Album Reviews

The Jazz Oracle label can always be depended upon to reissue and repackage excellent hot jazz from the 1920s. Quite a few New Orleans jazz

While ragtime is often thought of as a music performed by solo pianists, there is something very special about a ragtime orchestra. Even the most

It all began back in 2010 when the Jazz Legacy Dixieland Band was organized at Brigham Young University. Trumpeter Austie Robinson, trombonist Brian Woodbury, and

In his short life, Charlie Christian (1916-42) revolutionized the jazz guitar. While he was not the very first electric guitarist (being preceded on records by

Trumpeter Humphrey Lyttelton (1921-2008) and his band never tried to sound like anyone else. Lyttelton, who had a long and episodic career, teamed up with

Since its formation in 1984 as a subsidiary of Fellside Recordings, Lake Records has compiled and released a large assortment of high-quality traditional jazz with

Drummer Hal Smith has been one of the most valuable players in a countless number of settings through the years, from 1920s music and New

Will Perkins, 23 at the time of recording Snowy Morning Blues, is a talented ragtime and stride pianist from California. He has a relaxed style

Owing to the transmission over the internet of my radio program, RADIOLA!, I’ve found friends and listeners far outside my own bailiwick of upstate New

Fred Hersch, prolific composer, and pianist releases his newest solo CD and LP to coincide with his memoir Good Things Happen Slowly. The release date

This independently produced CD features tenor saxophonist Woody Witt collaborating with pianist Larry Ham’s trio. Rounding out the group are bassist Lee Hudson and drummer

Australian jazz musician Adrian Cunningham fronts a prestigious quartet which includes pianist Ted Rosenthal, bassist John Clayton, and drummer Jeff Hamilton. Cunningham is now based

In 1929 Jabbo Smith, who turned 21 that Christmas Eve, was arguably the second best trumpeter in jazz behind Louis Armstrong. While one could hold

Although it is not obvious while listening to Nat King Cole’s live set from Zurich, Switzerland (performed on Oct. 19, 1950 and only previously available

Ma Rainey (1886-1939) has been accurately called the “Mother Of The Blues.” Born before almost all of the other classic blues singers of the 1920s

Bix is a unique two-CD tribute to Bix Beiderbecke. The first CD is fourteen tracks of music associated with Bix Beiderbecke. It is performed by

When Banu Gibson formed her New Orleans Hot Jazz group on April 1, 1981 and began gigging with the sextet in the Crescent City, she

While few think of him that way, Johnny Guarnieri (1917-85) was one of the top stride pianists for decades. He had his highest visibility in

The British JSP label’s four-CD set  –Head Rag Hop Piano Blues 1925-1960 is overflowing with classic performances. Compiled by Neil Slaven who also wrote the liner

Louis Armstrong amassed a large collection of tapes in his lifetime which are now stored at the Louis Armstrong House Museum. While some of the

Clarinetist George Lewis, who would become one of the most popular of New Orleans jazzmen in the 1950s when he toured the world, was a

Those familiar with my previous reviews of pianist Rossano Sportiello’s CDs already know that I’m among the converted. He’s a classically trained Italian pianist who

Bill Cunliffe is a prolific pianist, composer, and conductor. I am already among the converted, so was excited to see/hear Cunliffe’s newest effort. On most