Album Reviews

When Royce Martin’s profile ran on our cover in December we received a thank you from an accomplished musician in her 40s, the unspoken implication

I have been curious about this album for nearly as long as I have been with this paper. We launched in 2016 with me as

Drummer Hal Smith is involved with so many overlapping bands and projects (both as a leader and a sideman) that the only predictable aspect to

Over Christmas, I bought myself a new car. Well, nearly new—enough that I drive it everywhere like a partially-sighted senior, terrified of even the lightest

“Oof.” That’s my one-word review of Angie Wells’ second album. What does it mean? Why, all manner of things… Oh, you want me to elaborate?

I visited the Rivermont website to order music. I discovered a plethora of other artists, both new and old of interest and a recently purchased new CD player made it practically deja vu to order The Complete Rivermont CD Collection. It has been a busy month listening to it all.

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.