“This session is not simply a historical record. It’s the culmination of 14 years of gigs, tours, festivals, recording sessions and lots of rehearsal: spontaneous,
After being in failing health for the last couple of years, Phil Kirk died on Oct. 1, 2021. Phil was the leader and trumpet player
In the early days (and perhaps even today for some folks), jazz, particularly the blues, was denigrated as “the devil’s music.” Somewhat ironically this charge
This superb two-disc set honoring bassist Ron Russell consists of material recorded during the 1970s. This is also the first time it has been issued,
When “ragtime” is mentioned, many people—perhaps most—think immediately of piano players. In the early 1900s, ragtime was the domain of piano players. Ragtime was “revived,”
A couple of years ago when reviewing the Missing Pieces CD, I wrote this: Two years from now the New Black Eagle Jazz Band will
The West Coast of the U.S. has long been blessed with a large complement of traditional jazz bands—professional and semi-professional—societies, and festivals, it seems. Before
A number of jazz concerts aired in the U.K. on BBC Radio in the early 1960s while the “trad boom” was underway and rock and
Back in my salad days when I first was becoming interested in jazz, I ran across the wonderful name “Muggsy Spanier.” For some reason, that
For a good many years, now, I have been a fan of Kid Thomas and his various bands; so when I first heard about this
In 2012, Paul Adams of Lake Records issued a three-CD set titled British Traditional Jazz – A Potted History, which consists of 73 tracks in
Since this album is a “retrospective,” drawing from previously recorded and issued material in the thirty year period 1923-1953, Sidney Bechet devotees will undoubtedly already
One of the best known of the British traditional jazz musicians is the late Ken Colyer (1928-1988), and interest in his recorded output has not
Since Chris Barber has retired from playing, one might expect that there would be no more “new” Barber CDs forthcoming, but that would be a
On this recording we hear Humphrey Lyttelton (1921-2008) being just a little retrospective in that he returns to the style of jazz of his early
Full many a flower is born to blush unseen And waste its sweetness on the desert air. ― Thomas Gray, An Elegy Written In A Country Churchyard
It’s not often a traditional jazz band of conventional size—six or seven pieces, usually—lacks a horn in its front line, but such is the case
This CD picks up where the same group’s previous one, Jazz Crusade JCCD3079, left off, the first six tracks here being from that same recording
When “Louisiana” and “music” are mentioned in the same breath, for many people the conjunction suggests “jazz.” But Louisiana is also known for bluegrass, blues,
Following the release about a year ago of the CD New Orleans Jazz: Remembering Doug Kennedy, a tribute to their late banjo/guitarist, the West London
The names of Peter Bocage and Emilé Barnes are not as well known as those of others who figured more prominently in the New Orleans
Aged 90 and now retired from playing, Chris Barber is an institution in the annals of British traditional jazz, having been on the scene since
The French Preservation New Orleans Jazz Band, while not well known in the U.S.A. other than, perhaps, in New Orleans itself, enjoys wide recognition in
Bill Brunskill got involved in the jazz scene about the same time as Chris Barber and members of the Barber band along with others of
