Harry Connick, Jr. Keeps a Promise to his Mom
Some performers spend their careers chasing Carnegie Hall. Harry Connick Jr., however, spent much of his career avoiding it. That isn’t a typo or a
Anarchy at The Seaman’s Inne
My column on the Samuel Adams Pub at the Seamen’s Inne at the Mystic Seaport in Mystic, Connecticut produced some great responses, but none as
World Class Syncopation at 2026 Historic Sutter Creek Ragtime Festival
“Eureka!” the thundering cry of the Gold Rush! In 1848, gold was discovered at John Sutter’s Mill in Coloma located on the outskirts of Sacramento.
Helen Humes and Big Joe Turner: Profiles in Jazz
Helen Humes and Big Joe Turner never recorded together and do not seem to have ever shared a vocal, but their careers had several things
Charles A. Sengstock Jr., who documented Chicago’s early jazz scene, has died.
Charles A. Sengstock Jr., a music historian who documented the largely overlooked history of Chicago’s white dance bands and theater orchestras, died July 16 in
New Orleans sax player Elliott “Stackman” Callier has died
Elliott “Stackman” Callier, a saxophonist who split his life between New Orleans and Portland and spent decades as one of the city’s most in-demand horn
Bassist and Music Entrepreneur Mitchell Player has died
Mitchell Player, a bassist and music entrepreneur who became a fixture of the New Orleans traditional jazz scene, died September 9 in New Orleans of
Preserver of piano recordings, Gregor Benko has died
Gregor Benko, a self-taught collector-historian who spent six decades tracking down lost recordings of the great Romantic-era pianists, died August 12 in Syracuse, NY. He
Jumping and Jiving at the Jazz Jubilee!
And a little bit of wailing too! What a fantastic Labor Day weekend celebration at the 11th Annual Hot Jazz Jubilee in Sacramento—great bands, venues,
The Heartbreak and Inevitability of Saying Goodbye
If I could take anything from my mom, it would be her pathological optimism—the optimism of a single woman with a kid, a cat, and
The Ghosts of Harlem: Sessions with Jazz Legends By Hank O’Neal
Last month, I reviewed Hank O’Neal’s remarkable More Than Music book which contains his colorful stories (along with a countless number of photos) of some
The Festival Roundup October 2026
THE NEW ORLEANS RAGTIME FESTIVAL (New Orleans, LA) Oct 1-4 Since 2016, the New Orleans Ragtime Festival has been dedicated to preserving and promoting the
Eddie Miller • New Orleans Tenor Sax
Although he is rarely listed as one of the top prebop tenor-saxophonists along with Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Ben Webster, and Bud Freeman, Eddie Miller
Ella Fitzgerald • Live at Falkoner Theatre
One can never have too many Ella Fitzgerald records. She was remarkably consistent during her prime years (which lasted for over four decades) and was
Dawn Lambeth • I Get Ideas
Dawn Lambeth is a delightful singer who interprets vintage lyrics with a joyful delivery, swinging phrasing, and a gentle warmth. Her voice is quite appealing,
Scott Hamilton • In The Still Of The Night
At this point in time, it would not be surprising if tenor-saxophonist Scott Hamilton was running out of inspiration along with new songs to explore.
Earl Bostic • Flamingo
JAZZ CLASSIC OF THE MONTH Earl Bostic (1913-65) was a major name in the 1950s and early 1960s. A superb alto-saxophonist who had impeccable technique
‘I Have to Know the Worst’
Last Friday, September 18, I was on the verge of checking myself into the hospital. The alternative would have been to sit in my chair
Monk Rowe interviews Bob Wilber (1998)
Bob Wilber was born in New York City on March 15, 1928. He began performing professionally while still in high school, playing clarinet and saxophone
Bix House Musicians Discuss Home History, Renovation Plans
Friday, July 31st, was the second day of the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz festival. But for a select group of musicians in the festival it
The Beiderbecke Mystique: Preserving a Jazz Landmark
A group of relatively-young musicians who are devotees of the legendary Bix Beiderbecke and his music have banded together to form a legal entity (Bix
Monterey Jazz Bash Crowd up 25%: Best Time EVAH!
