When an iconic female vocalist steps up to front the world’s spunkiest, funkiest trad-jazz combo, musical fireworks soon ensue. The icon is jug-band veteran Maria
Jazz critic W. Royal Stokes passed away on May 1, 2021, he was 90 years old. He was a boogie woogie fan as a teenager
Bob Koester, founder of Chicago’s Delmark Records and operator of one of the most beloved record stores in the world died on May 12th, he
For some musicians, jazz is the music they play but for multi-talented Gunhild Carling, jazz is her life. She grew up surrounded by it and
During the swing era, there were two types of male singers that were employed by many big bands, and then there was Jimmy Rushing. While
What is authentic swing music? It depends who you ask. Plenty of modern outfits advertise themselves as “authentic” swing musicians—many of them function bands, sporting
Hal Smith: During the seemingly endless nationwide lockdown, I have enjoyed one positive experience: participating in a series of video discussions regarding the Benny Goodman
Gus Haenschen (1889–1980) was once a highly prominent figure in popular music with his name-recognition reinforced by regular newspaper advertisements and occasional articles. From 1919
My wife Laura I lived in New York City for nearly fourteen exciting years, from early 1983 until the summer of 1996. It seemed that
For Britons, George Formby is seen as a national treasure. The comedian’s loving portrayals of hapless working-class characters has charmed countless filmgoers, and with statues
Hal Smith: When we finished our last article for The Syncopated Times, Jeff kindly offered to let me choose the subject for our next collaboration.
The monumental role of Eddie Durham (1906-1987) in the development of Swing has been hidden in the corners of Jazz history and mostly overlooked by
While The Syncopated Times this year celebrates its fifth anniversary, Jane Monheit marks her 20th year as a professional jazz singer with the release of
Saxophonist, Joseph Robert St. John had a thirty-year career in Manhattan and Detroit. His New York band battled the great Chick Webb Orchestra and shared a
As we enter the roaring 20s of the 21st century, NYC jazz artists Sweet Megg and Ricky Alexander seamlessly blend the vintage era of the
Marty Grosz has long been a triple “threat” on stage. A superior acoustic guitarist, he takes inventive chordal solos in the tradition of Carl Kress
Roya Naldi, a singer with a deep and haunting voice, is most inspired by Al Bowlly while at various times hinting at Annette Hanshaw, early
Just over two years ago, I was contacted through my Drums In The Twenties website by a man called Bob Matthews. He was at that
No doubt that readers of The Syncopated Times are as leery of stylistic fusion and “cross-over” projects as I am. I’m not a die hard
For many admirers, a personally signed autograph is a treasured keepsake. For over fifty years I avidly accumulated these bits of personalized ephemera. It all
In 1896, two phonograph engineers were arrested for the first crime not patent related within the recording business. The more famous of the two, Russell
The Archeophone label, in their Yearbook series, had previously released CDs dedicated to the music of every year from 1906-1922 (not to mention two CDs
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
It Gets Better by W. Brett Youens is one of the most well-written rags of the last decade to be composed in the ultra-refined, Joplinesque
Well folks, it’s been one full year since our lives all fundamentally changed. If you’d have asked me a year ago where we’d be by
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
Lester Young (1909-59) was one of the all-time great tenor-saxophonists, a non-conformist whose floating cool-toned style was much different than that of the dominant influence
Do not interpret an event not being on this list as a cancellation, it means only that they have yet to announce any information about
I don’t know who first said it but it’s as true a statement as one can utter: Death is the great equalizer. On Monday, April
Although pianist Domingo Mancuello (pronounced Man-KWAY-o) lives only three miles from me (but not for long—see below), I did not meet him here in Lancaster.
