Album Reviews

Canadian vocalist Angela Verbrugge is still a relatively new presence on the international jazz scene, but one whose commitment is no longer in question. Since

Archeophone’s Phonographic Yearbook 1903: “’Twas on the Good Ship Cuspidor” benefits enormously from something that might seem incidental but turns out to be liberating: the

JAZZ CLASSIC OF THE MONTH Although Jack Pettis never became a major name, he was one of the top tenor and C-melody saxophonists of the

Chip Deffaa has gained fame as a prolific playwright and a producer of plays and recordings. He wrote for the New York Post for 18

The Rag Messengers consists of Exequiel Celada on clarinet and soprano-sax, pianist Auguste Caron, and drummer Orphélie Luminti. The trio is very much in the

Today, Sophie Tucker (1886-1966) is primarily remembered for being billed as “The Last Of The Red Hot Mamas” and for introducing her trademark song “Some

The only time that Django Reinhardt recorded with a harmonica player was on May 31, 1938, when Larry Adler was joined by the Quintet of

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

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,

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,

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