Album Reviews

The Secret Six Jazz Band, led by the ever-steady upright bassist John Joyce, returns with a sixth album in under four years. Fireworks is a

New Orleans’ Eight Dice Cloth forges a new path with their latest album, The Songs and Arrangements of Armand J. Piron, a vibrant tribute to

Janet Klein and Her Parlor Boys have long been a cornerstone of the hot jazz community, unearthing forgotten tunes with wit and heart. They have

During a period when most New Orleans brass bands have followed the lead of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and emphasize r&b and funk, the

Considered Scotland’s top Gypsy Jazz group, Rose Room has been together for 15 years. Led by violinist and singer Seonaid Aitken, the current version of

Upbeat has compiled a rather unusual release. The premise is that the 26 vintage recordings included on their Inspiring The Sixties CD (subtitled “The Musical

Sister Rosetta Tharpe (1915-73) was a unique and influential performer. Her mother was very active in the church and encouraged her daughter to develop into

Although he was born in Chicago, Abe Lyman (1897-1957) spent much of his professional life working in the Los Angeles area. A solid drummer, he

This 2009 compact disc has a lot of exceptional music and performances on it. However, the potential listener has to be aware of a couple

I’ve been listening to American (and British and Canadian) dance band music for nigh-on 50+ years, and thought for a minute that I had not

JAZZ CLASSIC OF THE MONTH Arnvid Meyer (1927-2007) was a trumpeter from Copenhagen, Denmark, who led a swing-oriented sextet during his prime years. He made

For the first time in my life, I’m actually in a jazz band. I should caveat that claim by saying that my maybe-bandmates haven’t yet

Lil Hardin Armstrong (1898-1971) deserves better from jazz history. While she remains famous for being Louis Armstrong’s second wife, and the pianist with King Oliver’s

Ever since he burst upon the major league jazz scene in the mid-1970s, tenor-saxophonist Scott Hamilton has been one of the most consistent of all

Most reviews look at one particular release. This one doesn’t. Instead, I will compare two releases by the same pianist, with similar repertoire, but separated

JAZZ CLASSIC OF THE MONTH While New Orleans traditional jazz has had several major revivals from the mid-1930s on, the opening of Preservation Hall in

After the minimalist musical joy that was reviewing a pared-down album, I was ready to hear something just a bit more symphonic. Enter stage left—and

Ella Fitzgerald (1917-96) had a rough start to her life, living in poverty and actually being homeless for a period. However after winning the Apollo

It is certainly not an understatement to say that George Gershwin (1898-1937) accomplished a great deal during his 38 years. Ranging from popular songs to

Halfway through CD 3, which is given over to the protean Mel Powell, comes his Sonatina for Piano, nestled between the likes of “You’re Lucky

Generally speaking, I’m not a big fan of “complete works” albums (of any composer). It is a huge amount to ask of both the player

Nanna Carling’s Melodies For Two, released on February 14, 2025, is a romantic collection of her original compositions. Coming from the Carling family of Swedish

The Jumbo Shrimp Jazz Band is a popular New Orleans group cutting their own path through the Crescent City since 2009. While rooted in traditional