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Louis Vasnier • Genius of the Seventh Ward
To my knowledge, their new King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band boxed set, Centennial, is the first time Archeophone has included full size LPs in a
To my knowledge, their new King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band boxed set, Centennial, is the first time Archeophone has included full size LPs in a
Jazz, the unique and defining music of the United States, evolved throughout the 19th century, with New Orleans its epicenter, but couldn’t gain general-public attention
JAZZ CLASSIC OF THE MONTH One of the most remarkable reissues ever put out was the 21-LP box set The Complete Keynote Collection. Originally a
Ella Logan (1913-1969) was a versatile singer and actress who was always a bit difficult to pin down. She could sing jazz, dramatic ballads, songs
Founded in 2019, the Hot Toddies Jazz Band is a popular swing group based in New York that is led by drummer Patrick Soluri and
Some recordings are a pure joy to hear. The French Preservation Hall New Orleans Jazz Band specializes in music that at its best is a
The Upbeat label has, under the guidance of its founder-producer Liz Biddle, been reissuing gems from the past in their “Great Jazz” series which is
There is no other performer on the jazz scene quite like Gunhild Carling. It is not enough that she is able to sing in several
Centennial is quite possibly the most important, well-conceived and created reissue of recent times. Not only is it a masterful, quality product, but it presents
I’d never heard of non-profit Jazz at the Ballroom before today. I’m glad I finally got wise to them, as they’ve been busily celebrating “America’s
Halloween jazz is hard to find. That’s probably because the explosion of popular Christmas material coincided with jazz ubiquity in the first half of the
Listening to the first track—Geoge L. Cobb’s Stop It! (1919)—I was thrilled by the orchestra’s precision and its ability to bring out unexpected details and
The French violinist Mathilde Febrer has had a wide-ranging career. Although trained in classical music, jazz interested her much more. She has performed with rock
There has never been a shortage of Bing Crosby recordings that were readily available. The most popular (and one of the most versatile) singers of
JAZZ CLASSIC OF THE MONTH Benjamin Baruch Ambrose (1896-1971) who was known as Ambrose, was one of the top British bandleaders of the late 1920s
Thelma Carpenter (1922-97) was a fine singer and a skilled actress. She performed in New York City clubs as early as 1938, was discovered by
Nat King Cole (1919-65) had such success, first as an influential jazz pianist and then as a ballad singer, that he completely overshadowed the careers
It’s a country sort of month this month, with both my review records having a hint of the wide open prairie about them. I felt
This latest Armada Jazz Band CD, titled Best Days, issued by Upbeat Recordings is a compilation of tracks from two previously issued CD’s. These were
The Pearly Gates Marching Band is a musical comedy by Dean Norman, who has published cartoons in The Syncopated Times over the years as well
Trumpeter-singer Bria Skonberg continues to stretch herself on her latest recording, What It Means. While designed partly as a tribute to New Orleans, it features
TWO RELEASES FROM JAZZOLOGY Two CDs put out by Jazzology in 2020 are well worth discovering. Trumpeter Jon-Erik Kellso and clarinetist Evan Christopher are among
Don’t let a review where I keep my word count in check fool you. This is a remarkable album from one of our best female
I have felt at times that certain studio releases lacked emotion, the bandleader perhaps concentrating too much on the details when given what they perceive