Ken Peplowski: Remembering a Magnificent Reedman
Chip Deffaa
In my musings of New England’s often untapped early jazz history over the past couple of years, I made the pleasant discovery of a percussionist by the name of Hervé (also called Harvey) Belair. A drummer originally from the small city of Biddeford, Maine. Hervé Belair made his way to
Vocalist Rebecca Kilgore (1949-2026) was interviewed by Monk Rowe on September 3, 1997, at the Allegheny Jazz Party, Chautauqua, NY, (Interview courtesy Fillius Jazz Archive, Hamilton College, Clinton, NY) MR: When you were, let’s say 15, did you ever think that you would be making a career as a musician?
Wednesday Night, July 2nd, 1947 I returned to the Chicago loop via fast electric coach from the University of Chicago on the South Side and stepped down a few yards from a movie house billing “The Lionel Hampton Show.” The entertainment, an old-fashioned stage show, was sorrowfully noisy, unmusical, and
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 career also teaches jazz at William Paterson University, had a decades-long interest in finding a forgotten, or perhaps legendary, tome by his great predecessor. He
Hal Smith: Jeff, last month we agreed to talk about some of our favorite recordings by the great traditional jazz vocalist Clancy Hayes. In your excellent review of Chris Reid’s Clancy Hayes: The Swingin’ Minstrel (The Syncopated Times, February, 2026) you mentioned that “Oh, By Jingo!”—the 1964 recording session by
44th annual JAZZ BASH BY THE BAY (Monterey, CA) March 6-8 The 44th annual Jazz Bash By the Bay Monterey takes place March 6-8, 2026 in the beautiful Conference Center and Portola Hotel & Spa with eight venues. World-Class musicians make Monterey their home for the weekend, when historic Monterey
Rosetta Tharpe was born Rosetta Nubin, March 20, 1915, in Cotton Plant, Arkansas. At age six, Tharpe had joined her mother as a regular performer in a traveling evangelical troupe. Billed as a “singing and guitar playing miracle,” she accompanied her mother in performances that were part sermon and part
Matthew de Lacey Davidson’s latest composition (Three Ineffable Rags, 2026) is a suite of three short piano rags. Davidson’s tonal style is dissonant yet soft-edged. Mystical Moving Madness, dedicated to Jeff and Anne Barnhart, is a slowly strolling two-step with a surprise quotation of Jeff’s Mystic Memories (itself another quality
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 puzzles collectors today. This is Lambert. We know where they were located, but much of what they recorded, in terms of artists and content, doesn’t
While laying out the current issue I experienced a brief and welcome respite from all the external sources of static that have polluted this column and prompted much adverse commentary from readers who felt compelled to respond. My self-generated discord is enough for most people, myself included. This vacation started
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, Dixieland, as part of big bands, with a studio orchestra, or jamming with a local pickup group. He could play lead in a large ensemble
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 during the current season! We must have heard dozens of renditions this past January during our “winter” visit to the Big Easy. We also had
It occurred to me looking back on my most recent columns that I’ve significantly diverged from my initial intent of sharing inspirational content. While I’ve always strived to be at least entertaining, I’ve gotten a bit grumpy while also (necessarily) taking space in my column to pay tribute to fallen
Sometime in my mid-teens as my interests in jazz began to take shape, I become aware of the story that racial integration in jazz began when Benny Goodman formed a trio that included Black pianist Teddy Wilson. A few years later I noticed that a recording of the New Orleans
I first became aware of vocalist/banjoist/guitarist extraordinaire Clancy Hayes through my obsession with the Original Salty Dog Jazz Band. When I purchased a copy of the LP recording Oh! By Jingo the band made with Mr. Hayes in 1964, I just about wore it out within a month’s time. What
What does it mean to be underappreciated in jazz? Most of us can name several musicians we think might not be getting their due. I might say that Jabbo Smith, Miff Mole, or Red Allen are less appreciated than they should be. We base such evaluations on the musician’s recorded
A top-notch swing and classic jazz pianist based in Germany, Chris Hopkins is also an excellent alto-saxophonist. In 2025 he released an album on his Echoes Of Swing label titled Meets The Young Lions Volume 1 that teamed him in a quintet with trumpeter-cornetist Thimo Niesterok, guitarist-singer Tijn Trommelen, bassist
JAZZ CLASSIC OF THE MONTH Earl Hines (1903-83) was always a true original. When he emerged on the scene in the 1920s, he sounded unlike anyone else. His unique playing would influence such future greats as Joe Sullivan, Jess Stacy, Nat King Cole and Erroll Garner but it is difficult
