Isobel Gathercole Dreams of Career Longevity
Some musicians aspire to awards. Many wish to walk out on the world’s biggest stages. Others hope to headline festivals one day. For recording debutante
Glenn Miller: Profiles in Jazz
Of all of the swing era bandleaders, Glenn Miller had more hit records than anyone else in the jazz world, more than Benny Goodman, Artie
The First Annual Great Northeast Jug Band Festival
“The real history of music is not respectable. Far from it. Neither is it boring. Breakthroughs almost always come from provocateurs and insurgents, and they
The Tailgate King: Kid Ory, Part Two
Jeff Barnhart: Welcome back, hot music enthusiasts! This month, we offer the sequel to our exploration of trombonist Edward “Kid” Ory. On July 14th, 1926,
Lucy Lambert’s Violet Drift
Lucy Lambert’s unique vocals fit remarkably well with what she is going for in this accordion-focused and very expressive traditional jazz album. Audiences, especially in
Thoughts about the South Frisco Jazz Band and the Pizza Palace
I have often thought about how much chance, or fate, dictates the direction of one’s life. Some—including me—might also attribute surprising occurrences in their lives
The Story of Duke Ellington, Part 4: 1951-1961
Duke Ellington’s accomplishments and innovations as a composer, arranger, pianist, and bandleader are so vast that one or two articles cannot do him justice. This
The Unexplored Possibilities of Hoagy Carmichael’s Stardust Road
I can’t think of a musical production I’ve looked forward to for quite as long as Hoagy Carmichael’s Stardust Road. Nor one that has disappointed
From the 2022 San Diego Jazz Fest & Swing Extravaganza
The 2022 San Diego Jazz Fest & Swing Extravaganzawas held at the Town & Country Hotel over the Thanksgiving weekend after several years of “inactive”
Ringing in the New with the Old
For the first time since 2019, I played a New Year’s Eve gig! It was special for several reasons. First, it was in the town
The Distinction of Fred Hylands
Every pianist has their own style, and as we study the accompaniments of the earliest acoustic recordings of the regular studio pianists of the 1890s
The Demise of Names & Numbers
We have faced many obituaries of major figures in music since the pandemic and a similar increase in the number of program and event cancellations
Russell Welch • Time On My Hands
The first two times I listened to Russell Welch’s new album, I was busy doing something else. Doing what, you ask? As it happens, I
Tchaikovsky Meets Ellington: The Nutcracker Suite
The Nutcracker was composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-93) in 1892 for a two-act ballet. Nine of the numbers from the ballet were selected by
Gina DeGregorio and Hal Smith • Penthouse Serenade
One of the best things about albums is that they have always been an opportunity for collaborations. This is especially true in the era of
From The 2022 San Diego Jazz Festival
The 2022 San Diego Jazz Festival, the first held in person in three years, got underway on Thanksgiving Eve at the newly (since 2019) expanded
Marsalis & Clapton Play The Blues
The correct completion of this album’s title should have read “and Traditional Jazz.” Four of the titles performed are New Orleans early jazz staples, and
Monterey Jazz Bash by the Bay 2023 Preview
The Monterey Jazz Bash by the Bay is gearing up for our best festival in years with elements few if any other US jazz festivals
Rufus Temple Orchestra • Original Rags & Tracks
The name of this album seems a little odd. I originally read it to refer to railroads or something like that, but it is what
The 2nd Annual Glenn Jenks Ragtime Revue, 2022
Glenn Jenks was a favorite at ragtime events, both as a pianist and for his compositions. Though he had a significant following in the ragtime
Hal Smith’s New Orleans Night Owls • Messin’ Around
Following on the success of their previous Early Hours recording, drummer Hal Smith’s New Orleans Night Owls have released Messin’ Around. As with their earlier
Wilbur Sweatman
Wilbur Sweatman was born February 7, 1882 in Brunswick, Missouri. His older sister Eva sparked Wilbur’s interest in music, teaching him to play piano. Later,
Larisa Migachyov’s Hot Chocolate Rag (2008)
I love the music of Larisa Migachyov! Her pieces are simple, direct, and pleasant. The picturesque, Lamb-influenced Hot Chocolate Rag (2008) is the perfect five
Phonographic Yearbook • 1904
