Clarinetist Joe Muranyi was born in Martin’s Ferry, Ohio on January 14, 1928. He worked as a record producer for major labels and played alongside
Eventually, the National Endowment for the Arts entitled Joe Wilder as their Jazz Master, but first he was called “’Little Louis” because he was playing
In his “Jazz In Unusual Places” presentation at the IAJRC-UK get-together weekend at the Holiday Inn, Reading South, on September 20/21, Max Easterman played “Swingy
While jazz continues to thrive, it doesn’t get much mainstream media attention. However, there was a time when the clarinet, sax, and the trumpet were
Pianist Marty Napoleon had a long life, ample musical talent, a successful career, a strong memory, and a gregarious personality, so he was a joy
In 2023, I published my findings on the actual birth and death dates of pioneer blueswoman Mamie Robinson Smith (“Mamie Smith: Always ‘The First Lady
Born in Norfolk, Virginia, in 1921, Tommy Gwaltney was, by his teens, a competent reed player, working in dance bands while he was at college.
Following are excerpts from the Fillius Jazz Archive interview with Doc (Adolphus Anthony) Cheatham (1905-1997) New York City, July 28,1995: First recordings Monk Rowe: Can
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
