A literal King of Jazz has died. Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world’s longest reigning monarch and a great lover of jazz, passed away on
David Reffkin’s email on Tuesday, October 11th brought sad news: “Larry Karp died this morning at a hospital in Seattle…” Though I have read Larry’s
As the attendance of long withstanding patrons, musicians, volunteers, and trad jazz enthusiasts wanes, what does the future of the jazz festival community look like?
When I hear someone tell me, “I don’t care for jazz,” my first response is very direct: “Which kind do you dislike?” Many of my
Bringing Sophisticated, Cosmopolitan Swing to The Back Room Speakeasy in NYC For the past four years, Svetlana & The Delancey Five have been recreating a
Ragtime guitar, both classic and barrelhouse styles, has been around exactly as long as ragtime piano for exactly the same reasons. Entertainers in bars, sporting
“A horn is just like the voice. Person have no voice, they can’t sing.” – Edward “Kid” Ory. The question was: “How do you know
On August 11, my wife and I saw a screening of the much-hailed restoration of Universal᾽s 1930 Technicolor spectacular, The King of Jazz, featuring Paul
With many thousands of jazz concerts, festivals, and workshops worldwide, the passion for jazz has never been greater. That passion is shared by listeners and
The name Banu (pronounced “Bah-new”) means “lady” in Persian. Other sources say the name comes from “Peri-Banu,” a genie-woman mentioned in Arabian Nights. A person
Can free and paid jazz compliment each other or do they contradict the purpose of a jazz festival? With non-paying audiences five times larger than
Right around the mid 20th century mark, the Buffalo Public School System decided to include, as part of its comprehensive Physical Education Program, a course
The Riverside Jazz Party, hosted by Jeff and Carol Loehr, took place over the weekend of June 3-5, 2016 in Boise, Idaho. In the words
Once again, as has been tradition for the last 35 years, the melodious strains of Ragtime music reigned across the tiny town of Sedalia, Missouri
When Alida and Pieter Meijers first came to the United States from The Netherlands in 1968, they expected to stay only a year while Pieter
We’ve all experienced that innocent (or maybe not so innocent) crush on a teacher, that one instructor we lusted after while struggling through our academic
What if I told you that Grandma Moses (the early 20th century, self-taught, primitive painter) played a hot upright bass in Buddy Bolden’s and Fletcher
When Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle’s Shuffle Along made its Broadway debut in 1921, it ran for an amazing 504 performances and launched the careers
Long-time festival directors Flossie and Ken Coulter are enjoying the second year of their retirement as year-round residents of Lake Havasu City, Arizona. They are
Syracuse, New York’s hottest trumpeter is taking a stroll down the sweet side of the street. Brass-instrument Brahmin Jeff Stockham—a member of the Salt City
Most jazz lovers know the contributions made through our embrace of ragtime late in the 19th century, as well as the important efforts of New
1974 was a notable year for many reasons – The Rockford Files debuted on NBC-TV, Richard Nixon resigned the Presidency of the United States amidst
Have you noticed the slow trend of the older jazz festivals to add new genres to their lineups, especially the trad fests? Perhaps the closing
After marrying his fourth wife, Lucille Wilson, in 1942, trumpeter Louis Armstrong was ready to settle down. Now the modest house on 107th street in
