John Joyce: A Punk Rocker Embraces NOLA Street Jazz
“No one rises so high as he who knows not whither he is going.” – Oliver Cromwell Early days as a punk in Minneapolis Born
A ‘Mount Rushmore’ of Jazz Musicians?
Only one U.S. president came close to becoming a jazz musician. Bill Clinton has often humorously stated that, while playing the tenor-sax as a teenager,
Blues Songs at the Turn of the 20th Century
We all know the blues, a musical genre that includes a 12-bar verse and chorus. While this is true, in the early 20th century, this
Bob Draga: 1947 – 2025
Bob Draga was a larger-than-life personality as well as a superb musician. You never knew what you were going to get when he was on
The Boswell Legacy (Second Edition)
Kyla Titus’s 2014 biography, co-authored posthumously in part with her mother Chica Boswell Minnerly, The Boswell Legacy: The Story of the Boswell Sisters of New
Teddy Wilson
Teddy Wilson was born in Austin, Texas, on November 24, 1912. Under his parents’ tutelage, his early music education began at the age six with
‘…And Get Your One Last Thrill…’
After more than a half-century of performing ragtime and Dixieland jazz, I thought I’d experienced all of the musical high spots. Among other things, I’d
The High Society New Orleans Jazz Band • Live At Birdland
The High Society New Orleans Jazz Band was founded and is co-led by pianist Conal Fowkes and trumpeter Simon Wettenhall. Long-time musical friends, they were
Stacey Kent: An International Career Sparked by Serendipity
Her story reads something like a fairy tale: Young scholar becomes overnight international jazz star. It even includes the element of the unknown singer championed
Frog and Henry: Two more Albums
Discovering a band that resonates with you is like the early days of a love affair, everything after is measured against that spark. You discover
‘Smiley’ Wallace, Beloved in Ragtime Community, Dies at 93
When Mary Grace Lanese called to tell me “Smiley” Wallace had died at age 93, on October 2, delightful memories of a long friendship with
Remembering Bob Draga
On September 23, I lost a person very important to me on many levels. Bob Draga’s passing closed a lengthy chapter of my life. Whether
An Ode to an Oyster…
Getting ready to spend a few weeks in New Orleans and already craving some oysters! Our go-to place is Acme Oyster House on Iberville near
The Festival Roundup November 2025
AUTUMN EXIT ZERO JAZZ FESTIVAL (Cape May, NJ) – Nov. 7-9 The 2025 Autumn Exit Zero Jazz Festival takes place in Cape May, NJ., November
Kid Ory with Barney Bigard on Columbia, 1946
Jeff Barnhart: Hal, we’ve been having great fun listening to the 1945 sides made by trombonist Kid Ory and his marvelous band. I have to think
A Few Words with… Freddie Gavita
Freddie Gavita won the 2017 British Jazz Award for Best Trumpeter. He holds the Trumpet seat at Ronnie Scott’s and has featured at the BBC
Bude and Gunton Hall: Contrasting Jazz Festivals in the UK
This year our annual visit to England covered two very different Jazz events. First was Bude for our fifth year. For four days at the
Caity Gyorgy with Strings
When Caity Gyorgy won her second JUNO Award for Vocal Jazz Album of the Year, jealous critics crawled out of their hidey holes to diminish
Carolina Reapers Swing • Built Different
When it comes to dancing, I don’t get around much any more. I had the option of going out last weekend, but I opted to
Pharoah Sanders • The Complete Theresa Recordings
You’re probably not going to like this set. But I don’t want to underestimate you. To make the critical balancing act worse, I don’t want
Simonetto’s Joplin, Evaluated
I love comparing the myriad recordings of Scott Joplin’s music, particularly the more comprehensive collections of his work. Thus I am pleased to evaluate Alessandro
Cat and the Hounds at Birdland
There is a question in Judaism that’s asked once a year: “Why is this night different from all other nights?” It refers to the festival
Pete Allen Jazz Band • New Orleans Wiggle – Jazz Magic
The names of the personnel on this CD, with the exception of two, Pete Allen (leader of the Dukes of Wellington band) and Roger Marks
Paul and His Gang • First Sessions
The group Paul and His Gang is best known in the United States for its 1996 Stomp Off recording Take Your Tomorrow. The band was
Harry James • 32nd Anniversary Night
Harry James (1916-83) was not only a virtuoso trumpeter with his own exciting style but the leader of the most popular big band of 1942-46
Dick Hyman/Ralph Sutton
JAZZ CLASSIC OF THE MONTH Two of the finest stride pianists to emerge during the mid-to-late 1940s (along with Dick Wellstood and Don Ewell) were
Enjoying Jazz Under Fascism
In the midst of the darkening gloom that attends the season, I’ve had the pleasure of attending (or at least listening in on) some marvelous
Frank Ward (1930 – 2025)
On October 5, 2025, jazzman Frank Ward died. Frank was a greatly admired cornetist who was a longtime member of the historic Cakewalkin’ Jass Band.
