Album Reviews

Don Byas (1913-72) was one of the greatest jazz tenor saxophonists of all time, but because he was in the shadow of Coleman Hawkins (his

Sidney Bechet (1897-1959) was a brilliant musician whose fascinating and sometimes dramatic life could make a great Hollywood movie. Born in New Orleans and self-taught

Not to imply the competition was fierce or anything, but I just included this album as one of my three picks for Historical Record of

While this is her debut album as leader, Hannah Gill has been on the scene longer than her 26 years might suggest. She moved to

All profits from sales of this CD will go to Noel Kaletsky’s family. Contact Fred Vigorito at vigorjazz@aol.com or (203) 453-5916. It saddens me that

With no slight intended to my family’s generosity, the ultimate Christmas present arrived early, and it came from Mosaic Records. Ten CDs devoted to the

This self-titled album is the first CD by the Cigar Box Serenaders, whose second, Spasm, has been reviewed elsewhere in The Syncopated Times. All instruments

This week I got a parcel from eBay. Inside was a tiny amplifier, only about 10 cm square by 5 cm high, but its impact

One of the great perks of writing for the Syncopated Times is that people are forever sending you records and imploring you to review them.

While the name of the group featured on The Song In Our Soul CD (the Palomar Trio) is a bit anonymous, its members will be

A superb jazz violinist from Barcelona, Spain, Marta Sierra has a beautiful tone, impressive technique, and swings well in a style complementary with that of

Ever since she made her debut recording Close Your Eyes in 1996, Stacey Kent has been one of the most delightful singers in jazz. She

Jazz Classic of the Month Ernest “Punch” Miller (1894-1971) was an exciting New Orleans cornetist who never really made it big despite his talents. He

The four-voice vocal group The Inkspots had an attractive formula that worked extremely well during their prime years. Many of their recordings began with a

Samara Joy has been getting a lot of publicity in the jazz world lately, and rightfully so. She has a beautiful voice, a wide range,

One depressing trend emerging from some of my recent artist interviews—specifically those profiling younger women—is a fear that they will become unemployably elderly before reaching

During 1936-40, violinist Stuff Smith led one of the hottest groups in jazz, a sextet (later septet) that teamed him in the frontline with the

It’s rare, when I go out record shopping, that I’m looking out for big band stuff—by and large, I’m more interested in small combo music.

Who was Cass Harrison? His two albums from 1956-57, The Duke And I and Wrappin’ It Up, feature him as an advanced swing pianist influenced

Paul Smith (1922-2013) was a brilliant pianist whose superb technique and swinging style often sounded a lot like Oscar Peterson, particularly on his many later

Whoever composed the title to this CD was having a bit of fun. First is the playfulness of the rhyming “Marks/Sparks.” There may also be

Of all of the “ghost bands” that have survived their leader’s passing, the Count Basie Orchestra is the most successful. One of the few fulltime