It took most European musicians a bit of time to get comfortable playing jazz. In the early-to-mid 1920s, relatively few American jazz recordings were available
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
F. Norman Vickers, the jazz ambassador and moving spirit behind Jazz Pensacola, is one of 23 individuals who are the 2021 recipients of the JJA
Party Like it’s 1921 May 9th, 1925. A series of Coast Guard speed boats (some of the first of their kind) fly down the Delaware
Although easing up a bit, the current situation has put a stop to most live music in New Orleans but it has created some alternatives
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
Ernest Loring “Red” Nichols was born May 8, 1905, in Ogden, Utah. He began playing cornet when he was five, played with his father’s brass
The Syncopatin’ Seven was a later version of The Syncopatin’ Five. They got their start playing dance music in hotels in Florida. Most of the band
The Syncopating Five got their start playing dance music in hotels in Florida. Most of the band members were from Ohio and Indiana and they
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
On Feb. 11, 1940, a new weekly radio program made its debut. Called The Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street, it was a satire
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
Four jazz clubs from California to Maryland have joined to present an online live streaming concert headlined by popular singer-band leader Banu Gibson and a
Andrew “Jazzman” Smith of White Bluff, TN passed on March 28, he was 83. He served his country honorably for 20 years in the US
As Ukulele is becoming more popular people are learning the basics of string names and a few basic chords, as well as all the different
Jazz Jubilee by the Sea 2021 is on track. We have connected with most of our bands with a few more yet to be determined
Marek Boym passed March 31, a few days after his 80th birthday. I’ve been a lifelong Jazz enthusiast and, at age 76, considered myself fairly
The Texas Blue Destroyers, who were only trumpet player Bubber Miley and organist Alvin Ray, pulled some kind of con job back in 1924, and managed to
If Kevin Keaton has his way, you’ll soon be able to pop into your grocer’s dairy case for a snack and some tunes. Keaton, the
The Fungus Five plus Two (“our music grows on you,”) the Gutbucket Syncopators, Waldo’s Ragtime Orchestra, and The Gotham City Jazz Band are only a
Singer-lyricist-bandleader-entertainer, Noble Sissle occupies an unusual place in the world of ragtime, jazz and show business. He was one of the best-known musicians of the
Title Recording Date Recording Location Company Loveless Love (W.C. Handy) 8-15-1934 Chicago, Illinois Decca 154 Polka Dot Rag (Sidney Bechet / James Toliver / Noble Sissle)
Records on the Regal label were released as Leonard Graham and his Jazz Band. On the Medallion label the name Willie Brown and his Sizzling
Ask a top swing dancer (or any swing dancer) what first brought them to the hobby, and most will reply: “the music.” Less often does
Fiddler Bobby Bruce lived one of the longest and most diverse professional music careers I’ve encountered, performing and arranging for seven decades in Vaudeville, Jazz,
Reedsman Evan Arntzen is ready to make a splash in the jazz world with his third release as leader, a gem of an album on
He was a very popular singer and entertainer who, as “Ukulele Ike,” had major accomplishments in the 1920s, he appeared in many films in the
Hal Smith: Last June, Kevin Dorn and I talked about some of the people who have influenced our own playing. That article received many positive
In our March issue, Dan Barrett recalled a gig with trumpeter George Orendorff and the story that George told about playing the trumpet break before
In 1991, I had been chasing the music of Joe “King” Oliver and Louis Armstrong for seven or eight years. By “chasing,” I mean I
Jimmie Noone was born April 23, 1895, in Cut Off, Louisiana. Noone started playing clarinet after his family moved to New Orleans in 1910. By
Do not interpret an event not being on this list as a cancellation, it means only that they have yet to announce any information about
Here’s the post-Valentine’s Day wish of every jazz musician: Roses are Red, Violets are blue— We just want some gigs (And a festival or two).
Those fortunate enough to have attended any of the Bohém Ragtime Jazz Festivals, presented annually in Hungary, or viewed its videos on YouTube, know that
The way we listen to music has changed a lot in the last decade. And I, probably like many of you, have been absorbing music
Singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III, called “The Poet Laureate of Family Dysfunction” by Rolling Stone magazine, might not spring to mind as someone that you’d expect
As someone who has had a lifelong love affair with jazz, an interesting question came up in a ZOOM interview I recently had with Dan
There have been a number of books written about the legendary Buddy Bolden and the fact that no authentic recordings by him or his band
In the 1960s, Pete Fountain was the second best-known active clarinetist in the US, only behind Benny Goodman. His brand of New Orleans jazz was
In the 19th century, novelties and curiosities were all the rage. We have all heard of the circus performers, snake oil salesmen, sideshow freaks—but there
The Orpheum Theater in New Orleans is celebrating its 100th birthday and re-introducing the new Double Dealer speakeasy under the theater. Resembling the backstage setting
Sometimes one just has the need to hear riotous Dixieland, particularly the style of music where there are lots of notes played at rapid tempos
