
Drummer Viola Smith has died at 107
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.

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