
I’m Sorry, I Can’t Apologize
This past month, I made noises in a fundraising letter that I was planning to shut up for a month or two. “I am likely

Eddie Durham
Eddie Durham was born August 19, 1906, in San Marcos, Texas. From an early age, Durham performed with his family in the Durham Brothers Orchestra,

Broadway Rag (1922)
Broadway Rag (1922) is James Scott’s final published composition. It is thickly-chorded in keeping with Scott’s style. However, the tonic chord resolutions in the B

Delayed and Missing Papers Beset our July 2025 Issue
It has come to my attention that there is a problem with postal delivery of the paper. Subscribers to The Syncopated Times have written to


Marjorie T. Scooros
Marjorie T. Scooros, affectionately known as Washboard Marj, passed away on June 11, 2025, at the age of 84. Born on April 5, 1941, Marj

Alan Bergman
Alan Bergman, the Oscar-winning lyricist whose timeless songs became jazz and pop standards, died July 17, 2025, at 99 in Los Angeles. With his wife,


Hot Toddies Jazz Band • Live From Somewhere Nowhere
The word that best describes the Hot Toddies Jazz Band’s Live From Somewhere Nowhere is celebratory. The performances by the seven-piece band which is led

The Amazing Grace of Rosetta Tharpe
Sister Rosetta Tharpe was one of America’s great gospel singers, arguably its greatest gospel singer. She was also an accomplished jazz and blues musician, as

Champian Fulton and Klas Lindquist • At Home
At a dinner party hosted by Scott Asen, the founder of Turtle Bay Records, pianist-singer Champian Fulton and altoist/clarinetist Klas Lindquist performed a set of

Roger Marks’ Armada Jazz Band • Blowing a Storm
While a number of British trad jazz players are fairly well-known in the US, Roger Marks is not one of them. He enjoys considerable acclaim

Peacherine Ragtime Society Orchestra • That Eccentric Rag
One of the finest ragtime ensembles around today, the Peacherine Ragtime Society Orchestra was founded by Andrew Greene in 2010. The group has a gigantic

Kid Ory, Preston Jackson, DePriest Wheeler • Great Jazz, Great Trombones: 1920s-1950s featuring The Missourians
In 2007 the late Big Bill Bisonnette issued, on his Jazz Crusade label, a CD he titled Slip Horn (JCCD 3119) as part of his

Ozzie Nelson • All The Hits And More
When one thinks of such songs as “About A Quarter To Nine,” “She’s A Latin From Manhattan,” “Is It True What They Say About Dixie,”

The Duke Ellington Carnegie Hall Concerts, January 1943
JAZZ CLASSIC OF THE MONTH Duke Ellington could have made his debut at Carnegie Hall during Benny Goodman’s historic concert in 1938 that did include

Trumpeter James O’Donnell: The Motor City Jazz Maestro
In Detroit, a city long renowned for its musical innovations as much as its automotive creations, jazz trumpeter James O’Donnell has spent more than five

Yusu Jazz Band • Jumpin’ at Ari
So, my new friends in that local jazz trio which was seeking a pianist have heard me play keys and they have yet to ghost

100 of The Hottest Classic Jazz Albums of 1945-2025, Part 2: 1954-1959
What are the most exciting and essential classic jazz recordings that have taken place since the end of World War II? I accepted the challenge

The New Black Eagle Jazz Band, Part Three
A playlist of the discussed cuts can be found HERE. Jeff Barnhart: This month we’re continuing our exploration of the music and history of the

Doreen’s Jazz, Rising Stars Heat Up a Cold Night in Rome, NY
It is nearing 100 degrees as I write this, oppressively humid. I have Doreen’s Jazz New Orleans, vol. 33 “Walkin’ Through The Streets,” her latest

Monte Mountjoy: Taking Care of Business On Drums
Hal Smith: Brother Kevin, after we wrote about the great Fred Higuera, we decided to take a listen to some recordings by another West Coast

Terry Waldo and his Gotham City Band • Treasury Volume 2
Terry Waldo, a major classic jazz pianist and bandleader since the 1970s (remember his series of highly enjoyable Stomp Off albums of 1979-89?) is now

Paolo Alderighi and Stephanie Trick • Classic Jazz On Two Pianos
Husband and wife pianists Paolo Alderighi and Stephanie Trick, have often toured and performed while sharing a single piano. While their four-handed concerts are quite

