John Royen Rules the Ivories, Feeds the Gators
Hal Smith
January 29, 2020
When looking at music history, it is easy to focus on the canon—artists of undisputed importance who more often than not have achieved some kind
Sound recordings as documents of stylistic development are an integral part of jazz research. Being able to hear musical transformation and evolution over a period
It all began innocently enough in the late 1960s when Dave Oppermann, a business person by day and a sing-along piano player by night, and
Colin Yates’ musical resume straddles the Atlantic, encompassing two very different styles. He was born in South Yorkshire, a county famed for collieries and their
On November 11, 1918, a 17-year-old Louis “Dipper” Armstrong, driving a coal cart around his down-and-out New Orleans neighborhood, heard a commotion. World War I
I do most of my swing dancing in Sheffield, South Yorkshire—proud home of British steel, a hub of the Industrial Revolution and birthplace of Arctic
We knew Tuba Skinny had a following but we weren’t prepared for a standing room only crowd! I never saw so many joyous, boppin’ people
Over the years I have lost track of the “Complete” Joplin sets that have been produced. The first such effort I acquired was Richard Zimmerman’s
Jack Sheldon (November 30, 1931-December 27, 2019) and Chet Baker (December 23, 1929- May 13, 1988) are two trumpeter/vocalists with a great deal in common.
With a specialty in the music of mid century Parisian cafes, few groups are as uniquely suited to a Valentines’s Day show as Tatiana Eva-Marie’s
When I reached out about contributing stories to The Syncopated Times last fall I included a long list of topics for articles. I had carefully crafted
A plenitude of pleasures delighted fans who filled Rancho Cordova’s elegant Marriott Hotel and then some as the 33rd annual West Coast Ragtime Festival opened
The Barbary Coast Dixieland Jazz Band holds a special place in Minnesota music history—and not just because its members were inducted into the Minnesota Music
I have attended quite a few jazz festivals over the years, but none like the Mike Durham’s Classic Jazz Party in Whitley Bay. If I
Paris Washboard, the renowned French quartet, will be making its first US appearance in over two years, with four concerts in February in Pennsylvania and
When the notifications icon bell at the top of my Ragtimers Club Facebook page has a red number in double digits on a Sunday afternoon
Among certain nations, a baby’s birthday isn’t celebrated until its second anniversary; they don’t want to get too excited or jinx things in light of
A household name during the 1920s, Paul Whiteman led the most popular orchestra of the decade. He expertly mixed together occasional jazz pieces with semi-classical
For the latest Roundup click “Events” on the menu or find the newest one HERE EAGLES & IVORIES WEEKEND (Muscatine, IA) – Jan. 26-28 The
Combined with my trip to the West Coast Ragtime Festival as reported last month, I attended for the second time the San Diego Jazz Fest
The Barbary Coast Dixieland Jazz Band holds a special place in Minnesota music history—and not just because its members were inducted into the Minnesota Music
We, in the jazz community, can sometimes get lonely barricaded in our practice rooms or in green rooms. I know it can be intimidating to
When your friend Katie Cavera invites you to go to the movies to see “the worst movie ever made” you cringe, ponder, and then say
Last December, after wrapping up the layout of my January issue and launching it into the world, I was privileged to revisit what had been
Irving Kaufman was born on February 8, 1890, in Syracuse, New York. At an early age he entered vaudeville with his brothers Philip and Jack.
In the field of collecting acoustic era recordings, many scholars carry on their research and listening with the idea that items like diaries and scrapbooks
The docents at the KATY Depot Visitors Center in Sedalia regularly receive inquiries about the city and its ragtime heritage. Since the folks there are
We decided to spend New Year’s Eve and 12th night in New Orleans. I was thinking it would be somewhat of a “quiet” visit not
When Andy Senior mentioned in an email that Lew Shaw was publishing a second Jazz Beat volume of personality essays, I decided it was time
Throughout his career, clarinetist George Lewis was a bit of a chameleon. His sound and New Orleans jazz style were virtually unchanged from the time
Phil Napoleon was one of the important jazz pioneers. The trumpeter was among the very first musicians based in New York who knew how to
From the 1920s into the 1950s it was not unusual for two skilled pianists to perform duets of arranged music that, while inspired by the
One of the hottest bands of the late 1920s was the Missourians. The nine-piece group, which had earlier been Andy Preer’s Cotton Club Orchestra and
One of the top ragtime orchestras of the past decade, the Peacherine Ragtime Society Orchestra is a 12-piece ensemble conducted and led by Andrew Greene
Bob Scobey (1916-63) was a solid trad jazz player who initially gained some recognition for his playing as second trumpeter with Lu Watters’ very influential
On this, their fourth, CD, the Golden Eagle Jazz Band demonstrate that they have not strayed from their founding tenet as stated on their on-line
On my infrequent visits to the U.K., I have always tried to take in a jazz festival or two, and each time tried to hear
As the traditional jazz revival got under way in the 1950s and beyond, the impetus to record the various groups, especially those in New Orleans,
When a performance is recorded on location rather than in a studio, certain hazards with the sound quality loom, and they are not completely mitigated
Having recorded with various jazz bands and orchestras over the years, Sister Rosetta Tharpe was well-known to jazz fans. In addition to her appearances with
The usual complement of the Pete Allen band is six or seven pieces, but on this disc we have subsets of the usual number, some
From Larry Melton: When I read that Buck Henry died on January 8th, I remembered fondly the night we first met in Sedalia at a
When the notifications icon bell at the top of my Ragtimers Club Facebook page has a red number in double digits on a Sunday afternoon
Jack Sheldon, a top West Coast Jazz trumpet player who went on to a television career died on December 27th, he was 88. Several generations
FeaturesJohn Royen Rules the Ivories, Feeds the Gators, by Hal Smith
Too Soon We’ve Lost a Friend: Remembering Bryan Cather, by Larry Melton
Move Over ODJB: Jazz Was First Recorded in 1916, by Colin Hancock
Prohibition and the Rise of Jazz, Part Two, by Peter Gerler
Steel to Brass: Life and Times of a Yorkshire Jazz Man, by Dave Doyle
The First Jazz on Disc: Why Haenschen Swings, by David Sager
Golden Anniversary for New Reformation Band, by Lew Shaw
Going Forward: Building on the Legacy of Bryan Cather, by Magdalene Linck
Buck Henry’s Life in Ragtime, by Larry Melton & Ed Berlin
“I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor”, by Dave Doyle
Jazz Birthday of the Month: Irving Kaufman, illustration by Joe Busam
Static from my Attic, by Andy Senior
Jazz Jottings, by Lew Shaw
Jazz Travels: 2019 San Diego Jazz Festival, by Bill Hoffman
The Professor is IN: How to Pick Up a Musician, by Adrian Cunningham
Quarter Notes: New Decade, Old Friends, Live Music, by Shelly Gallichio
Fred Hager’s Scraps and Scribbles, by R.S. Baker
Profiles in Jazz: Paul Whiteman, by Scott Yanow
Blowing off the Dust: Researching Sedalia’s Ragtime Era, by Larry Melton
The Rocky Horror King of Jazz, by Randi Cee
Final Chorus. compiled by Joe Bebco
Nights at the Turntable, CD reviews by Scott Yanow
The Syncopated Bookshelf: Jazz Beat by Lew Shaw, review by Larry Melton
Bert’s Bits and Beats, music reviews by Bert Thompson
