Jazz Jottings May 2022
Lew Shaw April 28, 2022
On reading Joe Bebco’s excellent “Festival Roundup,” the casual reader might ask “What’s the difference between a Jazz Festival and a Jazz Party?” To a
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On reading Joe Bebco’s excellent “Festival Roundup,” the casual reader might ask “What’s the difference between a Jazz Festival and a Jazz Party?” To a
Of all the instrumentalists, I have to admit being partial to the virtuosos of the keyboard. I guess I was influenced by a teenage recollection
Russell “Big Chief” Moore was a jazz trombonist who was born on an Indian reservation in Arizona and who went on to play with Oscar
Carol and Jeff Loehr aren’t sure what number to assign to the 2022 Sun Valley Jazz & Music Festival, scheduled to return to the Sawtooth
We asked a random group of musicians what they did with their time during the 15 months of the COVID-19 pandemic and how they survived
Vince Giordano’s life has been dedicated to the performance and preservation of the music of the 1920s and ’30s. He has been described as “a
Called “one of the most catastrophic hurricanes to ever make landfall in the United States,” Hurricane Ida did a number on three historic landmarks in
We are a bit late catching up on the happy news, but congratulations to Bria Skonberg and her husband Matthew Papper on the arrival of
Vince Giordano and his Grammy Award-winning Nighthawks Orchestra have found a new home for their bi-weekly tributes to the hot jazz of the 1920s and
Jim Fitzgerald was happiest when he was on the bandstand playing for an appreciative audience. Speaking of that special connection between musician and listener, he
Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks were together for the first time in 15 months on June 10 for a recording session at The Power Station
2021 marks the 80th anniversary of the Stan Kenton Orchestra, which debuted as the Artistry in Rhythm band on Memorial Day of 1941 at the
For the past 20 years, morning commuters on their way to work in the San Francisco-Oakland area have gotten, as one writer put it, “an
Sad news that Arthur’s Tavern, the historic blues and jazz club in New York City’s West Village for over 70 years, has officially closed. The
My only contacts with Dr. W. Royal Stokes, who passed away last month at the age of 90, were an occasional exchange of emails, but
In an attempt to address the shortfall in “honest, reliable guidance in matters of music and culture,” noted jazz writer-author Ted Gioia has launched an
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
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).
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
Growing up in Massachusetts, Dan Gabel was introduced to the mellow sounds of Tommy Dorsey’s trombone at the age of 10 when he was in
Al Bowlly (7 January 1898 – 17 April 1941) is widely regarded as the premier singer of the pre-World War II dance band era in
Joining Scott Whitfield as a 2021 inductee into the American Banjo Museum Hall of Fame is Brad Roth, who for the past 20 years has
Pop music has had its popular sisters’ vocal groups over the years: the Boswell sisters from New Orleans, known for intricate harmonies and rhythmic experimentation;
In late November, the City of New Orleans announced regulations regarding the permitting process to host live entertainment in indoor and outdoor settings. All live
Joseph Brem, a past president of the Arizona Classic Jazz Society, passed away on November 22 in Scottsdale, AZ, he was 90 years old. A
With just about all of the 2020 festivals and jazz parties scheduled since March going virtual or being postponed until late 2021 or 2022, the
Two individuals who have long championed the legacy of Leon “Bix” Beiderbecke are the recipients of the 2020 Bix Lives Award, chosen by the Board
We are saddened by the news of the passing of legendary drummer Viola Smith, who died October 21 at her home in Costa Mesa, California.
Scott Anthony is known to jazz fans as the leader of the Golden Gate Rhythm Machine and the guitarist in Bob Schultz’s Frisco Jazz Band.
Regina Bain has been named the new executive director of the Louis Armstrong House Museum, the National Historic Landmark dedicated to the cultural, historical and
After eight long months of cancellations and dark venues, there is at last a glimmer of light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. With
Known for its musical heritage, Mason City has produced a number of successful performers and educators and is the site of the annual North Iowa
A spokesman for the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) was quoted in a story carried by National Public Radio last month stating that without federal
Checking on the status of the few festivals scheduled to take place during the remaining months of 2020 is akin to reading the final chapters
Norman Vickers is known as a harmonica-playing physician who was a pioneer in his field in his adopted city, and who for the past 40
Not meaning to offend any of my bass-playing friends, I’ve often wondered what motivates a musician to want to play the bass and have to
As most of you know, I’ve been writing musician profiles for various publications for the past 35 years. The musicians who were interviewed candidly discussed
My “beat” for this newspaper over the past 35 years has been to travel about the country chronicling jazz events, attending festivals and jazz parties,
Guitarist Jared Engel is one of the more than 175,000 residents of New York City, considered the epicenter of the COVID-19 epidemic in the United
Imagine Django Reinhardt jamming with Frank Sinatra. That’s not too much of a stretch in describing The Black Market Trust, a fast-rising quintet out of
As panic over the coronavirus sweeps the globe, much of the focus is on the broader economic effects on businesses or venues that have had
The Jazz Journalists Association has recognized 27 “activists, advocates, altruists, aiders and abettors of jazz” from 23 cities as its 2020 Jazz Heroes. The list
Michael Cogswell, founding Executive Director of the Louis Armstrong House Museum died on April 20th at 66 years old. The cause was complications from bladder
Ellis Marsalis, Jr., New Orleans, pianist, educator, NEA Jazz Master and the patriarch of a musical family, succumbed to the Covid-19 coronavirus on April 1st.
Recognizing their “unique and enduring contributions to the living history of jazz,” the late Mat Domber and his wife Rachel are the recipients of the 2020 Satchmo Award
Tenor saxophonist Houston Person is one of the most soulful jazz players on the scene today. He is a musician who pays close attention to
At my advanced age, the thing I like about jazz parties is that they are held in a single venue (usually a hotel ballroom with
From the dusty recesses of my jazz history archives, I recently came across a slim 32-page pamphlet published in 1942 entitled “America’s Band Leaders” by
One of my favorite songs is “Once in a While.” Or should I say that two of my favorite songs are “Once in a While”
It all began innocently enough in the late 1960s when Dave Oppermann, a business person by day and a sing-along piano player by night, and
The Barbary Coast Dixieland Jazz Band holds a special place in Minnesota music history—and not just because its members were inducted into the Minnesota Music
The Barbary Coast Dixieland Jazz Band holds a special place in Minnesota music history—and not just because its members were inducted into the Minnesota Music
Bucky Pizzarelli died on April 1st, 2020, he was 94. Lew Shaw interviewed him for this profile when both men were 88. Read our obituary
As is its annual tradition since 2005, the San Diego Jazz Party conveys the title of “Jazz Legend” on one of its participating musicians. At
Longtime pianist-arranger John Sheridan has assumed leadership of the Jim Cullum Jazz Band, which will continue its bi-weekly gigs at San Antonio restaurants as well
