It all began last December. Down and beyond the bustling streets of South Korea I roamed. In all aspects of auditory senses, the atmosphere was
There are songs that have entered the jazz vocabulary and never left: “Body and Soul,” “Stardust,” “Autumn Leaves,” and many others. We call these tunes
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
Will H. Dixon was born August 29, 1879, in Wheeling, West Virginia, into a musically inclined African American family. His father, John H. Dixon, was
If, like me, you love many styles of jazz, you probably look at ads for various jazz cruises and start planning or wishing. I’ve experienced
An article in the July ’24 issue of The Syncopated Times about a French jazz festival caught my eye. “We really try to put the
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
Multi-instrumentalist Andy Schumm made some interesting comments regarding his career on the occasion of his 40th birthday in a Facebook posting. He wrote “I’m not
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
What are the most exciting and essential classic jazz recordings that have taken place since the end of World War II? I accepted the challenge
In 1952, the Gibson Guitar Company unveiled a new instrument at a special event featuring star guitarists Tony Mottola, George Barnes, and Mundell Lowe. It
Seventy-five years ago, I was introduced to trad and big band jazz. A close friend, Don Boyer, asked me if I had any jazz records.
Hal Smith: Brother Kevin, let’s stay on the topic of West Coast drummers and talk about one of the best: Bill Dart. I think it’s
What are the most exciting and essential classic jazz recordings that have taken place since the end of World War II? I accepted the challenge
Hal Smith: Brother Kevin, after we wrote about the great Fred Higuera, we decided to take a listen to some recordings by another West Coast
In 2010, the enterprising Anderson brothers, Peter and Will, co-produced and directed a two-week off-Broadway tribute to Artie Shaw. Two years later, they presented a
A dedicated Syncopated Times reader (who chooses to remain anonymous) came up with a particularly intriguing idea for an article. While the historic jazz recordings
The old jazz tune, “I’ll Be Glad When You’re Dead, You Rascal, You” is intended to be a funny song about marital infidelity. The cuckold,
If there is any concern among jazz enthusiasts that big band swing is in danger of dying out among the younger generations of musicians, the
In the March 2025 issue of The Syncopated Times, I wrote that Emmett Hardy, Leon Roppolo, and Lou Black honed their musical skills during the
All piano players, Jazz Bands, Singers and fans of Swing are invited to play or stream a Thomas ‘Fats’ Waller video between his birthday and
Before films began to talk, in the late 1920s, live musicians delivered the soundtracks for silent films. This was sometimes a single pianist or organist,
I met a good friend for coffee the other day. I know she’s a good friend, because she turned up with a carrier bag full
Around the time Louis Armstrong moved from a big band to a small-group setting in 1947, grumblings were being heard. At first, it came from
