Letters to the Editor January 2022
Andy Senior
December 28, 2021
– “Academic?” – To the Editor: Yes, on the one hand, the thorough Tribute to Donald Ashwander was a bit more than I needed to
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– “Academic?” – To the Editor: Yes, on the one hand, the thorough Tribute to Donald Ashwander was a bit more than I needed to
Over the past two years all of us have had to recalibrate our definition of “normal.” It used to be typical that we would see
Irving Henry Prestopnik (Irving Fazola) was born in New Orleans on December 10, 1912. He started on piano, but as he switched to reed instruments—first
I’ve never considered myself one for taking risks. I was always that kid whose knees buckled at the notion of climbing to the highest diving
Cynthia Sayer, hailed as one of the finest four-string banjoists in the world today, has just issued The Swinging Solos of Elmer Snowden, a book
Remembering Ralph Sutton To the Editor: What a great surprise and delight to see the photo and read the article by Jeff Barnhart about Jeff,
Wilbur Dorsey “Buck” Clayton was born November 12, 1911, in Parsons, Kansas. Buck learned piano at an early age, then studied trumpet with his father
Chris Reid, of London, England, has compiled a discography of the vocal recordings of beloved banjoist and singer Clancy Hayes. Hayes notably performed with Bob
Let me confess here that I have long had a love of Classic Calypso. I’m referring specifically to the lively and witty Trinidadian music recorded
In every issue of The Syncopated Times, I mean to celebrate the life force; syncopation itself is the pulse of life. The beat of one’s
We are delighted to extend birthday greetings to ragtime scholar, polymath, and entertainer Max Morath, who turns 95 on October 1st. Max was born on
George Wein, jazz promoter, pianist, and producer, died in Manhattan on September 13; he was 95. He was the founder of the Newport Jazz Festival,
Harry Warnow, known to us as Raymond Scott, was born in Brooklyn, New York, on September 10, 1908. Warnow grew up with parallel interests in
In my capacity as publisher of The Syncopated Times, one of the duties I must fulfill is that of cheerleader for the music. It’s necessary
It often happens that, when I need to cleanse my palate of the taste of drudgery that this gig engenders, I will browse our local
Helen Kane was born Helen Claire Schroeder in New York City on August 4, 1904. Her first stage experience was in school theatricals, but by
Elliot Lawrence, one of the last-living bandleaders of the Big Band Era, died on July 2, 2021. He was 96. Lawrence was born Elliot Lawrence
Seger Pillot Ellis was born July 4, 1904, in Houston, Texas. As a teenager, Seger much admired the local pianists in the city, Jack Sharpe,
The reader will note that a rather morbid undercurrent has run through this column over the past two months. In May, I noted the death
Don Murray was born in Joliet, Illinois, on June 7, 1904, and attended high school in Chicago. In his teens he earned a reputation as
Stan McDonald, best known globally as a traditional jazz musician for his soaring and passionate soprano saxophone and clarinet inspired by Sidney Bechet, died on
By the time you hold this paper in your hand, I will have achieved the grim distinction of being exactly the same age New Yorker
Cheers for Terry Waldo! To the Editor: I enjoyed the recent article about Terry Waldo by Larry Melton and Neal Siegal published in the April
I was reminded of my favorite childhood reading material this past month when I heard that Frank Jacobs, the extraordinary writer of light verse and
