Profiles in Jazz: Charlie Barnet
Scott Yanow June 28, 2022
When one thinks of the top swing era bandleaders, the names of Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, and Harry James
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When one thinks of the top swing era bandleaders, the names of Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, and Harry James
It would be impossible to put together a documentary on the brilliant cornetist Bix Beiderbecke today without relying exclusively on third-hand accounts. Since Bix passed
Omer Simeon was born July 21, 1902, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Though born in the Crescent City, Simeon ironically did not start to play clarinet
Ever since he began recording as a leader in 1988, tenor-saxophonist Harry Allen has been both prolific and very consistent. His high-quality tenor playing, while
The New Orleans Jazz Museum, from January 30, 2020, through September 1, 2021, hosted a joint exhibition featuring the paintings of Noel Rockmore and his
When it comes to big bands of the 1924-34 period, Fletcher Henderson’s was difficult to beat, particularly if one does not include Duke Ellington. Henderson
A fine alto-saxophonist and arranger who was a member of the Glenn Miller Orchestra during 1937-41, Hal McIntyre (1914-59) started his own big band in
During 1938-45, Linda Keene (1911-81) sang with Glenn Miller, the Bobby Hackett Orchestra, Jack Teagarden’s big band, Red Norvo, Muggsy Spanier, Lennie Hayton, Charlie Barnet,
The violin was part of some of the earliest jazz bands in New Orleans but it was not taken seriously as a solo instrument in
Jonathan Stout has long been an important figure in the swing and swing dance community. An excellent guitarist whose style ranges from Carl Kress and
La Suite Wilson is an octet of superior swing players from France that consists of trumpeter Michel Bonnet, tenor-saxophonist Nicolas Montler, Matthieu Vernhes on alto
Veteran cornetist Ed Polcer, who is now 85, has been a talented soloist since the 1960s when he joined Benny Goodman’s small group. He managed
The COVID pandemic, while robbing musicians of the opportunity to play gigs and to even practice together, did result in some new projects being born.
Erroll Garner had such a unique style on the piano that it used to be very difficult for other pianists (which included George Shearing and
Jazz Classic of the Month: In the 1950s and ‘60s, most Dixieland bands enlisted one of their instrumentalists to also sing some numbers. Many were
Swing singer Maxine Sullivan and stride pianist Cliff Jackson may not have been the most logical matchup, but it was a marriage that worked. Both
In 1966, the Barroom Buzzards of Buffalo, New York, first came together as a Dixieland quartet comprised of banjoist Phil Santa Maria, clarinetist Paul Preston
He was one of the first jazz greats to emerge from New Orleans and become a national star, debuting on record on July 30, 1923,
Back in the 1990s, it was not uncommon for many cities to have their own neighborhood swing orchestra, playing the hits of the big band
His name may be largely forgotten today, but arranger Ralph Flanagan (1914-95) had no less than 21 hits during the 1949-53 period. Earlier he had
Andy Kirk (1898-1992), who played bass sax and tuba until the mid-1930s when he began to just wave a baton, never soloed, did not write
Arguably the top jazz trumpeter or cornetist on records prior to 1923, Phil Napoleon has somehow managed to miss being prominently included in most jazz
George Girard (1930-57) could have been a big star but his life was tragically cut short by cancer. A technically skilled Dixieland/swing trumpeter with an
Zutty Singleton (1898-1975) was long overdue for a retrospective on CD. During 1924-69, he was on nearly 200 sessions. While most listeners probably think of
504 Records (named after the area code of New Orleans) was founded by Mike Dine in 1979. Dine was a jazz fan from England who
It was a short-term musical partnership but it helped to launch several major careers in the British trad jazz movement. Trombonist Chris Barber (1930-2021) had
Boogie-woogie, which has been said to have originated in Texas in the 1870s, started out as a piano music characterized by an “eight-to-the-bar” left-hand pattern
The group that came to be known as the Secret Six (named after abolitionist John Brown’s Secret Society Of Six from 1859) originated during the
Hadda Brooks (1916-2002), like Nat King Cole, had two careers in one. She began playing piano when she was four and was classically trained. Brooks
A major swing/mainstream cornetist from England, Digby Fairweather has had a busy and productive career since he began recording regularly in the mid-1970s. His style
