Part One of this discussion of Morey Feld appeared in our March 2024 issue, and Part Two was published in May 2024. Hal Smith: Brother Kevin, I have really been looking forward to this analysis of another film where we can see and hear the great Morey Feld onscreen. By
Jeff Barnhart: Hal, we both enjoyed listening to the Firehouse Five’s first “themed” album, The FH5+2 Goes South, last month that we agreed to cover a few of their subsequent releases. Now, we’ll take a listen to the albums (all starting with “The Firehouse Five Plus Two”) Plays For Lovers
The joy of digging through thrift store vinyl crates is the prospect of discovering new arrangements, new songs, even new bands or composers which had previously escaped my attention. The main draw is what’s on the disc, although the liner notes can be equally fascinating. Very often the brief bio
If you ask any Englishman (or woman): “Have you heard of a town called Diss?” they will almost certainly say “no.” Even if you asked the question in the East of England (where Diss is situated) you’d get mostly blank looks. And unless you happen to be an expert in
Mary Lou Williams had a unique career. For much of her life she was called “jazz’s greatest female musician” but in reality she was simply one of jazz’s finest pianists in addition to being a skilled arranger and an inventive composer. But most unusual was that, although she held onto
The San Diego Jazz Party held its annual event the weekend of February 21st and its 20+ musicians and vocalists made it an extremely memorable one! With tributes to Frank Sinatra, Broadway musicals, the Big Band era, and Composers from the Great American Songbook, the sets were exceptional and well-received.
In several articles I have written about performers whose siblings got into recording, this seemed to have been a more common pattern than expected. To some it appears that the phonograph was so attractive that other family members had to get involved. It is quite an interesting phenomenon. Here I
Since TST co-editor, webmaster, and in-house reviewer Joe Bebco generally has a lot to say (and I generally don’t) I’m ceding the Static space to him this month. – A.S. Offbeat, which has covered the New Orleans music scene for 37 years, provided excellent reviews of the traditional jazz bands
There’s often an uneasy relationship between a jazz band leader (and the members of their band) and clients. The simplest illustration is the steady gig, whether it be nightly, weekly, or monthly. If the talent and management have a good working rapport, the band is always on time, dresses well
The 10th annual (except for 2020 when it was cancelled by Covid) New York Hot Jazz Camp convened at its regular home, the Greenwich House Music School at 46 Barrow Street in the West Village neighborhood of Manhattan. The camp was founded and is run by my good friends, the
Lawrence “Bud” Freeman was born April 13, 1906, in Chicago, Illinois. In 1922, Freeman and some friends from high school formed the Austin High School Gang. Freeman played the C melody saxophone with band members such as Jimmy McPartland and Frank Teschemacher. before switching to tenor saxophone two years later.
Personal disclosure: I very much miss George Winston. His artistry was an important formative influence on mine, and a Christmas card containing a note of encouragement I received from him is one of my prized possessions. Much of Winston’s music is march-like and bears the direct influence of Ragtime. Covers
April 2025 ushers in Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM), a nationwide celebration of America’s homegrown musical treasure. Launched in 2001 by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, JAM invites fans and newcomers alike to immerse themselves in jazz’s vibrant legacy. Look around your area for live performances, listening parties, workshops,
David Johansen passed away on February 28th; he was 75. Johanson got his start doing sound and lights for Charles Ludlam’s Ridiculous Theater Company and was part of Andy Warhol’s Factory scene. He is most known for his work with the proto punk band The New York Dolls in the
Lawrence Henry Ketchens II passed away on January 31, 2025; he was 61. A beloved figure in New Orleans, with his wife Doreen Ketchens he was an ambassador of the city’s music to both tourists on the street and fans around the world. A multi-instrumentalist, he was heard primarily on
Devoted Ragtimer Jack Rummel passed away on March 10th. Born in Tacoma Washington in 1939, he spent most of his musical life in Colorado but was a presence at ragtime events around the country. Jack was a composer, performer, and radio host whose passion for ragtime shaped his life and
DURANGO RAGTIME & EARLY JAZZ FESTIVAL (Durango, CO) – April 3-6 JOIN US for the return of the Durango Ragtime and Early Jazz Festival in April 2025! The greatest ragtime and classic jazz musicians from around the United States will descend upon the beautiful mountain town of Durango, Colorado, for
The Boswell Sisters (Connie, Martha and Vet) were arguably the greatest jazz vocal group of all time, ranking at the top with the Mills Brothers of the 1930s, Lambert, Hendricks
