Emily Asher: Keeping it Positive
Brian Sheridan
July 31, 2020
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This article became a two hour radio program which can be found following the text. A playlist providing discographical information for all of the sample
Last fall I wrote an essay for The Syncopated Times titled, “Reconsidering “Dixieland Jazz”, How The Name Has Harmed The Music”. It encouraged the remaining
Creole multi-instrumentalist Frank “Big Boy” Goudie (1899-1964) spent six vibrant years blowing saxophone, trumpet and clarinet in Brazil and South America. Big Boy played Samba-swing,
With the recent passing of Johnny Mandel, I wanted to honor those gifted jazz musicians who, like Mandel, began as just another member of a
Suncoast Jazz Festival director Joan Dragon has had a long and varied worklife, in and outside the music world. Having never attended this festival, I
Global pandemics aside, the Mint Julep Jazz Band is enjoying great demand. With band members featured at North Carolina’s Lindy Focus—one of the planet’s biggest
Norman Vickers is known as a harmonica-playing physician who was a pioneer in his field in his adopted city, and who for the past 40
There may be some question about whether certain singers are “jazz” singers, but there is no question about Sheila Jordan’s jazz bona fides. She has
Pianist Steve Pistorius has honored the New Orleans Jazz tradition since the 1970s as a piano soloist, sideman, bandleader, and educator. Hal Smith: What was
The pieces yearn for each other. Little twists with soft, round arms reach out to open spaces that almost fit, but not quite. They want
With public gatherings (including concerts and festivals) banned due to the COVID-19 pandemic, live music has faded into a mere memory. Orlando, Florida, jazzman Charlie
The Peacherine Ragtime Society Orchestra is celebrating our tenth anniversary season this year. The twelve-piece ensemble, formed while I was a freshman at the University of
With the avalanche of festival cancellations and postponements that have occurred due to the coronavirus crisis this year, festival organizers are looking for possible ways
He was the “King of Swing,” one of the greatest clarinetists of all time, and an international celebrity by 1936 who is still a household
Checking on the status of the few festivals scheduled to take place during the remaining months of 2020 is akin to reading the final chapters
To the Editor: Congratulations to Scott Yanow on another great profile, Bud Freeman, in the July Syncopated Times. Your description of what he brought as
In the music world, it is easy to overrate the popularity of songs and performers. This is not a new concept, and in terms of
“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, a charm to sadness and gaiety and life to everything.”
Okay, folks—this mess has gone on long enough. The festivals are dropping like flies and I, along with all the other musicians in the scene,
If anything is musically analogous to this historical fermata, it must be the chorus-length note held by Carmen Lombardo on the Royal Canadians’ classic (and
Abe Lyman was born Abraham Simon on August 4, 1897, in Chicago, Illinois. He and his brother Mike changed their last name to Lyman because
Writing for The Syncopated Times reminds me of the experience of being alive. We go from experiencing the joy and ecstasy of the music we
Our current Festival Roundup can be found under EVENTS in our menu. This is a very outdated Festival Roundup from way back in August 2020.
