Adrian Cunningham

The way we listen to music has changed a lot in the last decade. And I, probably like many of you, have been absorbing music

As professional musicians, our instruments are our tools of the trade. So, it’s important to keep that instrument in the best possible working condition. Regular

Over the past Spring in New York, I spent time busking in Central Park with some old friends, many of whom I haven’t played with

Such is the nature of pandemia—with its unapologetic ravaging of one’s gigging calendar—that to find inspiration, it can be useful to look backwards. And lately

The worlds of jazz and classical music are often mysterious to both parties, and sometimes jazz musicians can get overwhelmed with understanding the classical tradition.

Jazz is a unique tradition, one that continues to evolve from its humble New Orleans roots. This noble American art form is unique within Western

I’m sure you’ve all met him before…there’s one at every jazz festival. You know…that guy. That guy who corners you at the bar after the

Of all the adventures I’ve had in my worldly travels, one of my least memorable was a night in Lisdoonvarna. Now when I say least

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,

Okay folks, we’re hitting three months of lockdown. And it seems like there’ll be no live music for some time now, at least not here

Here we are folks—for most of us, it’s just another day in self-quarantine. How long has it been already? A month, a week, two years?

When you see a jazz musician up on stage, baring their heart and soul to their audience, you’re witnessing something bordering the miraculous. The true

At some point, you may have heard some jazz educator rabbit on to a group of students with a speech like, “jazz is a group

Okay folks, let’s talk about sex. We may as well do so…it’s on our minds all the time anyway (just ask Freud). Most of us

We, in the jazz community, can sometimes get lonely barricaded in our practice rooms or in green rooms. I know it can be intimidating to

I’ve heard this speech many times since moving to New York…a charitable request to the audience, and somewhat of a plea on behalf of the

Do you guys know that old joke: How do end up with a million dollars in the music business?… Start with 2 million and open

Halloween is once again upon us. Being from Australia and not celebrating this holiday as a youngster, I’ve found this to be a peculiar American

Hi folks. I’ve been writing this regular column for a few years now, a pursuit that I’ve very much enjoyed. However, recently I received a

Jazz musicians are highly trained professionals, just as in any other skilled professional field. Whilst on stage, it may appear to the causal observer that

Performing live cuts to the essence of what we do as jazz musicians. We love performing in intimate settings (because jazz is traditionally acoustic music)

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With the relatively recent advent of formal education in jazz, coupled with the endless resources provided by the internet, I am excited and heartened by

I was in Australia a few weeks back, and I’m not sure how much it made the news here in the US, but a high

There’s nothing more romantic than a bunch of musicians out on the street playing New Orleans jazz. Young ragamuffins who’ve shunned society’s norms, and even

There is a long-standing battle between modern jazz fans and traditional jazz fans. It seems that the trad fans loathe modern jazz, and the modern

Folks, I’ve been in this music business long enough to see that the world is changing. It’s a fast paced, tough market out there in

Folks, I’m a fairly private person. By now, most of you regular readers may have noticed that my monthly articles are somewhat cheeky observations of

I often recall a highlight from one of my first adventures as a young man, visiting the island of Zanzibar, off the coast of Tanzania

I’m sure the good readers of The Syncopated Times are well aware by now that jazz musicians are finely tuned creative artists. But are you

A common question that jazz musicians get asked is: do you still practice? And if so, then what do you practice? In jazz, don’t you

Jon Challoner, the trumpet player in my band, told me he recently cleaned out his trumpet, and what came out was “ungodly.” And as any

There’s no denying it, it’s a struggle out there for musicians trying to get noticed on the jazz scene. Getting famous as a jazz musician

Jazz musicians, or any artists for that matter, strive to live in the moment. Living in the moment is a very vital part of making

At some point, some of you jazz cats might get called up to do a gig with a classical ensemble, or even a whole orchestra!

If you’re a working musician, like it or not—you’re also a performer. So it follows that a great part of your job involves being on

Are you a working musician, but are tired of waiting for the phone to ring for more gigs? Are you constantly looking at band line-ups

Jazz is a mysterious art form, full of many eccentricities, not the least of which is that elusive style of singing known as scat singing. Scatting

Ask any jazz musician worthy of their craft, and they’ll tell you “you can’t have jazz without the blues.” While I believe this to be

There’s a magic moment in jazz…a small window of time…between the musicians taking the stage and counting off the first tune. It may not seem

I don’t know if you’ve figured this out yet, but I’m a pretty big deal. It wouldn’t be a stretch to think of me as

If you’ve ever wanted to start your own traditional jazz band, but never learned how to play an instrument, then have no fear, my friend!

I’m a pretty good looking guy. I don’t think that’s an outrageous statement. Don’t get me wrong, you’re not going to see me anytime soon

I, like most jazz musicians, am often asked this question by the layperson: “How do you improvise in a jazz band? Do you just make

You may have noticed last month’s issue of Syncopated Times being perhaps a little lighter in weight. Perhaps you felt like the last edition had

Let’s be honest: jazz musicians are cool. Statistically speaking, cooler than you. Case in point: jazz musicians are far too cool to actually read this

Have you ever watched one of those old gladiator movies from the golden age of Hollywood? Ben Hur, Spartacus…where two lethal warriors fight for their

As a working musician, a big part of the job involves travel. Out of town gigs, big tours, weekend festivals traveling by plane, train, gondola,

I’ll be 40 soon. I’m not shy to admit it. All things considered, things are going pretty well so far. For starters, I’ve outlived Hendrix,

Whether you’re listening to a live band in a club, or kicking back at home with friends listening to a record, it’s very important to

As a bandleader performing for many swing dancers in recent years (in the US and worldwide), I’m inspired to see the reuniting of jazz and

I get it. You want to talk to me at a gig and. . .tell me how great I sound. . .that my music has

Anyone who’s been following the Trad Jazz scene may have noticed something interesting evolving in recent years. Have you seen a Trad Jazz record cover

Jazz Musicians (Homo Sapiens Swingingus Maximus) are fascinating creatures. Nocturnal by nature, they live a reclusive life in close knit communities cut off from mainstream

Like most musicians living in NYC, I am not from NYC. I am from elsewhere. Not elsewhere like the West Coast type of elsewhere; I

I came to NYC eight years ago from Sydney. With a clarinet in hand and a bag full of dreams (and reeds), I jumped the