Jazz Drummer Dottie Dodgion has passed
It was with his band that she started taking drum lessons in the late 1940s. She began playing drums professionally in the early 1950s and
Polish traditional jazzman Paweł Tartanus has died.
On September 17, 2021, Paweł Tartanus, singer, banjoist and guitarist died in Warsaw after a long illness. One of the leaders of traditional jazz in
Trumpet player Phil Kirk has died
After being in failing health for the last couple of years, Phil Kirk died on Oct. 1, 2021. Phil was the leader and trumpet player
Trumpeter Roy Tate, Jr. has died.
Jazz trumpeter Roy Tate, Jr., died on July 3d of this year, he was 84. He recorded his first album with the Queen City Jazz
Jim Widner (1946-2021)
Music educator Jim Widner, passed away from a heart attack on October 3rd. He was 75 years old. Primarily a bass player he toured with
Max Morath: Records That Changed Ragtime History
Within the space of three years, ragtime pianist-composer Max Morath released four vinyl LPs on the prestigious Vanguard label: The Best of Scott Joplin (double
The Red Onion Jazz Band: A Hot Time in New York City
Note: Earlier in 2021, jazz writer Dave Radlauer was offered a collection of recordings by the Red Onion Jazz Band—from the collection of Dick Dreiwitz,
Buck Clayton’s Jazz World, Part One
The year 2021 marks 110 years since the birth of jazz trumpeter Buck Clayton, best known for his role in the classic early Count Basie
The Blues-Singing Smiths: Mamie, Clara, Trixie, and Laura
In 1920, the success of Mamie Smith’s recording of “Crazy Blues,” the first blues recorded by an African-American singer, was a major surprise to the
History of the Galvanized Jazz Band, Pt. 3: After the Millpond
Also see: Early History of the Galvanized Jazz Band & History of the Galvanized Jazz Band, Part 2: The Millpond Years After the Millpond Tavern closed in
The Stompin’ Style of Pianist Frank Melrose
Jeff Barnhart: This column is a special one for me! Several years ago, Hal introduced me to the music of Frank Melrose (it’s truly a
Boston Brass and Beefsteak
In 1910, a new phonograph company emerged in Boston, it was founded upon a few generous donations from local elites. Their donations set the company
The Ragtime Era and the Birth of Public Television
As Max Morath celebrates his 95th birthday on October 1st this year, we are reminded of his career that spanned eight decades and included nearly
Ralph Sutton’s Last Hurrah
Last month, I included a partial list of discontinued festivals in my column. Performing at these festivals provided me with memories that make me smile
Finding the Way Forward
In every issue of The Syncopated Times, I mean to celebrate the life force; syncopation itself is the pulse of life. The beat of one’s
Spike Jones Off the Record: The Man Who Murdered Music
It is fair to say that Spike Jones was in his own category. By late 1942 with the release of “Der Fuehrer’s Face,” Spike Jones
Max Morath
We are delighted to extend birthday greetings to ragtime scholar, polymath, and entertainer Max Morath, who turns 95 on October 1st. Max was born on
The Final Chorus October 2021
Note: These are the abbreviated remembrances that run at the front of the paper. Each of these men earned a longer tribute that can be
Leigh Barker • Melbourne & Paris
A world traveling Australian who has appeared everywhere from Lincoln Center and the Sydney Opera House, to the Davenport, Iowa Bix Fest, Leigh Barker recently
The Tears of a Clown
My desire to lead my band and sing the old tunes hasn’t cooled, but my hustle has. My reality with an at-risk mother has devolved
Texas Jazz Singer: Louise Tobin in the Golden Age of Swing and Beyond
Louise Tobin, who is 102, is the only person still alive who recorded jazz before 1940. While that remarkable fact is never stated in Kevin
Wanted: Ted Des Plantes (For Playing Traditional Jazz)
I wasn’t going to review Ted des Plantes’ latest because I’d already covered several of his releases and thought I’d give our other reviewers a
A trip to NYC: Waldo’s Gotham Band & David Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band
This is not an article I expected to write, but given that the events I’m relating occur on a regular or seasonal basis, I felt
Savoy Satellites • Just Jivin’
I went to a dance last week—not an awkward daytime shuffle on asphalt, but an honest-to-goodness indoor, after-dark event on a wooden floor and everything.