A few disclosures are in order. 1) Though the late Glenn Jenks (1947–2016) and I met only at ragtime festivals, we communicated occasionally by phone,
–The 1947 film New Orleans altered jazz history by inspiring Louis Armstrong to form his small-group All-Stars, a format he maintained for the rest of
Some sequels are unwarranted and altogether unwelcome: A second coronavirus outbreak. World War II. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. But there was one return I was
This is a delightful trio album with Rebecca Kilgore providing vocals and occasional guitar, Dan Barrett and trombone and Paolo Alderighi on piano. Since I
Formed on May 5, 1945, just a few days before the official end of WWII, the Dutch Swing College Band is still playing all these
Peggy Lee (nee Norma Deloris Egstrom) was one of the vocalists who made their mark with big bands in the 1940s. Some of these included
Lizzy and the Triggermen were on a major upswing when the pandemic hit. They’d been selling out shows at larger and larger venues around LA
St. Louis has had a uniquely bluesy and sassy revival jazz scene for going on 70 years. I’m happy to say the younger generation, led
If you enjoyed Doro Wat’s self titled debut CD you are going to love their latest— Meet Us At The Lost Love Lounge. Recorded before
Hard as it is to imagine an in person jazz event these days I’m going to dream big. Someday I hope to see an old
I’d set out to review the new album from the Dirty River Dixie Band for the July issue. I’m glad I waited. In June, before
During 1913-14 the African-American bandleader James Reese Europe recorded eight groundbreaking selections with his Society Band, some of which contained basic improvising and the strong
Of all of the swing era big bands, only two were together nonstop into the 1970s: Duke Ellington and Les Brown. Ellington kept his high-priced
The St. Louis Steady Grinders is a duo comprised of Ethan Leinwand’s piano and singer Valerie Kirchhoff. While Ms. Kirchhoff has been performing in the
Stu Pletcher (1907-78) was never a major name and he had a surprisingly brief career in the spotlight. His son, Tom Pletcher, had a more
When it comes to performing music from the 1920s and ’30s, there are several viable approaches. Some musicians closely copy the arrangements and sometimes the
During 1948-55, trumpeter Humphrey Lyttelton led what was arguably the top British traditional jazz band. His group, which teamed him with clarinetist Wally Fawkes, performed
Annabelle Allan Short, known professionally as Annie Ross, died on July 21 in New York City, four days ahead of her 90th Birthday. She was
Lisa Canjura-Clayton passed away on May 31st, she was 57. She was a prominent member of the San Francisco area LGBT community. At every stage
Johnny Mandel died on June 29th at 94. As an 11 year old a visit from an older cousin who was a member of Harry
Chris Barham, who died on June 19th at 87, is most famous in his home country for taking an iconic photograph of Queen Elizabeth on
Bassist Jerry Bruno (January 10, 1920 – June 22, 2020) graduated at the age of 100. He was born in Rochester, New York into a
Pianist Freddy Cole died on June 27th in Atlanta, he was 88. Born in 1931 in Chicago, he had called Atlanta home for the last
Emily Asher: Keeping it Positive, by Brian R. Sheridan
From the Brass Section to the World, by Steve Provizer
Norman Vickers: Jazz Doc and More, by Lew Shaw
Steve Pistorius: Standard Bearer of New Orleans Jazz, by Hal Smith
1920: The Year Broadway Learned to Syncopate, by Roger K. Smith
Laura Windley: Accidental Jazz Star, by Dave Doyle
Sheila Jordan: A Visit With the Jazz Child, by Steve Provizer
Jazz Birthday of the Month: Abe Lyman, illustration by Joe Busam
Static from my Attic by Andy Senior
Final Chorus, compiled by Joe Bebco
Jazz Jottings, by Lew Shaw
Frank Big Boy Goudie Pt. 2: 1939-56, by Dave Radlauer
The Professor is IN: “Try Something New”, by Adrian Cunningham
Quarter Notes: Quotes for Quarantine, by Shelly Gallichio
The Beginning of the Manufactured Hit, by R.S. Baker
Jazz Travels: Joan Dragon, by Bill Hoffman
Festival Roundup, compiled by Joe Bebco
Blowing off the Dust: Lucille Salerno, by Larry Melton
Profiles in Jazz: Benny Goodman, by Scott Yanow
Readers’ Letters
Bertini Creates “All Warmed Up” Gear for Trumpeters, by Russ Tarby
“Jigsaw Puzzle in Time of Covid-19” (poem), by Ray Skjelbred
More of the Same? Yes Please, Greg!, CD Review by Dave Doyle
CD review: Just Imagine, by F. Norman Vickers
Nights at the Turntable, CD reviews by Scott Yanow
Glenn Jenks’ Complete Ragtime Works for Piano, review by Ed Berlin
Off the Beaten Tracks, CD reviews by Joe Bebco
Dixieland Goes Dutch, review by Bert Thompson
Ultimate Peggy Lee review by Steve Provizer
Reel Jazz! Kevin Whitehead Dissects 93 Years of Jazz Films, by Russ Tarby
