Klas Lindquist: Sweden’s Alto Sax Virtuoso Finds His Groove
Brian Sheridan
The lights go down in Broadway’s Studio 54. And the theater is filled with the electrifying first notes of “West End Blues.” We’re hearing the trumpet cadenza that Louis Armstrong created back in 1928. And it is thrilling. Armstrong’s original recording established that he was, beyond question, the jazz world’s
Until very recently, I thought that the Hot Club de France was simply the name of the band led by Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli back in the ’30s and ’40s. Some of the august readers of The Syncopated Times—many of whom are astute historians of early jazz—know better. But
What’s in a name? A quintet by any other name would sound as sweet! At least, that’s what went through my mind when my good friend violinist Daniel Garlitsky told me that his band with guitarist Duved Dunayevsky was going to receive the title of Quintette du Hot Club de
Teddy Wilson always stood apart from the stereotypes attached to jazz musicians of the 1930s, ’40s, and ’50s. He was soft-spoken, distinguished, reliable, and very consistent. One could not imagine him ever showing up late for a gig or doing anything that was even close to distasteful. The same was
Hal Smith: Jeff, according to our recent e-mail exchanges, we share a favorite album: Blues Over Bodega, recorded by Lu Watters’ Jazz Band and released by Fantasy Records in 1964. I will provide some background information on the session, but first—what are your overall comments regarding this great album? Jeff
I don’t mean to get too serious in this column, but I want to begin by saying how grateful I am to readers who have risen to the occasion to support our new nonprofit entity, Syncopated Media, Inc. I am the most self-conscious person I know when it comes to
In this column I have written about many figures who were instrumental in the acoustic recording era, but often go unnoticed. One figure who fits this description is George Schweinfest. He goes back to the very beginning of recording, and became one of the pioneers respected enough to remain in
Club owners get an often-deserved bad rep from musicians. Many times, the conditions in the club or restaurant are terrible: the lighting’s non-existent; the band’s crammed into a dingy corner below a monolithic row of television sets blaring the latest claptrap from any—and sometimes all—of 100 available stations; the pay
Henry James “Red” Allen, Jr., was born in the Algiers neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana, on January 7, 1908. After playing trumpet on riverboats on the Mississippi River, Allen went to Chicago in 1927 to join King Oliver’s band. Around this time he made his first recordings with Clarence Williams.
The memorably-titled Elite Syncopations (1902) is one of Scott Joplin’s most finely-crafted compositions. The piece’s B and C sections are Mozartian in their simplicity. Many performers play the piece at blazing speed—Alexander Peskanov’s fun recording for Naxos features a lightning-quick D section. My favorite interpretation of Elite Syncopations is the
For the third, and unfortunately last, time I attended the Arizona Classic Jazz Festival at the Crowne Plaza Resort in Chandler on October 31-November 3. The festival had previously announced that it would be discontinued after its 35th year. It was started in 1990 in Scottsdale and had several locations
It has been a long time coming! The Syncopated Times is now a production of Syncopated Media, Inc., a registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit. This means we can accept tax-deductible donations, as well as seek grants, bequests, and partnerships with other nonprofits, businesses, and other organizations in pursuit of our mission. The
Arbors All-Star Jazz Party (St. Petersburg, FL) – Jan. 18 Come celebrate Arbors Records and founders Rachel and Mat Domber at a gala concert featuring some of Arbors’ favorite artists. The show features Brazilian guitarist Diego Figueiredo, trumpet and cornet legend Warren Vaché, multi-instrumentalist Scott Robinson, drummer Eddie Metz, vibes
David Yaffe died November 14th, 2024, at age 51. Yaffe authored many books and articles, including Fascinating Rhythm: Reading Jazz in American Writing. (Courtesy Jazzpassings.com)
Try this on your piano! Last month I made a semi-facetious request for someone to write “The Syncopated Times March,” since “We certainly deserve a march more than the stinky old Washington Post.” Well, longtime reader and contributor Dean Norman came through. On Dec. 5 he wrote, “Here is an
To say that Artie Shaw (1910-2004) was a unique individual would be an understatement. A perfectionist who mastered the clarinet, Shaw treated his musicians well but was quite difficult to