Author Aaron J. Johnson covers a lot of ground in Jazz Radio America, detailing the rise and fall of stations and their changing formats, the careers of important DJs, and
Ricky Riccardi, who has his dream job as the Director of Research Collections for the Louis Armstrong House Museum, began his trilogy of definitive Louis Armstrong biographies with a singular
The story of Ernie Fields begins, as it must, with the visit from John Hammond. This was in the late 1930s, when Hammond was prowling the country to find the
I don’t know about you, but I simply cannot focus on work if I haven’t got music on. As an undergrad, Miles Davis and Dave Brubeck were my favorite study buddies. (I must have listened to Kind of Blue and Time Out a hundred times on my MP3 player, while
Sometimes, important stuff just gets busied out: I still haven’t put the tumble dryer back together, called someone to fix the dishwasher and, until today, I hadn’t got around to reviewing What’s the Matter with the Mill? It was the fifth offering from The Mad Hat Hucksters, a San Diego-based
Frog Records has quite a history of re-releasing early jug band music recordings, to their immense credit. Their catalogue features artists such as the Dixieland Jug Blowers, Earl Hines & Clifford Hayes, Earl MacDonald & The Great Louisville Jug Bands, and four volumes of The Memphis Jug Band. My belief
My impression of the Dandelion Stompers is heavily influenced by a late fall experience at the family camp. We spent the day closing things up for winter with Grandma’s Sonny and Cher Show DVDs playing in the background, and often sucking us in with its pure entertainment. Hearing Whirlwind Sessions
The Jumbo Shrimp Jazz Band is a popular New Orleans group cutting their own path through the Crescent City since 2009. While rooted in traditional jazz they leave it to others to be wedded to it and instead focus on the fun side of their city’s diverse musical life. In
Nanna Carling’s Melodies For Two, released on February 14, 2025, is a romantic collection of her original compositions. Coming from the Carling family of Swedish jazz royalty, Nanna builds on her 2022 debut, That’s a Plenty, to deliver an album that bridges her trad jazz roots with a more timeless,
JAZZ CLASSIC OF THE MONTH George Buck (1928-2013) recorded and released so many rewarding New Orleans jazz albums throughout his life that it is easy for some sessions to be overlooked and forgotten. New Orleans Reunion, which features clarinetist Tommy Sancton, pianist David Paquette, and drummer Pam Pameijer, is a
Oscar Moore (1916-81) will always be best remembered for being the guitarist with the Nat King Cole Trio during 1937-47. His tasteful and fluent guitar is heard on virtually every recording that Cole made with his group during this period including his early hits and many instrumentals. An early electric
Bela Fleck has been undoubtedly the most remarkable banjo player of the past half-century, often taking his instrument to places it had never been before. While the banjo is most associated with early jazz (before it was replaced by the guitar), Dixieland, folk music, and bluegrass, the virtuosic Fleck has
The combination of tenor-saxophonist Harry Allen, pianist Romano Sportiello, and drummer Bryan Carter (who takes an occasional vocal) is certainly a hit throughout their new It Takes 3 CD. Allen, who has long since joined Scott Hamilton at the top of the last few decades’ swing tenors, and Sportiello (a
A superb swing and classic pianist (he held his own with Dick Hyman on a duo piano album), Chris Hopkins is based in Germany where he records for his Echoes Of Swing Productions. He has been on records since 1994 including with (among others) the Swedish Jazz Kings (featuring cornetist
Vol.10, No.4, April 2025
Assessing the Louis Armstrong Story: Ricky Riccardi’s Trilogy, by B.A. Nilsson
Trumpeter Paul Higgs Guides a History of Jazz, by Gavin Milnthorpe
Morey Feld, Pt. 3: Appointment in Brussels, by Hal Smith & Kevin Dorn
Tolkien’s Biographer Was Also a Pro Jazz Bassist, by Dave Doyle
Jazz Birthday of the Month: Bud Freeman, illustration by Sara Lièvre
Static from my Attic, guest column by Joe Bebco
Jazz Travels: The 2025 NYC Hot Jazz Camp, Bill Hoffman
My Inspirations: Let the Chips Fall, by Jeff Barnhart
Quarter Notes: What a Swell, Swell Party It Was!, by Shelly Gallichio
Ragtime Vignettes: George Winston, by Brandon Byrne
Siblings in the Early Recording Industry, by R.S. Baker
Festival Roundup, compiled by Joe Bebco; illustration by Joe Busam
Profiles in Jazz: Mary Lou Williams, by Scott Yanow
Ain’t Cha Got Music: FH5+2 Themed LPs, by Jeff Barnhart & Hal Smith
Recordings to Help You Celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month, by Joe Bebco
Final Chorus, compiled by Joe Bebco
Nights at the Turntable, CD reviews by Scott Yanow
Doyle’s Discs, CD reviews by Dave Doyle
Book Review: The Boswell Legacy, by Scott Yanow
Book Review: Jazz Radio America, by Steve Provizer
Off the Beaten Tracks, CD reviews by Joe Bebco
CD Review: Jug Band Special, by Matthew de Lacey Davidson
