Catching Up With Matthew Davidson
Larry Melton
June 30, 2021
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The history of Jazz is rife with disreputable tropes—brothels, gangsters, dives and dope. But transgressive or not, jazz is an art that prizes finding your
The pandemic has brought naught but misery to a lot of musicians, no doubt about it. When artists look back on these two years—and hopefully
Although I had wanted to play dixieland jazz since I was very young, my first opportunity did not come until the fall of 1961. Wild
Guitarist Charlie Christian and bassist Jimmy Blanton never recorded together and it is quite possible that they never jammed on the same stage, but there
In the previous issue of The Syncopated Times, we explored the similarities and (copious) differences between recordings of “Panama” made during the 1920s and 1930s.
These days we often take performers who sing and play piano for granted, but in the acoustic phonograph world things were a little different. Long
Scan the obituaries in The Syncopated Times and you will quickly realize just how fast we are losing veterans of WWII and Korea. Service during
Four and a half years ago I first met Colin Hancock, whose recognition and reputation as an eminent authority on early jazz, especially that performed
For the past 20 years, morning commuters on their way to work in the San Francisco-Oakland area have gotten, as one writer put it, “an
2021 marks the 80th anniversary of the Stan Kenton Orchestra, which debuted as the Artistry in Rhythm band on Memorial Day of 1941 at the
In 2020, the Monterey Jazz Bash by the Bay was the final major festival on the trad jazz circuit that took place before the pandemic
I showed Ralph a list of tunes I knew. He pointed at a squiggle and said, “What’s that?” “E flat. I only know that tune
During the June 4-5 weekend, the Scott Joplin International Ragtime Festival Foundation Announced that Bryan Cather received the 2020 Award posthumously and Mimi Blais received
How to Get Kids Involved in Music To the Editor: Here is my answer to Larry Melton’s article in the June issue. To make it
Benny Goodman (1909-1986) did for clarinet what Louis Armstrong had done for the trumpet, gave it a virtuoso leadership role in the jazz ensemble. Benny’s
I am blowing off the dust this month with Max Morath. There are so many stories from his long career, but I am beginning with
Seger Pillot Ellis was born July 4, 1904, in Houston, Texas. As a teenager, Seger much admired the local pianists in the city, Jack Sharpe,
When I approached editor Andy Senior offering to write an occasional column about light hearted musical musings all and sundry he gave me his blessing,
Like it or not, social media is not only here to stay, but also an integral part of the professional musician’s career. Our path has
The reader will note that a rather morbid undercurrent has run through this column over the past two months. In May, I noted the death
Charles Hunter (1876-1906) is an important figure in Ragtime’s history, perhaps the greatest influence of today’s Folk Ragtime. His 1901 Cotton Bolls is a well-loved
Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks were together for the first time in 15 months on June 10 for a recording session at The Power Station
The New Orleans Jazz Museum eagerly announced the following: Satchmo SummerFest presented by Chevron will return to the New Orleans Jazz Museum as a live
SOUNDS OF MARDI GRAS (Fresno, CA) – July 8-11 YES…IT REALLY IS HAPPENING. Fresno Dixieland Society will hold their annual Sounds of Mardi Gras Festival
While Art Tatum and Oscar Peterson among others have sometimes been criticizing for having “too much technique,” I never thought that that was a problem
Singer and trombonist Emily Asher made her recording debut back in 2005 with the Jim Cutler Jazz Orchestra and the Mighty Aphrodite Jazz Band, playing
One of the greatest jazz clarinetists of all time, Artie Shaw (1910-2004), had a surprisingly brief career considering his stature and his long life. While
The Alpha Rhythm Kings are a frequently rollicking band whose music crosses the boundaries between small-group swing a la Louis Jordan, early rock and roll,
Pete Malinverni is a jazz pianist who has led 15 albums of his own and is normally heard in modern jazz settings. Juliet Kurtzman is
It was my birthday yesterday. “Bully for you,” you say. “So what?” I’ll tell you
Sometimes this job makes me feel uneasy. Because it can’t be easy hawking jazz records
The weekend of June 4-5 belonged to the virtual concerts and symposia of the Scott
Dr. Ian Hominick at the University of Mississippi in Oxford produced a fine 2021 virtual
James Donald Jones, Jr., age 89, of Apple Valley, California passed away on Wednesday, May 26, 2021. “Don” was born January 20, 1932 in Oakland,
David Mallette, energetic advocate for Texarkana (Arkansas and Texas) and director of the Regional Music Heritage Center there, died On Saturday June 5, 2021, at
Trombonist Sonny Helmer died on May 25th, he was 90 years old. Helmer was a veteran of the Korean War, a member of the 392nd
Bandleader, songwriter and cellist Leo Crandall died suddenly on May 29, in Syracuse, N.Y. He was 67 years old. Born in Detroit, he moved to
Jazz drummer Al Hartland died May 23 of heart disease, in Ithaca, N.Y. He was 71. Born Alexander S. Micucci in Philadelphia, Pa., Al grew
Clarinetist and vocalist Bob Schroeder passed away April 27th at age 92. Bob played professionally for 75 years, beginning in his hometown of St. Louis,
Vol.6, No.7 July 2021
Catching Up With Matthew Davidson, by Larry Melton
Early History of the Galvanized Jazz Band, by Art Hovey
Sweet Megg and Ricky Alexander, by Dave Doyle
Frankie Newton: 20th Century Jazzman and Political Activist, by Steve Provizer
Ain’t Cha Got Music: Panama, Pt.2, by Jeff Barnhart & Hal Smith
Swingin’ in the Philippines: 746th Far East Air Force Band, by Joe Bebco
Jazz Birthday of the Month: Seger Ellis, illustration by Joe Busam
Static from my Attic, by Andy Senior
Final Chorus, compiled by Joe Bebco
Jazz Jottings, by Lew Shaw
Jazz Travels: Jazz Goes Collegiate!, by Bill Hoffman & Colin Hancock
The Professor is IN: Social Media, by Adrian Cunningham
Ragtime Vignettes: Cotton Bolls, by Brandon Byrne
Quarter Notes: This Could Be the Start of Something Big, by Shelly Gallichio
Silas Leachman: Pioneer Self-Accompanist, by R.S. Baker
Festival Roundup, compiled by Joe Bebco
Profiles in Jazz: Charlie Christian & Jimmy Blanton, by Scott Yanow
Blowing off the Dust: Harrigan’s Orpheum, by Max Morath & Larry Melton
My Inspirations, by Jeff Barnhart
Benny Goodman’s Kingdom of Swing, Pt.1, by Dave Radlauer
American Rag Publisher Don Jones Dies at 89, by Joe Bebco
Into the Weeds with Dr. Seuss: a Response, by Charles Suhor
Monterey is Back in 2022!, by Jeff Barnhart & Brian Holland
Sitting In, by Dean Norman
2021 Virtual Program of the Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival, by Larry Melton
Scott Joplin Lifetime Achievement Awards, by Larry Melton
The 2021 Virtual Old Time Piano Playing Contest, by Larry Melton
Nights at the Turntable, CD reviews by Scott Yanow
Orlando R. Marsh by Richard Raichelson, book review by Jeff Hopkins
Risa Branch, album review by Dave Doyle
Parlour Noir, album review by Dave Doyle