Will and Pete Anderson Honor Jazz Legends in Music and Print
In 2010, the enterprising Anderson brothers, Peter and Will, co-produced and directed a two-week off-Broadway tribute to Artie Shaw. Two years later, they presented a

Is it a Bandstand or a Bandsit?
This month is the second entry in my occasional series “To ______ or Not to ________” where I examine musical practices to try to find

Dolly Jones, Valaida Snow, and Billie Rogers: Profiles in Jazz
There was a time not too long ago when it was roundly believed that women did not have the physical capabilities to play most horn

The Earliest Violin Recordings
In the acoustic era, recording the violin was always a challenge. Even as the technology improved, the results didn’t always work out the best. In

Lou Gold and his Orchestra • It’s Tight Like That
The Lou Gold album is also pure gold. Sorry, I couldn’t resist. I’ve known about Gold’s records for most of my life—you can find them

Dancing The Devil Away: Hot Dance Music on Edison Diamond Discs 1923-1928
Transcribing 78 rpm records and renovating the original audio quality is often very tricky, unless you are a trained professional. In short, don’t try this

Frank Westphal and his Orchestra • “Oh Sister! Ain’t That Hot!” 1922-1924
My introduction to Frank Westphal’s work was a 78 rpm record I used to have in my collection, called “The Duck’s Quack” which I thought

The Dixie Daisies • Hotsy Totsy Town 1922-1923
I had heard and owned some recordings by the “Dixie Daisies” over the years but didn’t really know anything about them until listening to this

The Hipster’s Legacy: A Memoir of Dreams, Jazz, and Family in 1960s California
This book’s cover features a black-and-white snapshot of the author and four siblings climbing a tree as kids. Below the tree, ten twisted gloved fingers

Glenn Miller Declassified by Dennis M. Spragg
On Dec. 15, 1944, Major Glenn Miller was on a plane traveling from England to France that disappeared over the English Channel. Piloted by John

Judy Whitmore • Let’s Fall in Love
If there’s one thing I miss about being a journo (and there is only one), it’s all the free theater tickets I used to enjoy.

From The 2025 Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival
The 51st Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival in Sedalia, MO took place, as usual, from Wednesday through Saturday, May 28-31. There were a couple events on

Annie and the Hedonists at Caffè Lena
Caffè Lena, Saratoga Springs, May 31, 2025 Many of the songs we choose to sing spring to our lips because they’ve been drilled into our

Protect, Preserve, Perpetuate!
This year, the Preservation Hall Foundation will open a new campus facility at 730 Saint Peter Street adjacent to the existing building and under a

Is Jazz Your Friend?
Any friendship needs care. Like a plant, friendship dies when neglected. My readers love this music. We have felt its warm embrace. But many are

Pete Fountain
Pete Fountain was born Pierre Dewey LaFontaine, Jr., on July 3, 1930, in New Orleans. Young Pete was very sickly, frequently battling respiratory infections due

Dilettante (or Polymath) Wanted
As if Anno Domini 2025 were not fraught enough with rumors of war and the vain, blustering hubris that ensures a constant level of High

‘A Little Help Here’: TST Could Really Use a Hand
I know people are reading this who have experience with grant research and grant writing as well as other nonprofit fundraising activities, and we are


John Cocuzzi (1964–2025)
John Cocuzzi, a vibraphonist, pianist, and drummer, well known to jazz party attendees, passed away on June 12, 2025, at 61. A Maryland native, Cocuzzi

Arthur Hamilton
Arthur Hamilton, the gifted songwriter best known for the classic jazz ballad “Cry Me a River,” died on May 20th. He claims to have never

Buzzer Rag (1909)
May Aufderheide was only 21 years old when Buzzer Rag, her fourth published composition, was issued in 1909. Much of the piece’s melodic material is

The Festival Roundup July 2025
RIVER RAISIN RAGTIME REVUE’S RAGTIME EXTRAVAGANZA (Adrian, MI) July 5 This year, R4 is collaborating with the City of Adrian to commemorate Adrian’s bicentennial. This


Great Jazz, Great Trombones: Kid Ory, Preston Jackson, DePriest Wheeler & The Missourians 1920s – 1950s
The late record producer and trombonist Big Bill Bissonnette not only recorded then-current New Orleans jazz bands for his Jazz Crusade label but occasionally compiled

George Chisholm • The Gentleman Of Jazz
JAZZ CLASSIC OF THE MONTH George Chisholm (1915-97), who was born in Glasgow, Scotland and by 1936 was based in London, was a major trombonist.