Features

The pandemic was absolutely devastating for jazz music and jazz musicians. Men and women who had dedicated their lives to mastering their craft had every

When I was about to set off for New Orleans on the first ever venture by the Ken Colyer Trust in the early nineties, one

Issues of Syncopated Times in the past year have had a number of marvelous articles about Max Morath. Though I’ve known him for more than

J.C. Heard (1918 – 1988) left a large legacy to the jazz world.  He’s on many important records, he played in amazing bands, he spread

Russell “Big Chief” Moore was a jazz trombonist who was born on an Indian reservation in Arizona and who went on to play with Oscar

Dolly Adams was a popular performer in her own time. Born Odalie Marie Douroux in 1904, the New Orleans bandleader and pianist joined a musical

My contemporaries and I at Chiswick County Grammar School for Boys heard our first jazz records in one of a row of four World War

I first wanted to call this post “The Death of Historical Consciousness,” but that title, although accurate, seemed too ponderous to be chewed and swallowed.

Hal Smith: In 1965 I obtained the Good Time Jazz LP Kid Ory’s Creole Jazz Band—1954. Besides Ory’s righteous tailgate trombone and the fantastic rhythm

What do Beethoven, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Schubert, Haydn, Dvořák, and Grieg have in common? You’ll find their music in vintage jazz recordings by the John Kirby

The term “missing link,” was once used to describe a hypothetical being which, if found, would exhibit traits common to otherwise dissimilar ancestors and descendants.

Mosaic Records was founded, nearly forty years ago, with the mission of reissuing great jazz recordings in a way that best showcases a particular artist

The trumpeter Bunk Johnson has received plenty of press, including several features and a full profile—written last year by Scott Yanow—in this magazine. This coverage

Scott Joplin had two brothers who were musicians—Robert B. and Will. Scott’s one-time student and then colleague Arthur Marshall wrote the following about Robert and

Relentlessly repetitive commercials are one of the most irritating aspects of television. Especially egregious are personal injury attorneys, supplemental Medicare plans, auto insurance and Car

It’s a story almost as old as jazz itself: A musician is born in New Orleans, some time between 1900 and 1920, drawn magnetically to

Note: Earlier in 2021, jazz writer Dave Radlauer was offered a collection of recordings by the Red Onion Jazz Band—from the collection of Dick Dreiwitz,

Also see: Early History of the Galvanized Jazz Band & History of the Galvanized Jazz Band, Part 2: The Millpond Years After the Millpond Tavern closed in

As Max Morath celebrates his 95th birthday on October 1st this year, we are reminded of his career that spanned eight decades and included nearly

Vince Giordano’s life has been dedicated to the performance and preservation of the music of the 1920s and ’30s. He has been described as “a

The first part of the Darnell Howard story, discussing his early years in Chicago and work with W.C. Handy, Charles Elgar, and King Oliver, appeared

I don’t listen to music quietly. When my wife and I jump in the car and the stereo comes on, blaring out whatever CD I