While in her teens Alex Pangman became enthralled with the jazz of Louis Armstrong and Jack Teagarden and period singers including Mildred Bailey, Julia Lee,
Roger Wolfe Kahn was the son of millionaire banker Otto Kahn. He loved jazz from an early age (as did his father) and, while he
The Planet D Nonet is a swing band from Detroit founded by drummer RJ Spangler and trumpeter James O’Donnell. They maintain a pretty heavy gig
A brilliant pianist who first played at Carnegie Hall when he was nine, William McNally is not only an expert on ragtime but on its
Her story has become increasingly well-known during the past decade. The daughter of pianist-arranger Luis Russell (who during 1929-31 led one of jazz’s great bands)
In Duke Ellington’s career, it is not an exaggeration to say that he and his orchestra were in their prime from mid-1926 when they found
I landed on this album because of the cover art. With Nipper in a bite cone staring at the Hi-Fi. It’s gotta be good. Jacob
Joe Venuti, the first and some would say best jazz violinist, recorded consistently brilliant performances both as a leader and a sideman during 1925-35. The
Terry Lightfoot (1935-2013) was a significant British trad clarinetist and bandleader for several decades. After leading a band in 1952 and serving in the RAF,
The Whitley Bay Jazz Festival, held in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in the north of England has been well known for many years. Mike Durham, a great devotee
Tuba Skinny’s latest CD entitled Some Kind-a-Shake, contains 14 tracks and is remarkable for four reasons. First, it was recorded at The Living Room Studio
Writing about a new Tuba Skinny album presents a “Rolling Stones” problem. Everyone already knows about the band so there is nothing left to do
The West Coast traditional jazz scene has been gaining steam recently with phenomenal new bands stepping up as many from a previous generation retire. I’m
Joe “King” Oliver’s innovative and influential recordings from 1923 with his Creole Jazz Band are his most famous sessions but he proved to be an
Drummer Benny Amón, who is originally from Davis, California, moved to New Orleans in 2011 and has been an important part of the local scene
Johnny Dodds had such a distinctive style on clarinet in the 1920s, that during his lifetime very few (other than Jimmy O’Bryant) tried to sound
Doctor Jazz magazine from Holland, on their record label, recently compiled two fascinating sets that are filled with music that very few have heard. The
Strange as it seems, there was apparently plenty of rewarding jazz to be heard in Holland during the Nazi occupation of the 1940s despite rather
If you are looking for gentle but musically pure swing albums don’t overlook Enric Peidro. He’s downright prolific, producing several worthy albums of live or
Bryan Wright’s Rivermont label has released many rewarding recordings featuring hot jazz combos, ragtime, and novelty ragtime pianists, bands from the 1920s, and other miscellaneous
Some reviews almost write themselves; this is a prime example. Scott Robinson has produced a CD about his longtime love affair with his 1924 Conn
Who says pizzeria jazz is a thing of the past! Swing 3PO has a regular Sunday gig at Seattle’s Tutta Bella Pizzeria playing for fans
On his sixth album Nick Hempton goes for a swinging organ band sound, with the feel of a late night in a New York jazz
Andy Schumm has made a name for himself in the last decade as the leading cornet player in the style of Bix Beiderbecke- a true
