Pianist Peter Mintun: The Talk of the Town
Hal Glatzer
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 Little Thingy” by The Broadway Brothers (“Duettists at the piano”), Parlophone R 1667, recorded in London in 1933. Max mentioned that Spencer Williams, the pianist
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 a cornet, but not because he played like the great Mr. Armstrong. His talent did, however, get him a weekly spot on a local Sunday
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 Roy Eldridge, Jimmy McPartland and Max Kaminsky. Joe was a member of the Louis Armstrong All-Stars from 1967-1971. He passed away on April 20, 2012.
Jeff Barnhart: Hal, this afternoon I sat wondering if we’re being indulgent with a third installment of strolling together down our respective (but on occasion crossing) memory lanes, and then decided: NO. we’re NOT! And here’s why: Hopefully we’re providing our readers with inspiration to search out the groups and
We are heading back to New Orleans next week and looking forward to the Carnival tradition of King Cake…and some oysters of course! The round or oval-shaped King Cake is a New Orleans and Louisiana tradition, so to give you some insight on its origin and history, the following information
As I celebrate ten years of publication of The Syncopated Times, I think I now may safely confess something that many of you have known all along: I haven’t the faintest idea of what I’m doing. Ten years ago I approached this job more as triage than as a calling.
This month the world—I can’t limit this to only the jazz community—lost an incredible person. One of the gentlest people I ever met also possessed a singing voice that has been described as “pure silk” and “honey-drenched.” Her name was Rebecca Kilgore. She will live forever with the vast amount
NORTH CAROLINA JAZZ FESTIVAL (Wilmington, NC) – Feb. 5-7 Wilmington gives a warm welcome to all of the jazz lovers attending our 46th North Carolina Jazz Festival! This historic city located on the bank of the Cape Fear River has many interesting shops, art galleries, museums and restaurants, as well
My favorite single bar of music is measure 13 of the C section of Scott Joplin’s Leola (1905), an archetype of Joplin’s lyrical finesse; to me, the melting of E-flat minor into D-flat major in measures 13-14, facilitated by chromatic bass octaves, is what makes Joplin’s work truly special. The
If you were a young musician in the late 19th century, you most likely would have aspirations to be in Gilmore’s band. This band was the most successful of its kind, and what formed the concept of an organized military style band in the United States. Only the best of
Oscar Marcelo Alemán was born February 20, 1909, in Machagai, Chaco Province, in northern Argentina. At the age of six, Alemán joined the family ensemble, the Moreira Sextet, and played the cavaquinho, a chordophone related to the ukulele, before taking up the guitar. Alemán was orphaned aged 10, and afterward
Cornetist Muggsy Spanier always had a distinctive sound, was consistently enthusiastic in his playing, and was very reliable whether leading a Dixieland ensemble or taking solos. In fact, he was so reliable that one could say that his playing was quite predictable but predictably exciting. Even though one knew what
Jazz and comedy have always been intertwined. No surprise. Both are rooted in a sense of timing, creating a personal voice, living a life on the road and skewering pomposity. Duke Ellington said: “You have to have a good sense of humor before you’re a really great jazz musician.” Bix
I first became aware of vocalist/banjoist/guitarist extraordinaire Clancy Hayes through my obsession with the Original Salty Dog Jazz Band. When I purchased a copy of the LP recording Oh! By Jingo the band made with Mr. Hayes in 1964, I just about wore it out within a month’s time. What
The genesis of this work occurred in 2010 when Steven Bowie dreamt that he was in a book store with Cootie Williams. When he asked the trumpeter what he was looking at, he was told that it was a biography of Williams that Bowie had written. 15 years later, despite
JAZZ CLASSIC OF THE MONTH Although Jack Pettis never became a major name, he was one of the top tenor and C-melody saxophonists of the 1920s. Pettis was on four of the sessions made by the New Orleans Rhythm Kings during 1922-23 and was an important member of Ben Bernie’s
Today, Sophie Tucker (1886-1966) is primarily remembered for being billed as “The Last Of The Red Hot Mamas” and for introducing her trademark song “Some Of These Days.” But as the double-CD Red Hot Mama shows, there was more to her than that. Born as Sofia Kalish in Russia, her
