Rossano Sportiello Makes the Ivories Swing
Lew Shaw
December 30, 2023
It’s tempting to think of LGBT acceptance and allyship as a very 21st-century phenomenon, distinct from the dark ages of yore when queer communities hid themselves away from persecution. But the story of this civil rights movement began at least a century ago—before Harvey Milk, Harry Hay, or Alfred Kinsey
There are two rules I tell everyone when they attend the Whitley Bay International Classic Jazz Party for the first time. One: it’s a marathon, not a sprint. It can be very easy to burn out on the continued highs of set after set of your favourite records played live
So, there I was in the back seat of my friend John Smith’s 1969 Mercury Cougar. The car was nine years old by then; it was late 1978. I was twenty-two years old. I’d met John (“Butch” to his friends) when I was fifteen years old. He was playing at
When the musician walks in carrying four instruments—two banjos, one guitar, and one fiddle– and takes a seat at the piano and then proceeds to pull out four more instruments (three harmonicas and a pair of bones), you know you’re in for something special. Through a rather circuitous route, I’m
JB: Welcome back, intrepid explorers! To start the New year off with a bang, we’re continuing our discussion of the incomparable Kid Ory Band’s appearances on Orson Welles’ weekly radio show in 1944. In our previous installment, we wrapped up with the band’s spirited rendition of “Sugar Foot Stomp,” marred
In 1950, for the first time since 1935, there was no Count Basie Orchestra. By then, most of the swing era big bands were either no longer in existence or battling for their existence with limited success. Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Charlie Barnet, and Woody Herman (who would soon form
For the third year in a row (not counting the Covid interruption), I attended the West Coast Ragtime Festival on the weekend before Thanksgiving. If you don’t have the time or desire to read this report, the bottom line is that it was well worth a trip across the country.
It never ceases to amaze me the details I can remember from the first Sedalia ragtime festival 50 years ago. Yet, I can’t for the life of me remember what I had for supper last night. I guess that’s the collateral damage from adding 30 earlier years to those 50.
In the earliest days of the phonograph, many recording artists were forced to work extra jobs to make a living. None of the workers in the recording industry were protected by unions at this time, so they worked as much as was needed. While most acoustic record collectors would associate
The theme for this year’s Arizona Classic Jazz Society Festival was “Come, Swing with Me” and we certainly did! Held again at the San Marcos Golf Resort in Chandler, Arizona, the Festival showcased the composers, arrangers, lyricists and performers of the era. An early November weekend was met with beautiful,
In all of my encounters with famous people (and what is “fame” anyway??…My favorite response to the question “Are you famous?” comes from my friend, trombonist Jim Fryer, who would look at the inquirer and somberly reply, “To those who know me.”), I’ve only been tongue-tied with one of them.
Not all of the original classic ragtime composers were men. Among the talented women, May Aufderheide has likely been the most popular. May wrote seven ragtime pieces in all. Her first, “Dusty Rag,” (1908) and “Thriller,” (1909) became her most popular compositions and her best sellers. May Frances Aufderheide was
It’s a new year, and I am required by law to be optimistic. Never mind that each previous year has, in its own way, been a disappointment. Twenty twenty-four is going to be different! Those speed bumps, minor mishaps, and casual train wrecks are just growing pains. Things are off
Music played an integral part in the frequent parties the late Sandra Day O’Connor held in Washington, D.C., when she was a sitting justice in the U.S. Supreme Court and after her retirement. She had a legendary reputation for bringing people together in an informal setting to build friendships and
The “rare rags” page of Ted Tjaden’s website ragtimepiano.ca is a gold mine of American musical history worth your perusal. Three Black Crows—by F. Raymond Miller from 1899—is an intriguing proto-rag in the then-popular cakewalk style. Its first two 8-measure sections are expository afterthoughts, but the C section at the
Stéphane Grappelli was born on January 26, 1908, in Paris. Grappelli’s mother died when he was five, leaving his father to raise him. Grappelli began playing the violin at the age of 12 on a three-quarter-sized instrument, which his father purchased by pawning a suit. Although Stéphane received violin lessons,
Spiegle Speaks The Gassers were very fortunate and privileged to have had a 16 year friendship with Spiegle Willcox and to have shared many wonderful moments on and off stage with him. As mentioned in my July, 2023 column, he was the legendary Emperor of the 1995 Sacramento Jubilee and
TUCSON JAZZ FESTIVAL (Tucson, AZ) – Jan. 12-20 A week-long, city-wide event with individually ticketed concerts at the historic Fox and Rialto theaters, as well as TCC Music Hall and Club Congress, with some free outdoor events around town. Acts of interest to TST readers include: Emmet Cohen Trio, Cécile
Dr. Rebecca Imhauser has just published her third book on Downtown Sedalia, Missouri, titled All Around Downtown: Volume 2. This publication includes the West side of Ohio Street from Main to the Scott Joplin Memorial Highway (Broadway). I have previously written about the abundance of books about Sedalia and Pettis
Probably most musicians have played in strange venues at one time or another. Over the years I have played with various bands in some odd or at least unusual places. Some of these occurred at jazz festivals. The late, lamented Sacramento Dixieland Jazz Jubilee, held each Memorial Day weekend in
