When one thinks of the classic Count Basie Orchestra of 1936-40, the tenor-saxophonists (Lester Young and either Herschel Evans or Buddy Tate), the trumpeters (most
CLASSIC JAZZ ALBUM OF THE MONTH No swing band during the big band era had more hits than Glenn Miller’s, not Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw,
Art Van Damme (1920-2010) may not have been the first jazz accordionist (Buster Moten took short solos with his brother Bennie’s band in the 1920s),
Tatum Langley is a Chicago-based singer who has performed both in jazz and in musical theater settings including in London and Australia with Postmodern Jukebox.
Trumpeter Don Goldie (1930-95) is probably best remembered for his association with Jack Teagarden for he was a member of the trombonist’s last working group
Eddie Sauter (1914-81) was one of the most innovative arrangers to come up during the Swing era. In addition to his work for Artie Shaw
Only one U.S. president came close to becoming a jazz musician. Bill Clinton has often humorously stated that, while playing the tenor-sax as a teenager,
The High Society New Orleans Jazz Band was founded and is co-led by pianist Conal Fowkes and trumpeter Simon Wettenhall. Long-time musical friends, they were
The group Paul and His Gang is best known in the United States for its 1996 Stomp Off recording Take Your Tomorrow. The band was
Harry James (1916-83) was not only a virtuoso trumpeter with his own exciting style but the leader of the most popular big band of 1942-46
JAZZ CLASSIC OF THE MONTH Two of the finest stride pianists to emerge during the mid-to-late 1940s (along with Dick Wellstood and Don Ewell) were
For the 100th article in my series of Jazz Profiles, this is the first time that a non-musician is the subject. John Hammond is considered
What are the most exciting and essential classic jazz recordings that have taken place since the end of World War II? An impossible question to
Back in 1976, the British clarinetist and soprano-saxophonist Pete Allen left his day job to join Rod Mason’s group. By the fall of 1978, Allen
In the 1960s and ’70s, it was very rare for any African-Americans, other than survivors from the early days, to be playing Dixieland and pre-swing
JAZZ CLASSIC OF THE MONTH In 1950, Duke Ellington’s son Mercer and journalist Leonard Feather founded the Mercer label. The small company lasted for less
John Petters is a veteran British jazz drummer who has appeared on quite a few hot trad jazz sessions starting in 1977. Self-taught, he has
Omer Simeon (1902-59) was one of the top jazz clarinetists to emerge during the 1920s yet he is overshadowed in the history books by such
LOUIS ARMSTRONG’S 70 GREATEST RECORDINGS Although I have long wanted to write about Louis Armstrong for The Syncopated Times, since Ricky Riccardi’s trio of books
While the string bass was part of the early New Orleans jazz scene from its start, with Jimmy Johnson (1876-1937) and his bass being seen
J. Mayo Williams, who was nicknamed “Ink” due to his dark skin, had two often simultaneous careers. He is best remembered today as a pioneering
