I am exceptionally excited this month to write this article. However, let me begin slowly and try to remain coherent. On Friday afternoon, September 9,
“The real history of music is not respectable. Far from it. Neither is it boring. Breakthroughs almost always come from provocateurs and insurgents, and they
I have often thought about how much chance, or fate, dictates the direction of one’s life. Some—including me—might also attribute surprising occurrences in their lives
Duke Ellington’s accomplishments and innovations as a composer, arranger, pianist, and bandleader are so vast that one or two articles cannot do him justice. This
Fats’ ‘Rhythm’ Sideman Remembers Waller, Recording in the 1930s, and Going Electric I was lucky enough to play with Al Casey, the legendary Fats Waller
Summer of ’41, before senior year in high school, I worked as bellboy at a resort hotel in Lake Junaluska, NC, a Methodist Chatauqua some
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
Introduction On March 12, 1928, Paul Whiteman and the musicians in his orchestra went to the Victor recording studios in Liederkranz Hall, 58th Street between
From 1960 to 1970, “Dixieland at Disneyland” was an annual event at the park. Walt Disney was a great fan of Traditional Jazz and Dixieland
This is the second in a five-part series covering the unique and very productive career of Duke Ellington. Ellington was 30 when 1930 began and
Songs are hits, today, because so many people hear them. Songs used to be hits because so many people played and sang them. But in
Few serious scholars believe that famous boast, made by the notoriously braggadocious Jelly Roll Morton, in which he claims to have single-handedly invented jazz. But
Introduction Recently written ragtime compositions, as a rule, do not attract much attention from the majority of ragtime aficionados nor the general public. However, as
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 has been said that when Count Basie played full, two-handed stride with his later bands, some of his younger musicians would say “Yeah! I
Introduction Blues singer Gertrude “Ma” Rainey (née Pridgett) was born on April 26, 1886, in Columbus, Georgia, and died there on December 22, 1939.1 Advertising
The seductive musical art form from Brazil known as bossa nova took up residence in Barcelona for the first week of September, as the Sant
With a crystalline voice inspired by none other than Ella Fitzgerald, London jazz singer Cherise Adams-Burnett makes a spectacular film debut fronting a hot combo
After 52 years of playing and promoting traditional jazz around the world, the curtain finally came down on the Natural Gas Jazz Band at a
On April 30, 2022, we mourned the loss of Jim Maihack—one of the best traditional jazz performers of recent times. Jim was also one of
One morning not long ago, I’d awakened to the sound of music. It wasn’t from the neighbor’s all-rock radio station. It wasn’t my son Andrew
“Novelty Piano Music” is a sub-genre of ragtime music. It slowly started to develop in the late 1910s, but reached its zenith in the 1920s.
Working with the late Richard “Butch” Thompson was always a memorable experience. The Butch Thompson Trio—with himself on piano, bassist Bill Evans and drummer George
Great music, good conversation, delicious food plus total relaxation awaited us for our 4th year at Ascona in Southern Switzerland. After the covid-induced hiatus, the