Herb Gardner (1936 – 2025)
Trombonist and pianist Herb Gardner, a fixture of the New York and New England traditional-jazz scenes for more than six decades, passed away on September
David W. “Smiley” Wallace Jr. (1932-2025)
David W. “Smiley” Wallace Jr., a lifelong champion of ragtime and early jazz in the Kansas City region, died on October 2, 2025. He was 93.
Jim Douglas
Scottish guitarist and banjoist Jim Douglas, one of the most respected figures in British traditional jazz, died in early October 2025 while living in the
Bob Draga (1947–2025)
Clarinetist Bob Draga, a beloved mainstay of the traditional jazz festival circuit, passed away on September 23, 2025, on his 78th birthday. Known for his
Raymond “Raybo” Boyce (1933 – 2025)
Raymond “Raybo” Boyce, a beloved voice of jazz radio in Central New York for more than three decades, died on September 20, 2025, at age
Jazz Jubilee Central Coast October 15-26, 2025
49th Annual Festival Expands Its Scope – Preserving Jazz and Involving Community Partners All-Volunteer Non-Profit Club, Fueled by Community Support, Pays Musicians, involves 20 Local
Andy Stein: Renaissance, Rock, Schubert, and the Nighthawks
Andy Stein will never forget that day in 1979. “I was walking through a street fair in New York and heard the Manhattan Rhythm Kings
Kid Ory on Crescent: Darnell Howard Steps In
Jeff Barnhart: Gentle reader, last month Hal Smith and I had such fun listening to, discussing, and sharing with you some music recorded by the legendary New
Elusive Syncopations: In Search of 1920s and 1930s Jazz in Korea
It all began last December. Down and beyond the bustling streets of South Korea I roamed. In all aspects of auditory senses, the atmosphere was
Are Musicians Human?
I’m writing this edition while sitting at Chicago O’Hare, having arrived from Hartford CT an hour late, causing me to miss my connecting flight to
John Hammond: Profiles in Jazz
For the 100th article in my series of Jazz Profiles, this is the first time that a non-musician is the subject. John Hammond is considered
A Century of ‘Sweet Georgia Brown’
There are songs that have entered the jazz vocabulary and never left: “Body and Soul,” “Stardust,” “Autumn Leaves,” and many others. We call these tunes
The Early History of the Saxophone on Record
There was a time when the saxophone was a very obscure, regional instrument. The instrument only became one of the most utilized at the beginning
Jazz Education & The Jazz Barn
In his just-published book, The Jazz Barn, author John Gennari makes a compelling case as to what transpired at the Music Inn in Lenox, Massachusetts
100 of The Hottest Classic Jazz Albums of 1945-2025, Part 5: 1995-2025
What are the most exciting and essential classic jazz recordings that have taken place since the end of World War II? An impossible question to
Pete Allen • New Orleans Wiggle
Back in 1976, the British clarinetist and soprano-saxophonist Pete Allen left his day job to join Rod Mason’s group. By the fall of 1978, Allen
Cat & The Hounds
In the 1960s and ’70s, it was very rare for any African-Americans, other than survivors from the early days, to be playing Dixieland and pre-swing
Composer/Conductor Will H. Dixon: An Unsung American Original
Will H. Dixon was born August 29, 1879, in Wheeling, West Virginia, into a musically inclined African American family. His father, John H. Dixon, was
Pershore 2025: Jazz on a Summer’s Day
How many concerts could you stand in one afternoon? Before August I’d have said two, perhaps three; that four would have my backside numb and
