Michael McQuaid & Curtis Volp • Duets for No Reason at All
Michael McQuaid should be a household name among traditional jazz fans. He’s one of the top reedmen of this generation and a force behind many
The Festival Roundup August 2021
CLINE WINE & TRADITIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL (Sonoma, CA) – August 29 The Cline Wine & Traditional Jazz Festival will be August 29th from 1-5pm. Due
Live Jazz Returns to Tel Aviv
Considering that Israel is a country about the size of New Jersey with a population of about nine million, I would guess that per capita,
Big Band Era Leader Elliot Lawrence Dies at 96
Elliot Lawrence, one of the last-living bandleaders of the Big Band Era, died on July 2, 2021. He was 96. Lawrence was born Elliot Lawrence
Pismo Jazz Jubilee updates
Jazz Jubilee by the Sea 2021 is on track. It looks very positive that we will have a full-scale live indoor event in California by
Ragtime Music in Sutter Creek
The month of August brings the warm days of summer and the return of the 23rd Annual “Historic Sutter Creek Ragtime Festival”. This year, the weekend
Catching Up With Matthew Davidson
Many of us have not heard from Matthew de Lacey Davidson for some time. Though he is now retired from performing, his ragtime recordings are
Frankie Newton: 20th Century Jazzman and Political Activist
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
Sweet Megg and Ricky Alexander Mine the Old to Make Something New
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
Early History of the Galvanized Jazz Band
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
Charlie Christian and Jimmy Blanton: Profiles in Jazz
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
Panama, Pt. 2
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.
Benny Goodman’s Kingdom of Swing, Pt 1: The Early Years
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
Silas Leachman: Pioneer Self-Accompanist
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
Field recordings from The 746th Far East Air Force Band
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
Harrigan’s Orpheum
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 Ellis
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,
Orlando R. Marsh: Chicago’s Pioneer of Electrical Recording (An Illustrated Bio-Discography)
Though largely forgotten, today, Orlando Marsh was a highly-regarded pioneer in the development and use of electrical recording. Among other things—including contributions to sound-on-film technology—he
My Inspirations: Irving Fazola
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,
Jazz Goes Collegiate!
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
How to Be the Darling of Social Media
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
Requiem for a Publisher
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
Risa Branch • I Thought About You
It was my birthday yesterday. “Bully for you,” you say. “So what?” I’ll tell you what: My gift to myself was some new headphones. Not
Cotton Bolls by Charles Hunter
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
Into the Weeds with Dr. Seuss: A Response to “Problem Attic”
I’m amazed at the way Andy Senior has made Syncopated Times into a broad-gauged, literate, and outright enjoyable publication, and I’m a regular admirer of
Duncan Swift • The Broadwood Concert
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
Jazz Jottings July 2021
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
Emily Asher • If I Were a Window
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
Artie Shaw • Self Portrait
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
This Could Be the Start of Something Big!
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
Parlour Noir • Hot Jazz for Hard Times
Sometimes this job makes me feel uneasy. Because it can’t be easy hawking jazz records at the best of times—which must seem a long, long
The Alpha Rhythm Kings • Sharp Dressed Men
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,
The 2021 Virtual Program of the Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival
The weekend of June 4-5 belonged to the virtual concerts and symposia of the Scott Joplin International Ragtime Festival Foundation. That would ordinarily have been
Pete Malinverni & Juliet Kurtzman • Candlelight (Love In The Time Of Cholera)
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
The 2021 Virtual Old Time Piano Playing Contest and Junior Showcase
Dr. Ian Hominick at the University of Mississippi in Oxford produced a fine 2021 virtual program to keep the Old Time Piano Playing Contest at
letters to the Editor July 2021
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
Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival Lifetime Achievement Awards
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
Sitting In
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
Monterey is Back in 2022!
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
Stan Kenton Orchestra Marks 80 Years
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
Alisa Clancy retires from hosting the Bay Area’s “Morning Cup of Jazz”
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
The Festival Roundup July 2021
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
American Rag publisher Don Jones has died at 89
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, Texarkana advocate for Joplin, has died.
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 has died
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
Cellist Leo Crandall has died at 67
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, 1950-2021
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 Bob Schroeder has died
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,