Brian Holland’s admonition on Facebook said it all. “If you weren’t in Monterey the first weekend in March for the 2026 Jazz Bash By The
Saxophobia: Celebrating the Sax Craze of the 1920s
Reed virtuoso Chad Smith’s Saxophobia: Celebrating the Sax Craze of the 1920s is nothing short of extraordinary—an exhilarating, 18-track collection unlike anything else currently being
Please Say You Will (1895)
Please Say You Will (1895) is Scott Joplin’s first published composition. Though the “I’m sorry, please take me back” lyrics (written by Joplin) are bland and
Carl Kress
Carl Kress was born October 20, 1907, in Newark, New Jersey. Kress started on piano before picking up the banjo. Carl Kress, along with Eddie
Fred Rose, Part 3
Hal Smith: Hello to our readers! Thank you for your interest in the music of great American composer Fred Rose. Jeff Barnhart and I have
An Open Letter to John Tefteller
Dear John Tefteller, Thank you for your article “AI, the End of Physical Media, and the Future of Record Collecting” in the September 2026 issue
A Semi-Quincentennial Songbag
IN THE AI GARDEN (Apologies to C. Austin Miles) I come to the chapel alone In my search for sweet consolation; And the voice I
Emile Berliner’s Unique Recording Method
Here the unusual recording system for Berliner is illustrated. Throughout Berliner’s existence in the United States, he did not use recording methods typical of the
NAMM Head Larry Linkin Passes at 87
Larry Linkin, who had a colorful career as a featured entertainer and the highly-successful head of the largest trade association in the music industry promoting
From The 2026 Davenport Bix Fest
The 55th annual Bix Beiderbecke Jazz Festival got off to a rousing start on Wednesday, July 29 at Jim’s Knoxville Tap in nearby Milan, IL
Fred Rose, Part Two
Jeff Barnhart: Welcome back, dear readers! Hal, last month we covered the early years of composer Fred Rose’s life and career. There is still so
Gary Giddins on Life, Music, and the Art of Criticism
If the contributions Gary Giddins has made in the last 50 years to the dissemination of Jazz and Jazz history were all listed here, they
Marion Evans (1926-2026)
Arranger Marion Evans died July 22, he was 100 years old. He lived two full careers in music separated by decades of near-total anonymity on
Neil Unterseher (1940-2026)
Banjoist Neil Unterseher, a mainstay of the New Orleans traditional jazz scene for over half a century, died June 20 at his home in Kiln,
John Defferary (1941-2026)
Clarinetist and saxophonist John Defferary, a fixture of the British trad jazz revival for over six decades, died on July 10; he was 85. Born
Jazz Jottings September 2026
The Nash Jazz Club in downtown Phoenix, Arizona, recognized by Downbeat Magazine as “one of the Great Jazz Venues in the World,” has undergone a
The “Voice of Edison”: Arthur Collins
It is difficult to determine who the most popular singer of the acoustic era was, and while many of the time claimed this title for
Don’t Shoot!
Having mentioned in last month’s column that Tex Wyndham would sometimes travel from Wilmington, DE to Mystic CT to sub for me while I was
Ma Rainey: Profiles in Jazz
Of all of the classic blues singers of the 1920s who were able to record, Ma Rainey’s history went back the furthest. In an interview
Armchair Critics, Angry Purists, and Other Garden Pests
I’ve been a YouTube watcher for a long time, and I’ve been posting video since 2009. If YouTube could collect a penny from every anonymous
Saxophobia: Celebrating the Sax Craze of the 1920s
Chad Smith describes his new album as “a love letter to that moment in time, when the saxophone did not belong to any single world;
George M. Cohan’s Broadway
Theatrical polymath Chip Deffaa has been studying and promoting the works of George M. Cohan for over six decades, beginning when Chip was just a
AI, the End of Physical Media, and the Future of Record Collecting
My friends on Facebook will have noticed that I have been posting a lot of commentary and links about the reports of books being sliced
Al Casey
Albert Aloysius Casey was born September 15, 1915, in Louisville, Kentucky. He attended DeWitt Clinton High School in New York City and studied guitar. He
The Secret Six • Toot Sweet and Goose the Beat
The Secret Six, named after abolitionist John Brown’s Secret Society of Six of the 1850s, has been playing hot jazz in New Orleans since 2020.