An American Art Form
Jazz has had quite an amazing journey this last hundred years. It is no longer the music of the downtrodden and uneducated lower classes. It
Sarah Vaughan • Live At The Berlin Philharmonie 1969
Sarah Vaughan (1924-90) had one of the most wondrous voices of the 20th century. Her wide range, impeccable phrasing, improvising talents, and golden tone were
Red Envelope Rag
Vincent Matthew Johnson (pictured) is one of the most accomplished Ragtime composers alive; though young, he has already written several masterpieces in both Classic and
Vince Giordano: Keeper of the Jazz Age Flame
Vince Giordano’s life has been dedicated to the performance and preservation of the music of the 1920s and ’30s. He has been described as “a
Cats and Dinosaurs • Live!
Cats and Dinosaurs books themselves as “The world´s most radical swing band!” They play original trad jazz and swing tunes with feminist and socialist lyrics.
From the 2021 Sutter Creek Ragtime Festival
The emergence of music festivals in America during the last century contributed greatly to the preservation and appreciation of the nation’s musical heritage. I have
Vintage Humphrey Lyttelton 1948-51
Humphrey Lyttelton (1921-2008) led the top British traditional jazz band of the first half of the 1950s before he gradually switched to mainstream swing and
Jazz in the Mountains
While Hurricane Ida was heading towards New Orleans and the State of Louisiana, we were up in the northern part of Arizona at the Prescott
Sheila Jordan • Comes Love – Lost Session 1960
It is often intriguing hearing jazz performers at the very beginning of their career. While some are already fully-formed and quite recognizable, others only give
Remembering Mark Allen Jones, Titan of Ragtime and Hot Jazz
In August, we lost a towering titan of ragtime and hot jazz piano. Mark Allen Jones passed away in his home in Carmel, CA. He
Tony Kieraldo • Hudson Ragtime Piano Suite
Like many a full generation before him Tony Kieraldo was introduced to ragtime by the movie The Sting. His father, Joe Kieraldo, a jazz fan
Wally Holmes: Evangelist, Composer, Producer, Jazz Man
“I should have gone in and pounded the table,” he said, “but that isn’t my style.” Wally Holmes didn’t need to pound tables; throughout his
The Tony Pastor Collection 1940-51
Tony Pastor (1907-69) was a likable Italian-American singer and tenor-saxophonist who had commercial success during his career. While he made some recordings with Irving Aaronson’s
The Festival Roundup October 2021
REDWOOD COAST MUSIC FESTIVAL (Eureka, CA) Postponed The Redwood Coast Music Festival Board of Directors voted this week to postpone this year’s events due to
Tom Hammel • Steelin’ Crazy Rhythm
Western swing isn’t easy to find these days, the real stuff anyway, and most of it falls heavily on the vintage western side rather than
Jazz Jottings October 2021
Called “one of the most catastrophic hurricanes to ever make landfall in the United States,” Hurricane Ida did a number on three historic landmarks in
Ted Des Plantes • Wanted: For Playing Traditional Jazz
A superior stride and classic jazz pianist since the 1970s, Ted des Plantes started his TdP Productions label a few years ago to put out
The St. Louis Jazz Club to Celebrate 70 Years!
The St. Louis Jazz Club is proud to announce that we will be celebrating 70 wonderful years in October. The first meeting of the Jazz
Newport Jazz Festival founder George Wein has Died.
George Wein, jazz promoter, pianist, and producer, died in Manhattan on September 13; he was 95. He was the founder of the Newport Jazz Festival,
Champian Fulton • Live From Lockdown
The Syncopated Times has reviewed more Champian Fulton albums than I can readily count, likely more than any other artist, which is an indication of
Phil Schaap (1951-2021) and His Worlds
Phil Schaap, who moved on to another bandstand yesterday, was an unusually complex figure: he was his own novel, someone who deserves a Moliere or
Risa Branch: A Passion for Tradition
Singer Risa Branch is a fighter. As a self-proclaimed “former professional advocate,” she’s fought for civil rights, animal welfare, and gender equality around the United
Darnell Howard: A Musician’s Life, Part Two
The first part of the Darnell Howard story, discussing his early years in Chicago and work with W.C. Handy, Charles Elgar, and King Oliver, appeared
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Katie Thiroux: Lessons Learned While Teaching
They say it takes a village to raise a child. What does it take to raise a jazz musician? For bassist, vocalist, and composer Katie
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