Sidney Bechet (1897-1959) was a brilliant musician whose fascinating and sometimes dramatic life could make a great Hollywood movie. Born in New Orleans and self-taught
While the name of the group featured on The Song In Our Soul CD (the Palomar Trio) is a bit anonymous, its members will be
A superb jazz violinist from Barcelona, Spain, Marta Sierra has a beautiful tone, impressive technique, and swings well in a style complementary with that of
Ever since she made her debut recording Close Your Eyes in 1996, Stacey Kent has been one of the most delightful singers in jazz. She
Jazz Classic of the Month Ernest “Punch” Miller (1894-1971) was an exciting New Orleans cornetist who never really made it big despite his talents. He
The four-voice vocal group The Inkspots had an attractive formula that worked extremely well during their prime years. Many of their recordings began with a
During 1941-46, viewers all over the United States had an opportunity to see musical numbers on a visual jukebox. Rather than put a nickel in
In 1950, for the first time since 1935, there was no Count Basie Orchestra. By then, most of the swing era big bands were either
In a word association game, it would not be unusual for the word Swing to be followed by that of Count Basie. For nearly a
Samara Joy has been getting a lot of publicity in the jazz world lately, and rightfully so. She has a beautiful voice, a wide range,
During 1936-40, violinist Stuff Smith led one of the hottest groups in jazz, a sextet (later septet) that teamed him in the frontline with the
Who was Cass Harrison? His two albums from 1956-57, The Duke And I and Wrappin’ It Up, feature him as an advanced swing pianist influenced
Paul Smith (1922-2013) was a brilliant pianist whose superb technique and swinging style often sounded a lot like Oscar Peterson, particularly on his many later
Jazz Classic of the Month There have been a countless number of jazz Christmas albums recorded and released during the past 60 years. One of
Of all of the “ghost bands” that have survived their leader’s passing, the Count Basie Orchestra is the most successful. One of the few fulltime
While the jazz piano originally developed independently of the earliest jazz groups (I have yet to see a piano utilized in a marching brass band),
Louis Jordan is today remembered for his many popular recordings with his Tympany Five. Considered a transitional figure between swing and rhythm & blues, during
Hoagy Carmichael was born Howard Hoagland Carmichael on November 22, 1899, in Bloomington, Indiana. Carmichael had piano and singing lessons from his mother, but was
They were three of the greatest jazz guitarists of the 1930s although they have been overshadowed in the jazz history books by Eddie Lang, Django
Ethel Waters was born on October 31, 1896, in Chester, Pennsylvania. She sang in church choirs as a child, won local talent contests, and performed
There have been many tributes to cornetist Bix Beiderbecke (1903-31) during the past 92 years. Besides being second only to Louis Armstrong in importance among
