When one thinks of the great swing trumpeters of the 1930s and ’40s, the names of Louis Armstrong, Bunny Berigan, Henry “Red” Allen, Harry James,
Duke Ellington’s accomplishments, innovations, and sheer productivity as a bandleader, pianist, arranger and composer were so vast that one or two articles cannot do justice
It’s Chicago in 1927. Trombonist Roy Palmer and musicians inspired by Louis Armstrong (perhaps Bob Shoffner), Johnny Dodds, and Jelly Roll Morton are joined by
For his recent release on the Spanish Swit label, pianist Ignasi Terraza decided to feature what he called an “unusual trio” with Adrian Cunningham on
Jazz Classic of the Month The Spirits Of Rhythm were a unique, swinging and joyful group that hit it big at the Onyx Club on
The Umlaut Big Band is a very flexible and musical ensemble based in France that is directed by alto-saxophonist Pierre-Antoine Badaroux. Two of their recent
Of all of the successful big band leaders of the swing era, Jimmie Lunceford had one of the most unusual beginnings. While most leaders were
Clarence Williams was born October 6th or 8th, 1893, in Plaquemine, Louisiana. He ran away from home when he was 12 to join Billy Kersands’
Chip Deffaa has had a busy life with several overlapping careers. From the jazz standpoint, he has been most significant in writing five very valuable
When tenor-saxophonist Harry Allen’s name appears on a CD, it is always worth acquiring. Austrian drummer Reinhardt Winkler is actually the leader of Flying Home,
Altoist Johnny Hodges (1907-70) had one of the most beautiful tones of any saxophonist and was a major asset to the Duke Ellington Orchestra for
Doc Evans (1907-77) was a world class trad jazz cornetist who, because he chose to spend much of his life living and performing in Minnesota,
Duke Ellington was such a brilliant and prolific musician that one could pay regular tributes to him as a pianist, arranger, and/or composer and never
Wingy Manone had an appealing image of a happy intuitive musician, a primitive who one day woke up and started playing the trumpet for the
Phil Napoleon was born Filippo Napoli in Boston, Massachusetts, on September 2, 1901. Napoleon took up the trumpet early and first played in public when
During 1943-49, the Black & White label, which was founded and run by Lester Schriber, was one of the most significant small record companies on
Tenor-saxophonist Scott Hamilton and guitarist Duke Robillard have been friends for a half century, growing up in Rhode Island and first playing together when they
Buddy Johnson (1915-77) was a fine pianist and an important bandleader. He began recording with a swing septet in 1939. His group, which featured his
The CD Solos, Duets And Trios has a variety of valuable performances that mostly put the focus on Duke Ellington’s piano playing as both a
In his career, Bing Crosby showed that he could sing practically everything other than opera. Whether it was classic American pop tunes, traditional Irish songs,
Alto-saxophonist and arranger Eyal Vilner, who was born in Tel Aviv, Israel, moved to the US in 2007 and formed what became one of New