By 1960 the second revival of New Orleans traditional jazz was well underway, but the older black musicians who still played it had few places where they could get together
There’s this internet meme from 2019 (bear with me) which goes, “Wake up babe, new just dropped.” The catchphrase implies insomnia-inducing levels of excitement about , which is usually a new song or episode of a favorite show. I use it occasionally—a recent example was in the grocery store with
This year has seen pianist and composer Matthew de Lacey Davidson prodigiously successful in album production: his 2024 releases include two CD sets totalling five discs. Both albums merit a “deep dive” and are recommended for listening. This month our focal point is The Graceful Ghost, a broad survey of
It’s crazy to me that eight years into reviewing for The Syncopated Times the only previous time I covered After Midnight was their Christmas album. It was great, and hinted at a great band, but I think I can say in January, it was after all, a Christmas album. It’s
I’m not a natural ragtime fan, at least not the music most people think of when they hear the word. Solo piano ragtime often feels to me like a mid 20th century invention distinct from the records from 1895-1917 that I grew up on collecting 78s. This is true in
My review column hasn’t visited the West Coast in a while, which would seem strange to readers who have had a jazz rag in their mailbox every month since the 1980s. The reality is the bands that once dominated the traditional jazz festivals are not cranking out albums like they
Back in college one of my pastimes, hep cat that I was, was chasing the library closing time copying their LPs to cassette tapes. My focus was Smithsonian releases of folk, world, and otherwise weird records, but I also copied plenty of early jazz and blues, mostly in the style
JAZZ CLASSIC OF THE MONTH In Duke Ellington’s remarkably productive career, 1953-55 is considered by some to be his “off period” despite musical evidence to the contrary. In 1951, altoist Johnny Hodges, trombonist Lawrence Brown and drummer Sonny Greer all departed at the same time to form the nucleus of
In the current jazz scene, there are a countless number of talented female jazz-oriented singers, as opposed to just a handful of male jazz singers. The New York-based Gabrielle Stravelli should not be lost in the crowd for she has an alluring voice, is a fine improviser, and has a
Johnny Guarnieri and Harry Warren had one main thing in common. When one thinks of the great jazz pianists, Guarnieri is often overlooked while lists of the top contributors to the Great American Songbook invariably leave out Warren. This is despite the fact that they were both musical giants. Harry
There is no point in mincing words. The Joymakers’ Down Where The Bluebonnets Grow is one of the hottest jazz records of the year. The group was founded in 2023 by the remarkably versatile Colin Hancock who not only is a top-notch cornetist but is heard on this set playing
A slight stretch for this column, the Blue Moon Marquee is a spirited New Orleans blues band. On New Orleans Sessions which has the music from two dates recorded a year apart, guitarist-singer A.W. Cardinal and bassist-singer Jasmine Colette are joined by pianist B.C. Coogan, baritone-saxophonist Danny Abrams, either Nicholas
Vol.10, No.11 January 2025
Klas Lindquist: Sweden’s Alto Sax Virtuoso Finds His Groove, by Brian Sheridan
Telling Louis Armstrong’s Story on Broadway, by Chip Deffaa
Violinist Daniel Garlitsky Revives the QHCF, by Tatiana Eva-Marie
History and Rebirth of the QHCF, by Brice Moss
Tatiana Eva-Marie at Saratoga’s Caffè Lena, concert review by B.A. Nilsson
Ain’t Cha Got Music: Blues Over Bodega, by Jeff Barnhart & Hal Smith
Jazz Birthday of the Month: Henry “Red” Allen, illustration by Sara Lièvre
Static from my Attic, by Andy Senior
Final Chorus, compiled by Joe Bebco
Jazz Travels: The Last Arizona Classic Jazz Festival, by Bill Hoffman
My Inspirations: Jazz at Bill’s Seafood, by Jeff Barnhart
Ragtime Vignettes: Elite Syncopations, by Brandon Byrne
Quarter Notes: So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Adieu!, by Shelly Gallichio
George Schweinfest: The Last Pioneer, by R.S. Baker
Festival Roundup, compiled by Joe Bebco
Profiles in Jazz: Teddy Wilson, by Scott Yanow
Blowing off the Dust: Help Save Ragtime’s History, by Larry Melton
The Syncopated Times March (song), by Dean Norman & Jean Huling
Icon of Swing Offers a Friend’s-Eye View of Artie Shaw, by Scott Yanow
Lakewood Jump by Keenan McKenzie, CD review by Dave Doyle
Genesis and Exodus of Preservation Hall, book review by Bert Thompson
Nights at the Turntable, CD reviews by Scott Yanow
Off the Beaten Tracks, CD reviews by Joe Bebco
Graceful Ghost by Matthew de Lacey Davidson, CD review by Brandon Byrne
Classic V-Disc Small Group Jazz Sessions, CD review by B.A. Nilsson
