Jazz for Dancers, Part 1
Hal Smith
February 26, 2021
Jeff Barnhart: Hal, this month’s column marks a thematic departure for us, but it is a subject about which I’ve given considerable thought over the
Jeff Barnhart: Hal, this month’s column marks a thematic departure for us, but it is a subject about which I’ve given considerable thought over the
Multi-talented Ramona S. Baker is the daughter of Clint Baker (“Preserving the Fire of Early Jazz,” TST, June 2020) and sister of Riley Baker (“Swingin’
After several phone calls and e-mails were exchanged, Jeff and I decided to postpone the discussion on “Panama.” While we mulled over a variety of
Jeff Barnhart: Well, Hal, I am excited to delve into Euday Bowman’s “12th Street Rag” with you! Before we start chewing over the myriad interpretations
Hal Smith: Jeff, since I suggested Johnny Dodds as the subject for our second column in The Syncopated Times, I would like to select the
David Sager is rightfully acknowledged as one of the best currently active jazz trombonists. But he also has excellent credentials in other areas of the
Jeff Barnhart is an in-demand solo performer, sideman, bandleader and festival musical director with a well-deserved, international fan base. Besides sharing a bandstand with this
The wonderful vocalist Banu Gibson (“First Lady of the Bayou,” TST, September 2016) is a great friend and it is always a privilege to share
Guitarist-drummer-vocalist Dave “Pappy” Stuckey is also a bandleader, and he is greatly admired by musicians, dancers and listeners across several genres. Dave is also—literally—an award-winning
A banjo-centric conversation with Hal Smith and John Gill Multi-instrumentalist and bandleader John Gill (“Traditional Jazz’s Stomper-in-Chief,” TST, April 2020) has an encyclopedic knowledge of,
Multi-instrumentalist Riley Baker is a California native. He is the son of musician Clint Baker and the brother of TST contributing writer Ramona Baker. Riley
Pianist Kris Tokarski (“Lendítsd a zongorán!” TST, May 2020) hails from the home state of James P. Johnson and currently lives in Jelly Roll Morton’s
Note: Most of the recent recordings by Steve Pistorius are available from the Louisiana Music Factory . Bandcamp also has some of the newest albums
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
Hal Smith: You are best known among Traditional Jazz fans as a cornetist, but can you tell us about the instrument you started with? Chris
Following the publication of “Nick Fatool – the Perfect Jazz Percussionist” (Syncopated Times, Nov. 2019), I have been carrying on a dialogue with Kevin Dorn—a
Clint Baker is one of the most important musicians in the contemporary Traditional Jazz and Swing world. Besides being a first-class musician (a multi-instrumentalist), he
Pianist Kris Tokarski honors the traditions of keyboard masters from New Orleans to Bop. Though he is only 31, Kris has already performed extensively in
Note: John Gill is a multi-instrumentalist with wide-ranging musical tastes. However, he is best known as an authority on San Francisco Style Jazz and also
In the late 1970s, Bay Area banker Jim Goggin, a longtime friend and fan of Turk Murphy, envisioned a “Turk Murphy Jazz Foundation” – a
John Royen is one of the premier stride pianists active today. His background includes work with some of the best-known Traditional Jazz performers in the
Present-day fans of Harlem Stride who are familiar with European pianists such as Rossano Sportiello, Louis Mazetier and Paolo Alderighi may want to make the
The great jazz pianist Jess Stacy told his biographer, Keith Keller: “Nick Fatool was always 100 per cent of what a good drummer should be.”
The 13th Annual Charles H. Templeton Ragtime & Jazz Festival was an unqualified musical success. The event, held in the Mitchell Memorial Library and McComas
