophomore Colin Hancock, emerged as a response to the skew in academia toward modern jazz at the expense of the early and equally rich history of the music. In addition to celebrating the ODJB, Hancock and the group are exploring the repertoire of bands such as the Bucktown Five, the Original Indiana Five, and Charles Creath’s Jazz-O-Maniacs.
In the above picture, taken at Barnes Hall on February 26, are (from the left) band coach Joe Salzano with Syncopators Rishi Verma, trombone; Colin Hancock, cornet; Hannah Krall, clarinet; Noah Li, drums; and Amit Mizrahi, piano. Bill Hoffman’s review of their performance may be found HERE.