Archeophone, the top label in reissuing pre-1920 music, has 23 CDs in their very valuable series of Phonographic Yearbooks. The program consists of two volumes of music from the 1890s along with a CD apiece dedicated to some of the most popular and listenable recordings of 1903-23. Each of these
Clarinetist Ricky Alexander’s fourth album as a leader (following Just Found Joy, Strike Up The Band, and I’m In Love Again) straddles the often-artificial boundaries of several overlapping types of early music. One can say that the 11 selections on Ragology are all somewhat influenced by or at least inspired
In the enclosed liner notes, the pianist states, “…let’s make it clear: I’m not a professional pianist. And I never even wished to become one. It seems to be a high-stress, low-pay, only moderately fun profession. But…it fits me perfectly as a hobby.” Let’s make it clear: this pianist is
I had never heard of Miss Morse until recently when a few “soundies” came up in my YT feed one day. I was quite impressed by her professionalism and charm, but wasn’t quite sure what to make of her. She seemed to be doing quite a lot of yodeling which
In 1925, Okeh Records producer Ralph Peer set out to record the instrumental and vocal masters of American folk music traditions in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Apparently, Peer had no particular fondness for Appalachian or other music in those regions, he mostly wanted a way to distinguish the
Red Norvo started his jazz career playing xylophone, which isn’t a very shouty instrument, but he was forward-thinking and harmonically inventive enough to enhance any ensemble he joined or led. In keeping with his instrument, he also was quietly rebellious. He made most of his rebellious statements through music, as
Every other year, the annual conference of the Jazz Education Network (JEN) is held in New Orleans. This past January was such an occasion, and I was there, rubbing shoulders with thousands of fellow educators, students, professionals, and industry reps. I’m happy to report that trad jazz was appropriately represented
In 2026 the New Orleans Trad Jazz Camp will celebrate its 16th anniversary. According to NOTJC Executive Director Banu Gibson, 1217 students from around the world have received lessons on how to play classic jazz from a distinguished faculty that has included Dan Levinson, Charlie Halloran, Katie Cavera, David Boeddinghaus,
The Basin Street Regulars, Inc. By-Laws state: “….the Corporation is organized and operated for: a. Preserving and promoting traditional jazz. b. Providing a common meeting ground where traditional jazz musicians can play their music to interested audiences. c. Providing liaison between jazz musicians, jazz societies and the listening public. d.
Floyd Vivino, known professionally as “Uncle Floyd,” died on January 22, 2026; he was 74. A pianist, television host, and entertainer, he became a regional institution through nearly a quarter-century on the public airwaves of the New York-New Jersey markets. Vivino grew up in northern New Jersey and developed as
It is with great sadness that I learned of Paul Ingle’s passing. Paul Ingle first visited our festival in 2018 at the urging of John and Linda Shorb, who had encountered his warm personality at another Festival (possibly Fresno). We brought him in as a guest artist, and he immediately
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 started attending Jubilee by the Sea in 2001. George Smith ran that festival from the early 2000s until 2014. He was also the “Band Getter”
Table of Contents
Vol. 11, No. 3, March 2026
Ken Peplowski: Remembering a Magnificent Reedman, by Chip Deffaa
Rebecca Kilgore Talks About Her Influences, interview with Monk Rowe
Bill Charlap on Finding Teddy Wilson’s Legendary Work, by Schaen Fox
Jazz in 1940s Chicago: The McPartlands at the Brass Rail, by Henry Blackburn
Harvey Belair: A Tale of a 1920s Drummer, by Bob Lazar
Jazz Birthday of the Month: Sister Rosetta Tharpe, illustration by Sara Lièvre
Static from my Attic, by Andy Senior
My Inspirations: A Touch of Optimism, by Jeff Barnhart
Ragtime Vignettes: Three Ineffable Rags, by Brandon Byrne
Quarter Notes: All Because It’s Carnival Time!, by Shelly Gallichio
Lambert Cylinders: Indestructible and Intriguing, by R.S. Baker
Profiles in Jazz: Billy Butterfield, by Scott Yanow
Festival Roundup, compiled by Michael Buonaiuto; art by Joe Busam
Ain’t Cha Got Music: Clancy Hayes Favorites, by J. Barnhart & H. Smith
Help Sponsor a Young Musician to the NOLA Jazz Camp, by Hal Smith
BSR Scholarships at Teagarden Jazz Camp, by Jon Mounts
Beloved NJ TV Entertainer “Uncle Floyd” Vivino Dies, 74, by Joe Bebco
The 2026 JEN Conference: Way Down Yonder in NOLA, by David Robinson
Tribute to Paul Ingle, by Rhonda Cardinal
Tribute to George Smith, by Rhonda Cardinal
Nights at the Turntable, CD reviews by Scott Yanow
Book Review: Speakeasies to Symphonies by Scott Brown, by Steve Provizer
Book Review: As Long as They Can Blow by Steve Provizer, by Ed Berlin
I’ve Got a Secret: Red Norvo’s 1942 Recording Session, by B.A. Nilsson
The Davidson Angle, CD reviews by Matthew de Lacey Davidson
Dániel Szabó • Ragged
Lee Morse • Echoes of a Songbird