Archeophone, the top label in reissuing pre-1920 music, recently added 1904 to their Phonographic Yearbook series. Just as in their other releases in this series
Lucinda Fosker • I Get Along
Oh, this one’s going to be divisive—that’s what I thought after listening through I Get Along, the new offering by London-based vocalist Lucinda Fosker. A
Walnut Creek’s Rossmoor Ukulele Club Provides Ukes to Local Schools
Art Salzfass, a resident of the Rossmoor Retirement Community in Walnut Creek, California, has a unique mission. Art, along with other members of the Rossmoor
The Word From Ory
I had the opportunity to hear Kid Ory and his band when they performed at a joint on San Francisco’s Embarcadero in the late ’60s,
The Festival Roundup February 2023
NORTH CAROLINA JAZZ FESTIVAL (Wilmington, NC) – Feb. 2-4 Wilmington gives a warm welcome to all of the jazz lovers attending their 43rd North Carolina
The Cosmo Alleycats • Old Sweet Songs
With a name like the Cosmo Alleycats, one may think that this group plays lowdown music for science fiction movies. But while some may use
Fats Sadi • Sadi’s Vibes
Fats Sadi (1927-2009) was never a household name in the United States (he does not seem to have ever visited America) but he was one
Fanfare for the Maladroit
Artificial stupidity will never replace the real thing. This motto, of which I should commission an embroidered sampler, is brought home to me on a
Seven Up Seven Down by Secondhand Street Band
Most musicians today are trained on the jazz of the bop era and beyond, then are released into a youth culture more interested in the
Earl Hines • The Quintessential Recording Session
Pianist Earl Hines recorded prolifically throughout his career, particularly during 1928-79. He made a major comeback in 1965 after almost being forgotten by many jazz
Chris Daniels, founder of the Climax Jazz Band, has died at 84
Chris Daniels, the founder, leader, and bassist of the Climax Jazz Band has died, he was a youthful and vigorous 84. Daniels was born in
The Rudiments of Ragtime: Early Ragtime
The earliest identified American ragtime compositions had their origins in the south and were inspired by minstrel music, particularly the folk banjo, and the popular
Guitar Virtuoso Carmen Caramanica Passes Away at 77
Jazz guitar virtuoso, bandleader, composer, and teacher Carmen Caramanica died January 16, 2023; he was 77 years old. Carmen was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, in
Jack Amblin on Playing ‘Stadium Jazz’ with PMJ
As half of acoustic jazz and blues duo The Washboard Resonators, percussionist Jack Amblin no doubt feels most at home on the little stages of
A Conversation with Guitarist Al Casey
Fats’ ‘Rhythm’ Sideman Remembers Waller, Recording in the 1930s, and Going Electric I was lucky enough to play with Al Casey, the legendary Fats Waller
Jimmy Lunceford Plays a ‘Colored Dance’: Summer 1941
Summer of ’41, before senior year in high school, I worked as bellboy at a resort hotel in Lake Junaluska, NC, a Methodist Chatauqua some
Jimmy Dorsey: Profiles in Jazz
When one thinks of the top alto-saxophonists of the swing era, the names of Johnny Hodges, Benny Carter and perhaps Willie Smith (from the Jimmie
From Mike Durham’s International Classic Jazz Party 2022
The eleventh edition of Mike Durham’s International Classic Jazz Party was two years in the making but definitely worth the wait. Like most such events,
Ken Peplowski’s Bouncing Again!
This past September, a gaunt Ken Peplowski appeared as the special guest of Frank Vignola at the outdoor Morristown New Jersey Jazz & Blues Festival.
The 36th Annual West Coast Ragtime Festival
To those who would deem ragtime deceased, Bob Darch, pianist and entertainer from the revival era, had a ready rejoinder: “Ragtime Dead? Hell, it ain’t
The Story of Duke Ellington, Part 3: 1939-1951
Duke Ellington’s accomplishments, innovations, and sheer productivity as a bandleader, pianist, arranger and composer were so vast that one or two articles cannot do justice
From the 2022 Jazz Fest at Sea
Once again it was our pleasure to spend a week of relaxation with a group of brilliant musicians at the annual JazzFest at Sea in
2022 Giants of Jazz Concert Honors Rufus Reid
I well remember several major jazz celebrities bemoaning the fact that the jazz community had failed to properly honor Louis Armstrong before he died in
The Tailgate King: Kid Ory, Part One
Jeff Barnhart: Hal, we’re beginning 2023 with a look at one of the most influential, colorful and exciting musicians in Jazz history; trombonist Edward “Kid”
