Two from Chip Deffaa
Scott Yanow
February 1, 2026
Chip Deffaa has gained fame as a prolific playwright and a producer of plays and recordings. He wrote for the New York Post for 18
Chip Deffaa has gained fame as a prolific playwright and a producer of plays and recordings. He wrote for the New York Post for 18
The Rag Messengers consists of Exequiel Celada on clarinet and soprano-sax, pianist Auguste Caron, and drummer Orphélie Luminti. The trio is very much in the
Today, Sophie Tucker (1886-1966) is primarily remembered for being billed as “The Last Of The Red Hot Mamas” and for introducing her trademark song “Some
The only time that Django Reinhardt recorded with a harmonica player was on May 31, 1938, when Larry Adler was joined by the Quintet of
Cornetist Muggsy Spanier always had a distinctive sound, was consistently enthusiastic in his playing, and was very reliable whether leading a Dixieland ensemble or taking
The genesis of this work occurred in 2010 when Steven Bowie dreamt that he was in a book store with Cootie Williams. When he asked
While they never recorded together, Frank Signorelli and Rube Bloom had several similarities in their careers. Both were excellent jazz pianists who appeared on many
Bassist John Joyce, whose earlier experiences were in the worlds of punk rock and rockabilly, has gained fame in the traditional jazz world with the
Throughout his career, Stephane Wrembel has often played his Django Reinhardt-inspired guitar in unusual settings, most notably on his series of recordings called Django Experiment.
Bob Crosby (1913-93) was a unique bandleader. When asked what he did for a living, he often replied, “I’m Bing Crosby’s brother.” He had a
In several ways, the 1943-52 period is the most fascinating of Frank Sinatra’s career. Before 1943 he had gained fame as a band singer, at
The Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra was one of the most popular African-American big bands of the swing era. Its emphasis was on showmanship, impeccably played ensembles,
It is difficult not to feel sorry for Frank Sinatra, Jr. Imagine being named after a very famous father and having to convince people your
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