Ole “Fessor” Lindgreen, who turns 84 this year, is a veteran Danish trombonist and bandleader who has played Dixieland, swing, blues, and rhythm & blues
Mosaic box sets are always highly recommended to lovers of the artist’s music, but unfortunately their impeccable compilations are only in-print for a limited period
James P. Johnson, along with Jelly Roll Morton, was the first significant jazz pianist and a major figure in moving jazz piano beyond ragtime. Johnson
They were one of the most popular Dixieland bands of the 1950s and ’60s, performing and recording their enthusiastic brand of trad jazz for a
The Upbeat label has proven to be the perfect home for the many recordings organized and produced by the late trombonist Big Bill Bissonnette for
A member of one of the greatest jazz vocal groups ever, the Boswell Sisters, Connee Boswell (with one early exception) began recording as a single
Jazz And Swing On Screen is the fifth release on the Upbeat label for the London Swing Orchestra. It was preceded by The Roaring Twenties,
There were quite a few “gaspipe” clarinetists who during the 1920s were popular for a time. Those musicians emphasized odd sounds and novelty effects, whether
Clarinetist George Lewis, trumpeter Kid Howard, and trombonist Jim Robinson made for a potent frontline, one that was featured on some of Lewis’ best-known records.
While his name is barely known in the United States and even many jazz fans in England may not be that familiar with him, pianist-bandleader
When one thinks of Hoagy Carmichael, it is often of the character that he portrayed in movies: a wisecracking pianist who offered homespun advice to
There are scores of rewarding CDs that give listeners a wide range of the jazz recordings of the 1920s. Where does one start? Those of
Everyone cherished Eubie Blake, particularly in his later years. A lovable character who had survived a long lean period, in the 1970s he was the
In 2014, pianist Jacob Adams ran across a book of rags (Eight Ragtime Pieces For Piano) by veteran Larry Porter that instantly intrigued him. Porter’s
A beloved patron of ragtime who not only attends ragtime festivals but hosts many of the pianists at his home in Sutter Creek, California, Arlo
During the swing era in the 1930s, it became a common practice for the best big bands, for variety’s sake and to the delight of
George Wein (1925-2021) will always be best remembered for being the founder of the Newport Jazz Festival and many other significant annual jazz events, but
Big Boy Goudie’s life and career were fully explored in a definitive article by David Radlauer that appeared in three issues of the Syncopated Times
Isham Jones, whenever he is mentioned today, is cited as being a talented songwriter who added several standards to the Great American Songbook. However he
On Let’s Face The Music, drummer Reinhardt Winkler heads a trio with pianist John DiMartino and bassist Boris Kozlov, adding tenor-saxophonist Harry Allen to five
I first heard trumpeter Danny Tobias when he was playing a supportive but important role with the Midiri Brothers’ Sextet. A pro since he was
Marieke Koopman makes her jazz recording debut on Chapter One. She is certainly a fearless singer as she shows on the opener, a high-powered version
Although he tends to get overlooked in jazz history books, Albert Nicholas (1900-73) was one of the great New Orleans clarinetists. Part of the New
There can never be too many Duke Ellington albums. After his passing in 1974, a steady stream of previously unreleased Ellington recordings continued to come
Back in the 1960s, Epic in their Columbia Special Products series released a superb three-Lp set titled Jack Teagarden – King Of The Blues Trombone.
In 1920, the success of Mamie Smith’s recording of “Crazy Blues,” the first blues recorded by an African-American singer, was a major surprise to the
It is fair to say that Spike Jones was in his own category. By late 1942 with the release of “Der Fuehrer’s Face,” Spike Jones
Louise Tobin, who is 102, is the only person still alive who recorded jazz before 1940. While that remarkable fact is never stated in Kevin
Sarah Vaughan (1924-90) had one of the most wondrous voices of the 20th century. Her wide range, impeccable phrasing, improvising talents, and golden tone were
Humphrey Lyttelton (1921-2008) led the top British traditional jazz band of the first half of the 1950s before he gradually switched to mainstream swing and
It is often intriguing hearing jazz performers at the very beginning of their career. While some are already fully-formed and quite recognizable, others only give