Danny Coots: The Craft of Drumming and the Art of Living
After making a living as a musician for 56 of his 69 years and having performed in 101 countries around the world, you’d think Danny
The Elite Syncopators
Jeff Barnhart: Dear listeners of Le Music Hot, I’ve got a surprise for you this month! My erstwhile collaborator Hal Smith is wending his way
We’re Sisters Under The Skin: Female Blues & Boogie Woogie
Since its formation in 1986 by the late Johnny Parth, the Document label has compiled a rather huge catalog with the goal of reissuing every
John Petters • Swinging Down Memory Lane, Volume 2
Veteran British jazz drummer John Petters, who produces many of the Upbeat CDs, previously compiled Swinging Down Memory Lane. That CD included 16 previously released
Classics In Swingtime
Throughout its history, jazz musicians have often drawn its repertoire from other sources, transforming the music into jazz. In its earliest days, bands often included
Albert Nicholas and Bill Coleman: Profiles in Jazz
Clarinetist Albert Nicholas and trumpeter Bill Coleman had compatible styles and were active during similar periods. But, other than a brief time when they were
‘Ellingtoniana’: The Sant Andreu Jazz Band at Dizzy’s Club in NYC
In May of 2025, Barcelona’s internationally praised Sant Andreu Jazz Band, consisting of young musicians ranging from pre-teen to roughly 21 years old, made quite
A Walk On The Wild Side
New York’s 52nd Street, nicknamed “Swing Street,” was renowned as a legendary center for jazz during 1935-46 with quite a few nightclubs housed within a
Don Franz of the St. Louis Ragtimers has died
Don Franz, tuba player and a founding member of the St. Louis Ragtimers, died August 28 in St. Louis. He was 92. A musician, engineer,
Tony Fisher
Tony Fisher, a British trumpeter whose career joined big-band jazz to decades of London studio work, died September 27. He was 90. Born in Manchester,
Gene Bertoncini
Gene Bertoncini, a jazz guitarist known for bringing the nylon-string acoustic guitar into swing, standards, and Brazilian music, died August 29 in Englewood, New Jersey.
Nina Michelle
Nina Michelle, a Canadian-raised jazz singer who became a familiar presence on the Munich music scene, died unexpectedly October 7. She was 58. Michelle’s early
Vincent Matthew Johnson’s Elder Street Rag
In my opinion, Vincent Matthew Johnson is the foremost composer of Classic Ragtime not named Scott Joplin. Moreover, I also believe that the assortment of
Enjoying Cooler Weather with Hotter Jazz!
ThePop-Up Piano Bar at the downtown Coronet Restaurant gathers a fun group of amateur and professional singers for various solos, duets and general sing-a-longs. Hostess
A Foxtrot Too Far: The Savoy Bands Story on BBC Radio 3
A century ago, they were undoubtedly one of the biggest names in broadcasting in the UK, Europe, and large parts of the world. The Savoy
Mosaic Records • The Complete Louis Armstrong in New York 1924-1925
By the time the 23-year-old Louis Armstrong arrived in New York in 1924, that city had become a vital proving ground for jazz musicians—and a
Spotlight on the Bix House Band
Supporting my intention to live up to this column’s title, I’d like to share some real uplifting news! I’m referring to the purchase of Leon
Lester Young Speaks! Rare Interviews of the Elusive Tenor Sax Legend
We’ve all heard many of the jazz history’s more accomplished musicians resist explaining the creative process behind their composing or playing, preferring instead to let
Festival Roundup November 2026
MIKE DURHAM’S INTERNATIONAL CLASSIC JAZZ PARTY (Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK) Nov. 6-8 Here is the globe’s foremost gathering of classic jazz musicians and fans in a three-day concert
Lyrical Jazz and the Value of Dissonance
I realize that I don’t say nearly enough about jazz in this column. That may be because I’m usually thinking about something else entirely. This
What the Chauffeur Knew: The Hidden Story of Rudy Vallée
From one descendant to the next, nobody expects the unexpected in their family tree. Grandma ran the local switchboard. Aunt Bonnie made the best pies!
A Stopover in St. Louis
Immediately following the Bix Beiderbecke Jazz Festival in Davenport, Iowa, I extended my musical odyssey in St. Louis. On Sunday, August 2, I went to
Tom Guralnick and the Outpost: Albuquerque’s Performance Space
Most Jazz musicians have a dual, connected complaint: the lack of gigs and the lack of places where they can play their kind of music.
The Ear Tube Era of Coin-Operated Phonographs
Here a typical early coin phonograph scene is illustrated. In the early 1890s people described the rise of coin phonographs as a disease, “popping up
Ma Rainey • Mother of the Blues: The Complete Paramount Recordings, 1923-1928
Few great musicians, either popular or “classical,” have been so historically “hard done by” as Gertrude “Ma” Rainey. Until the release of this album, there
A Companion Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Jean Goldkette Orchestras, 1926-2026
Some innovations were so inevitable that there’s an apparent simultaneity to their creations. Thus, the motion picture evolved contemporaneously in several countries with Edison attention-hogging
Come Fly With Me (1958)
“Come Fly With Me” by Jimmy Van Heusen (music) and Sammy Cahn (lyrics), 1958. This song, released on Capitol Records in 1958, was written specifically
Tommy Dorsey
Tommy Dorsey was born November 19, 1905, in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania. He was taught trumpet by his father who also gave lessons to his brother Jimmy.
Hot British Dance Bands 1925-1937
JAZZ CLASSIC OF THE MONTH While dance music was always much more popular in Great Britain in the 1920s and ’30s than jazz, even the
“Ragtime: Cakewalk in Pianoland” opens November 13th, at the Morgan Library and Museum
Coming soon! “Ragtime: Cakewalk in Pianoland” opens November 13th, 2026, at the Morgan Library and Museum This exhibition introduces a new generation of visitors to
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.
