Wilbur Sweatman was born February 7, 1882 in Brunswick, Missouri. His older sister Eva sparked Wilbur’s interest in music, teaching him to play piano. Later,
Art Salzfass, a resident of the Rossmoor Retirement Community in Walnut Creek, California, has a unique mission. Art, along with other members of the Rossmoor
Artificial stupidity will never replace the real thing. This motto, of which I should commission an embroidered sampler, is brought home to me on a
Jazz guitar virtuoso, bandleader, composer, and teacher Carmen Caramanica died January 16, 2023; he was 77 years old. Carmen was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, in
Al Bowlly was born January 7, 1898, in Lourenço Marques (today Maputo) in Mozambique. His father was Greek and his mother was Lebanese. They met
In the interval between publishing the previous issue and the current one, a little something called ChatGPT has come into being. It bids fair to
William Alexander “Sonny” Greer was born in Long Branch, New Jersey, on December 13, 1895 (according to most sources). Sonny Greer met and befriended Edward
There are months (and this is one of them) when I feel I am at best a poor servant of Jazz. I’m like one of
William Henry Joseph Bonaparte Bertholoff Smith was born on November 25, 1897, in Goshen, New York. Young Willie began playing piano when he was six
It may happen that there are musicians where you live who shine as brilliantly on their instruments as any who have achieved great fame in
In this dim and chilly season, as snowbirds migrate south and leaves fall from the trees, I turn from my preoccupation with my own foibles
Finding Steph and Paolo To the Editor: I am enclosing rny check for a two-year subscription to The Syncopated Times. I just thought I would
As I write this month’s column, it’s challenging to find words to express the depth of my gratitude. I am deeply thankful to all those
More About Charlie Barnet To the Editor: Scott’s article about Charlie Barnet in the July issue of Sync Times reminded me of “Porky” Cohen’s stories
Arthur Fields was born Abraham Finkelstein in Philadelphia on August 6, 1888, with his family relocating to Utica, New York, shortly thereafter. Young Abe was
I find myself sitting here with the words that invariably manifest themselves as I write my Static column for each issue: It’s been a month.
Praise for TST To the Editor: One of the smartest things I ever did in the past year is to subscribe to The Syncopated Times!
Have I told you lately that contention makes me tired? Just when I think it’s possible to pause and enjoy a moment of relative serenity,
Well, it’s been quite month. Of course, for me, every month is “quite a month”—but this one, if it were a physical rather than an
The current issue of the ARSC Journal arrived with a most welcome surprise—a 27-track CD produced by the organization of carefully restored and recorded tracks
In addition to everything else going on, I turn 60 this May. (Or should I say “dismay?”) It’s nothing to celebrate, but I thought the
Vic Berton was born Victor Cohen in Chicago on May 7, 1896. Vic grew up in a middle-class household, though one with a streak of
Alberta Hunter was born April 1, 1895, in Memphis, Tennessee. She never knew her father, and was not happy with her stepfather. She left home
I was lucky to grow up in a community that was ethnically (if not racially) diverse. Certain nationalities predominated, and in the cul-de-sac where I
