Posey Royale is an Asheville, North Carolina–based swing band that has, until now, gone unmentioned in The Syncopated Times. That says more about the way
With The Marigny Sessions, Sunny Side continues its steady evolution from a capable New Orleans traditional jazz band into something broader, warmer, and more broadly
It can be oddly difficult to pinpoint when a musician becomes essential to your listening life. With Ewan Bleach, that realization crept up gradually. His
Bassist John Joyce, whose earlier experiences were in the worlds of punk rock and rockabilly, has gained fame in the traditional jazz world with the
Throughout his career, Stephane Wrembel has often played his Django Reinhardt-inspired guitar in unusual settings, most notably on his series of recordings called Django Experiment.
Bob Crosby (1913-93) was a unique bandleader. When asked what he did for a living, he often replied, “I’m Bing Crosby’s brother.” He had a
In several ways, the 1943-52 period is the most fascinating of Frank Sinatra’s career. Before 1943 he had gained fame as a band singer, at
The Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra was one of the most popular African-American big bands of the swing era. Its emphasis was on showmanship, impeccably played ensembles,
This review of Dick Hyman’s Scott Joplin: The Complete Works for Piano is personally meaningful for me. The very first CD I ever bought, and
While the name “John Petters” may not be familiar to many American trad jazz fans, it is a well-known one to their British counterparts. Petters
CLASSIC JAZZ ALBUM OF THE MONTH No swing band during the big band era had more hits than Glenn Miller’s, not Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw,
Art Van Damme (1920-2010) may not have been the first jazz accordionist (Buster Moten took short solos with his brother Bennie’s band in the 1920s),
Tatum Langley is a Chicago-based singer who has performed both in jazz and in musical theater settings including in London and Australia with Postmodern Jukebox.
Trumpeter Don Goldie (1930-95) is probably best remembered for his association with Jack Teagarden for he was a member of the trombonist’s last working group
Eddie Sauter (1914-81) was one of the most innovative arrangers to come up during the Swing era. In addition to his work for Artie Shaw
Judy Whitmore’s Christmas sits in a different universe from the other holiday records in this batch, but that isn’t a drawback. She’s not trying to
The Mad Hat Hucksters have always been a band that treats swing as a living vernacular rather than a museum dialect, which is why holiday
Having nine players instead of her usual smaller lineup gives Chelsea Reed’s The Christmas EP a warmth and fullness that feels exactly right for the
Note: I have learned since writing the below that rights holders, aka record labels, are putting out releases on Bandcamp under the artist’s name, giving
A big clue to understanding this band lies in the fact that Bob Crosby isn’t on the box set’s cover. It’s the first artist-centered Mosaic
Alexander Peskanov is a Ukrainian composer, pedagogue, and powerhouse pianist. His 2004 recording of Scott Joplin for Naxos (Naxos 8.559114) is highly virtuosic, sometimes to
The High Society New Orleans Jazz Band was founded and is co-led by pianist Conal Fowkes and trumpeter Simon Wettenhall. Long-time musical friends, they were
Discovering a band that resonates with you is like the early days of a love affair, everything after is measured against that spark. You discover
When Caity Gyorgy won her second JUNO Award for Vocal Jazz Album of the Year, jealous critics crawled out of their hidey holes to diminish
