Meet Them in St. Louis: Valerie Kirchhoff and Ethan Leinwand
The traditional jazz world pays homage to the blues, but often in a narrow way. There are glimpses of famous streets in fabled cities, tin
Erskine Hawkins: Profiles in Jazz
He was billed as “the 20th Century Gabriel” because of his high-note work and flamboyant solos. Very popular during his heyday and the leader of
Summer Delight in Switzerland: Ascona Jazz Fest 2024
In Italian there is a wonderful expression, “sensa parole,” meaning “beyond words.” It’s the only way I can define Ascona in the Italian-speaking canton of
A Headful of Baseball and Keys: Encounters with Joe Robichaux
My professional baseball career happened entirely inside my head. What went on in there may or may not interest you, but for me it—both the
Multi-Talented Gunhild Carling Thrills Syracuse Jazz Fest Audience
Like the aurora borealis, Swedish swinger Gunhild Carling lit up the night sky over Syracuse’s Clinton Square on June 28, 2024. She sang, she danced,
John Hyman, aka Johnny Wiggs, Part One
Jeff Barnhart: Hal my friend, you’ve chosen a musician I know little about, but whose work I’ve heard—and very much enjoyed in the past. Since
Bria Skonberg • What It Means
Trumpeter-singer Bria Skonberg continues to stretch herself on her latest recording, What It Means. While designed partly as a tribute to New Orleans, it features
Jazzology releases from Jon-Erik Kellso and Evan Christopher
TWO RELEASES FROM JAZZOLOGY Two CDs put out by Jazzology in 2020 are well worth discovering. Trumpeter Jon-Erik Kellso and clarinetist Evan Christopher are among
The Festival Roundup September 2024
25th Annual PENTASTIC HOT JAZZ & MUSIC FESTIVAL (Penticton, BC) – Sept. 6-8 Situated between two lakes in the beautiful Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Pentastic Hot
‘Turn Back the Clock!’
The present certainly has its discontents. As my veneer of magnanimity and tolerance wears molecule-thin, even I must concede that it is too mean, ugly,
It’s Too Darn Hot!
It may be hot outside but it is more than “cool” at our local jazz club, The Century Room in downtown’s Hotel Congress! The Mysterious
‘Hello Mudduh, Hello Fadduh!’
How I wish I could fact check with a time machine! As with many formative strong childhood memories, music swirls in and out of the
Len Spencer: Ragtime and the Dawn of Recording
There were several recording stars in the 1890s and early 1900s who were known for performing ragtime songs, but one of the most famous of
Jazzaffair: Regarding its Roots and Looking Toward its Future
How does a tiny, unknown country town such as Three Rivers, California, end up sponsoring an annual world-class Jazz Festival that would last 50 years?
This year’s Arizona Classic Jazz Festival will be the last
Citing a diminishing population of traditional jazz fans and declining attendance, Society president and Festival director Helen Daley released a statement that the upcoming Arizona
Sweet Megg • Bluer Than Blue
Don’t let a review where I keep my word count in check fool you. This is a remarkable album from one of our best female
The Fried Seven • Late to the Party
I have felt at times that certain studio releases lacked emotion, the bandleader perhaps concentrating too much on the details when given what they perceive
Ricky Alexander • Just Found Joy
In a life development I find most amusing I have come to be a regular contributor to what was once well known as the Village
If The Pitch Fits, Hear It!
Prior to Anne’s and my seven-week performance (and walking, and BEER DRINKING) tour of the UK in May, we played a ragtime festival run by
Letters September 2024
Focus on Arbors To the Editor: Thank you for featuring Arbors Records above the fold (“Rachel Domber and Arbors: A Great Jazz Legacy Continues,” TST,
Musician Don Cantwell Plays Hot at his 100th Birthday Bash
Beloved teacher, clarinetist, and bandleader Don Cantwell celebrated his 100th birthday with 100 friends, family, and past and current students at Unity Hall in Barneveld,
A SONG OF BLUNDER
A SONG OF BLUNDER Years ago I read a clever story And it inspired the song that I will sing: Time-travelers sought prehistoric glory, Went
The Reunion Jazz Band and The ‘Band Aid’ of Jazz
I’m a little too young to have experienced the philanthropic musical phenomenon that was Live Aid. Organized by Bob Geldof in 1985, the iconic charity
Muddy Basin Ramblers • Jug Band Millionaire
I must be up front with you, reader, and confess that I’m no expert on jug bands—they never really piqued my interest. I guess I
Chu Berry
Leon Brown “Chu” Berry was born September 13, 1908, in Wheeling, West Virginia. After high school, he attended West Virginia State College for three years.