The Rag Messengers consists of Exequiel Celada on clarinet and soprano-sax, pianist Auguste Caron, and drummer Orphélie Luminti. The trio is very much in the 1920s tradition although it sometimes stretches a little beyond that era. Celada’s clarinet playing is reminiscent of Omer Simeon when he played with Jelly Roll
Chip Deffaa has gained fame as a prolific playwright and a producer of plays and recordings. He wrote for the New York Post for 18 years, has produced 48 CDs so far, and authored nine books and 20 plays. He particularly enjoys the music of George M. Cohan. Deffaa wrote
The only time that Django Reinhardt recorded with a harmonica player was on May 31, 1938, when Larry Adler was joined by the Quintet of the Hot Club of France for four songs. When he was ten, Yvonnick Prené heard the Django-Adler session. A virtuosic master of the harmonica from
Canadian vocalist Angela Verbrugge is still a relatively new presence on the international jazz scene, but one whose commitment is no longer in question. Since releasing her debut album in 2019, she has issued four recordings, each reinforcing her dedication to classic jazz values and her growing confidence as both
While the name “John Petters” may not be familiar to many American trad jazz fans, it is a well-known one to their British counterparts. Petters was born in Stratford, East London, in 1953 and is a self-taught drummer. He formed his first band while at college in Harlow, Essex, and
In 1925, Okeh Records producer Ralph Peer set out to record the instrumental and vocal masters of American folk music traditions in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Apparently, Peer had no particular fondness for Appalachian or other music in those regions, he mostly wanted a way to distinguish the
Archeophone’s Phonographic Yearbook 1903: “’Twas on the Good Ship Cuspidor” benefits enormously from something that might seem incidental but turns out to be liberating: the series has never been issued in strict chronological order. There is no narrative pressure for the music to go anywhere in particular, no implied march
Howard Shepherd, a British banjoist and bandleader best known as founder and leader of Shep’s Banjo Boys, died on December 13th. He formed the group with his father, Will, and brother, Graham in the 1960s, and they became nationally known in the 1970s through regular appearances on the TV variety
Trumpeter Bob White, a founding member and driving force of the Hyperion Outfall Serenaders, died on December 26th. The Dixieland-oriented group became a permanent part of civic life in Manhattan Beach, California. Born in St. Louis on St. Patrick’s Day in 1927, White served in the U.S. Navy at the
Bassist Ernest McCarty, Jr. died December 11, 2025 at 84. He forged a broad career in jazz performance, composition and musical theatre over more than five decades. A Chicago native educated at DuSable High School under Captain Walter Dyett, McCarty rose from the South Side club scene to major national
British clarinetist Brian Carrick died on December 31, 2025, at approximately 82. Born in 1943 in South Shields, England, was a devoted exponent of New Orleans–style traditional jazz whose career bridged the U.K. revival scene and the music’s living traditions in Louisiana. He was best known as leader of the
Clarinetist and bandleader Stan Rubin died December 28, 2025, at age 92. He was a central figure in the 1950s college Dixieland boom, emerging from Princeton University as leader of the Tigertown Five and sustaining a long professional career that bridged campus revivalism, commercial swing, and later the nostalgia market.
Singer and rhythm guitarist Rebecca Kilgore died on January 7th. She was a widely admired figure in mainstream and swing-oriented jazz, particularly within the West Coast and international jazz-party circuits. Born in Waltham, Massachusetts, and long based in Portland, Oregon, she recorded extensively as a leader and collaborator for labels
Australian jazz trombonist, vocalist, and bandleader Paul Ingle died on January 12th, he was 75. Ingle was a mainstay of the Australian traditional jazz scene, active for decades in clubs, festivals, and special projects at home and abroad. His death prompted tributes from the Australian Jazz Museum, regional jazz clubs,
Drummer Ernie Hackett, son of cornetist Bobby Hackett, died December 23, 2025. He was a New York based musician and an important chronicler of his family’s place in mid-century jazz. Active on the traditional-jazz scene himself, he was later known for his firsthand recollections of musicians and venues surrounding his
Table of Contents
Vol. 11, No. 2, February 2026
Features
Columns
Reviews