Since its formation in 1986 by the late Johnny Parth, the Document label has compiled a rather huge catalog with the goal of reissuing every
Veteran British jazz drummer John Petters, who produces many of the Upbeat CDs, previously compiled Swinging Down Memory Lane. That CD included 16 previously released
Throughout its history, jazz musicians have often drawn its repertoire from other sources, transforming the music into jazz. In its earliest days, bands often included
New York’s 52nd Street, nicknamed “Swing Street,” was renowned as a legendary center for jazz during 1935-46 with quite a few nightclubs housed within a
By the time the 23-year-old Louis Armstrong arrived in New York in 1924, that city had become a vital proving ground for jazz musicians—and a
Few great musicians, either popular or “classical,” have been so historically “hard done by” as Gertrude “Ma” Rainey. Until the release of this album, there
JAZZ CLASSIC OF THE MONTH While dance music was always much more popular in Great Britain in the 1920s and ’30s than jazz, even the
Although he is rarely listed as one of the top prebop tenor-saxophonists along with Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Ben Webster, and Bud Freeman, Eddie Miller
One can never have too many Ella Fitzgerald records. She was remarkably consistent during her prime years (which lasted for over four decades) and was
Dawn Lambeth is a delightful singer who interprets vintage lyrics with a joyful delivery, swinging phrasing, and a gentle warmth. Her voice is quite appealing,
At this point in time, it would not be surprising if tenor-saxophonist Scott Hamilton was running out of inspiration along with new songs to explore.
JAZZ CLASSIC OF THE MONTH Earl Bostic (1913-65) was a major name in the 1950s and early 1960s. A superb alto-saxophonist who had impeccable technique
Reed virtuoso Chad Smith’s Saxophobia: Celebrating the Sax Craze of the 1920s is nothing short of extraordinary—an exhilarating, 18-track collection unlike anything else currently being
Chad Smith describes his new album as “a love letter to that moment in time, when the saxophone did not belong to any single world;
Theatrical polymath Chip Deffaa has been studying and promoting the works of George M. Cohan for over six decades, beginning when Chip was just a
The Secret Six, named after abolitionist John Brown’s Secret Society of Six of the 1850s, has been playing hot jazz in New Orleans since 2020.
A very skilled British swing and trad trombonist, Roger Marks has, with the release of Bring Me Sunshine, now recorded exactly 100 albums since his
Ireland has never been considered a hotbed of jazz activity but a few impressive players came from that island. Guitarist Louis Stewart (1944-2016) is considered
While the piano-bass-drums trio has been a fixture in jazz since the 1950s, and the instrumentation was first heard on records in 1935 when pianist
JAZZ CLASSIC OF THE MONTH Joseph Lamb (1887-1960) is regularly considered one of the “big three” of classic ragtime composers along with Scott Joplin and
A reasonable guess is that Oscar Peterson made over 200 recordings under his own name—we’re talking albums here, not singles—but the number goes up to
JAZZ CLASSIC OF THE MONTH Pee Wee Erwin (1913-81) was a solid swing trumpeter who was a bit overshadowed during his long career. While he
Duke Ellington’s orchestra has always been a difficult ensemble for other musicians to emulate closely. Ellington’s band, whether in the 1920s or the ’60s, featured
The two-CD set Accentuate The Positive put out by Songbook Ink contains 21 classics from the Great American Songbook, all of which are familiar songs