For the past 14 years, Andrew Greene’s Peacherine Ragtime Society Orchestra (www.peacherineragtime.com) has been performing and preserving culturally important American popular music, namely Ragtime, across the United States. Using the original theatre orchestra scores and period instruments, Peacherine has defined itself as one of the leading preservationists of music from
Multi-award-winning instrumentalist /vocalist/bandleader Cynthia Sayer has been awarded the prestigious 2023 Steve Martin Banjo Prize for Excellence in Four-String Banjo. The award was made public on December 11 in a livestream presentation featuring Cynthia’s former bandleader, Woody Allen. An inductee into the American Banjo Hall Of Fame, Cynthia Sayer is
Hot Jazz will return to the Upper Mississippi River next year during the Bix Beiderbecke Jazz Festival. The Riverboat Cruise this year was a huge success, with attendees, organizers, and musicians calling for a repeat. On August 2, 2024, there will be even more music aboard the Celebration Belle, with
Not to imply the competition was fierce or anything, but I just included this album
While this is her debut album as leader, Hannah Gill has been on the scene
All profits from sales of this CD will go to Noel Kaletsky’s family. Contact Fred
This self-titled album is the first CD by the Cigar Box Serenaders, whose second, Spasm,
This week I got a parcel from eBay. Inside was a tiny amplifier, only about
One of the great perks of writing for the Syncopated Times is that people are
Dust Bowl To Disney is a fine book. It’s an autobiography by traditional jazz cornetist Danny Alguire. When my long-time friend and colleague Hal Smith approached me about reviewing it, I’ll confess I wasn’t as enthusiastic as I might have been; a book by the mild-mannered Danny Alguire didn’t seem like the kind of tome that would be a thriller-diller. Well, I wouldn’t exactly call it the next The Hunt for Red October, but Dust
During 1941-46, viewers all over the United States had an opportunity to see musical numbers on a visual jukebox. Rather than put a nickel in a conventional jukebox and hear a recording, customers could put a dime in a seven-foot tall machine with a screen and watch a three-minute performance. They were generally low budget productions, the music was pre-recorded ahead of time rather than actually performed live, and one could not choose which film
While the name of the group featured on The Song In Our Soul CD (the Palomar Trio) is a bit anonymous, its members will be quite familiar to readers of the Syncopated Times. Dan Levinson, whether playing clarinet, tenor, or C-melody, and exploring pre-1920 music, hot jazz of the ’20s,
A superb jazz violinist from Barcelona, Spain, Marta Sierra has a beautiful tone, impressive technique, and swings well in a style complementary with that of Stephane Grappelli and Svend Asmussen. The Fresh Sound label has made available her first two recordings. Paris Connection which was recorded around 2020 and released
Ever since she made her debut recording Close Your Eyes in 1996, Stacey Kent has been one of the most delightful singers in jazz. She has a very attractive voice, perfectly places her notes, has impeccable articulation, and swings at every tempo. Her improvising is subtle (mostly in the phrasing)
Jazz Classic of the Month Ernest “Punch” Miller (1894-1971) was an exciting New Orleans cornetist who never really made it big despite his talents. He moved to Chicago in 1926 where he worked with Tiny Parham, Freddie Keppard and Jelly Roll Morton among others. His decision to stay in Chicago
The four-voice vocal group The Inkspots had an attractive formula that worked extremely well during their prime years. Many of their recordings began with a two or four-bar guitar introduction that preceded a falsetto chorus of the melody by Bill Kenny while the other singers harmonized behind him. Orville “Hoppy”
Vol.9, No.1 January 2024
Rossano Sportiello Makes the Ivories Swing, by Lew Shaw
The ‘Pansy Craze’ Pioneered LGBT Acceptance, by Dave Doyle
Heat from Whitley Bay Jazz Party is Felt Worldwide, by Jonathan Holmes
“Blind Boy” Paxton Concert Brings the Blues to Life, by Terri Bruce
Jess Stacy’s Brush With Three Yeti Chasers, by Dan Barrett
Jazz Birthday of the Month: Stéphane Grappelli, illustration by Joe Busam
Static from my Attic, by Andy Senior
Jazz Jottings: A Supreme Love of Jazz, by Lew Shaw
My Inspirations: Remembering Justice O’Connor, by Jeff Barnhart
Ragtime Vignettes: Three Black Crows, by Brandon Byrne
Quarter Notes: Swingin’ Jazz in Chandler, AZ, by Shelly Gallichio
The Many Talents of Frank C. Stanley, by R.S. Baker
Maine Jazz Musings: No Fall Off in Jazz During Fall, by Terri Bruce
Jazz Travels: 2023 West Coast Ragtime Festival, by Bill Hoffman
Festival Roundup, compiled by Joe Bebco
Profiles in Jazz: Count Basie, Pt. 2: New Testament Years, by Scott Yanow
Blowing off the Dust: More Memories from 1974, by Larry Melton
Rudiments of Ragtime: May Aufderheide, by Larry Melton
Ain’t Cha Got Music: Ory and Welles, Pt. 2, by Jeff Barnhart & Hal Smith
Odd or Unusual Venues Where I’ve Performed, by Bert Thompson
It Was a Gas: Wacky and Weird Sidelights of NGJB, by Phil Crumley
Sedalia’s Downtown History Is Complete, by Larry Melton
Doyle’s Discs, CD reviews by Dave Doyle
The Soundies by Mark Cantor, review by Scott Yanow
Cigar Box Serenaders, review by Ted des Plantes
From Dust Bowl to Disney, review by Dan Barrett
Off the Beaten Tracks, CD reviews by Joe Bebco
Mosaic’s Don Byas Set the “Ultimate Gift”, review by B.A. Nilsson
Nights at the Turntable, CD reviews by Scott Yanow
Cynthia Sayer Awarded 2023 Steve Martin Banjo Prize
Bix Society: Riverboat Jazz Returns, New Bands, Board Members, by Hal Smith
Peacherine Seeks Funding for 15th Anniversary Recording, by Andrew Greene
