George Leo “Pat” O’Brien, who died October 13th at 91, was a San Francisco–born banjoist, guitarist, singer, and entertainer who spent decades working squarely within
Judy Whitmore’s Christmas sits in a different universe from the other holiday records in this batch, but that isn’t a drawback. She’s not trying to
The Mad Hat Hucksters have always been a band that treats swing as a living vernacular rather than a museum dialect, which is why holiday
Having nine players instead of her usual smaller lineup gives Chelsea Reed’s The Christmas EP a warmth and fullness that feels exactly right for the
Note: I have learned since writing the below that rights holders, aka record labels, are putting out releases on Bandcamp under the artist’s name, giving
Discovering a band that resonates with you is like the early days of a love affair, everything after is measured against that spark. You discover
Trombonist and pianist Herb Gardner, a fixture of the New York and New England traditional-jazz scenes for more than six decades, passed away on September
David W. “Smiley” Wallace Jr., a lifelong champion of ragtime and early jazz in the Kansas City region, died on October 2, 2025. He was 93.
Scottish guitarist and banjoist Jim Douglas, one of the most respected figures in British traditional jazz, died in early October 2025 while living in the
Clarinetist Bob Draga, a beloved mainstay of the traditional jazz festival circuit, passed away on September 23, 2025, on his 78th birthday. Known for his
Raymond “Raybo” Boyce, a beloved voice of jazz radio in Central New York for more than three decades, died on September 20, 2025, at age
Pete Lay, drummer, bandleader, promoter, and longtime editor of Just Jazz magazine, died September 7, 2025 at age 78. A central figure in Britain’s traditional-jazz
Rick MacWilliams passed away on September 12th after a long illness; he was 81. While he wore many hats, including mechanical engineer, licensed councilor, volunteer
When we’ve covered Glenn Crytzer over the years it has usually been to focus on his original material and his full orchestra, but if you’re
Lizzy & the Triggermen have always blended vintage swagger with contemporary stagecraft, and their new Live at Joe’s Pub set captures the band landing that
There is a tension in traditional jazz between recreation and creation. Colin Hancock has always lived on the rarer side of that line, not content
Carl Lunsford, a traditional jazz banjo player whose rhythmic style anchored many West Coast trad bands, passed away on August 5th in Sausalito, California, at
Alain Bouchet, the French trumpeter and cornetist, passed away on August 4th, he was 81. He began his career in the 1960s with groups like