Roswell’s Jazz Festival: How it Started and How it Grew
The Roswell (New Mexico) Jazz Festival takes place throughout the town mid-October. The beloved festival draws visitors from all over the U.S. and from overseas.
’Tooning In (and Turning On) with The Queen’s Cartoonists
The Queen’s Cartoonists Caroga Lake Music Festival Caroga Lake, NY, July 24, 2024 It has become a tradition for symphony orchestras to devote an evening
Scott Joplin’s Weeping Willow
Scott Joplin’s Weeping Willow (1903, published by Val. A. Reis of St. Louis) was one of the first piano rags I learned how to play.
From the 2024 Bix Fest
For the eleventh year in a row, I traveled to Davenport, Iowa for the Bix Beiderbecke Jazz Festival. This makes about 15 Bixes that I
Roger Marks’ Armada Jazz Band • Best Days
This latest Armada Jazz Band CD, titled Best Days, issued by Upbeat Recordings is a compilation of tracks from two previously issued CD’s. These were
ARSC Journal, Fall 2023, with Bonus CD
If truly obscure, truly early recordings are your pleasure you should subscribe to the Association for Recorded Sound Collections (ARSC) semi-annual journal. Though their exploration
George Bruns • Deep In The Heart Of Dixieland
JAZZ CLASSIC OF THE MONTH George Bruns (1914-83),no relation to George Brunies, was the musical director and a major arranger for Walt Disney Studios from
Raymond Burke • The Southland Recordings 1958-1960
Joe Mares, the younger brother of cornetist Paul Mares of the New Orleans Rhythm Kings, played clarinet but did not record himself. More significantly, in
James P. Johnson • World Broadcast Recordings
1944 was a rather busy year for pianist James P. Johnson (1894-1955). Johnson, if not the first (although he was the earliest on records), was
Rachel Domber and Arbors: A Great Jazz Legacy Continues
When lawyer-turned-producer of jazz recordings and events Matthew Domber succumbed to cancer in 2012, his partner and wife Rachel needed to take pause and go
Another Tucson-NOLA Connection
With all of the great musicians playing at Tucson’s Century Room for the past two years, a hometown trumpeter/vocalist was showcased earlier this month. James
Scott Joplin’s Parents: Truths, Fabrications, and Revelations
This is an article I never expected to write. My interest in Scott Joplin was originally centered on his music; examination of his life came
Jonah and the Wailers: A Jazz Reminiscence
I was eleven years old when I hit one of Life’s lotteries, and began playing the trombone. I thought it might be fun. Because of
Bennie Moten’s KC Orch: The Final Four Recordings
Jeff Barnhart: Dan, we have the pleasure of discussing the final four sides the Bennie Moten Orchestra recorded on Dec. 13, 1932, in Camden, NJ.
Goin’ Places & Doin’ Things: Joe Venuti & Eddie Lang in the Jazz Age
This Jazz Age tale takes you from the streets of South Philly and the Boardwalk of Atlantic City to the nightclubs, vaudeville palaces, pool halls,
Ken Peplowski • Live At Mezzrow
The brilliant clarinetist and tenor-saxophonist Ken Peplowski has largely overcome (or at least learned to live with) some very serious health problems to resume his
Joe Sullivan and Bob Zurke: Profiles in Jazz
Joe Sullivan and Bob Zurke had several things in common. They were both brilliant pianists with their own sound within the swing tradition of the
The Art of the Duet
As mentioned in a recent Syncopated Times article about keyboardist Dick Hyman, jazz duet recordings can be the hardest things for two players to bring
Holes in the Insulation
There are many (myself included) who regard this paper and music in general as a haven of peace and conviviality in a world that seems
Angela Verbrugge • Somewhere
In her two previous recordings, The Night We Couldn’t Say Good Night and Love For Connoisseurs, Angela Verbrugge made a strong impression as both a
Justin Ring and the Phonograph Scholars
Studying history often comes with an inevitable fact that we will never be able to communicate with the people we are interested in. As frustrating
Eureka! The Redwood Coast Music Festival
I’ve been attending jazz parties and festivals for twenty years, and each one has its own character. So to call one “the best” would be
Will Anderson Ventures into the Literary Field with New Book
Will Anderson has written a book titled SONGBOOK SUMMIT: 15 Pioneers of American Sound that is scheduled for release in September. According to the author,
