TST Publisher Andy Senior Honored as Jazz Hero
In early April, The Jazz Journalists Association announced its 2022 class of 28 Jazz Heroes, among the honorees was Syncopated Times publisher Andy Senior. The
Maxine Sullivan and Cliff Jackson: Profiles in Jazz
Swing singer Maxine Sullivan and stride pianist Cliff Jackson may not have been the most logical matchup, but it was a marriage that worked. Both
Ada Leonard and the All-American Girl Orchestra, Part One 1940-43
Bandleader Ada Leonard was a dancer, singer and show business professional who led the first all-female Swing orchestra touring Army training camps during WWII filling
The Firehouse Five (Plus Two): Beginnings
JB: For this installment, we turn to the wild and wonderful world of the Firehouse Five Plus Two. I am happy to welcome Hal Smith
The Mystery of Roger Wolfe Kahn’s Symphony and Other Compositions
Had Roger Wolfe Kahn not gone against his parent’s wishes, it’s more than likely he would have launched his music career at the age of
Ragtime and Good Times: Antonia P. Gonzales, the Cornet-Playing Madam
Flick through the first half of any jazz biography and the tales which fly past your eyes are almost invariably those of hardship—riding the rails,
The DIVA Jazz Orchestra’s Triumphant Return to Dizzy’s Club
In mid-March, big band fans had the treat of enjoying the DIVA Jazz Orchestra’s extended play at New York City’s Dizzy’s Club. Thanks to the
Renewed Interest in J.W. ‘Blind’ Boone
I must begin by congratulating the esteemed editor of this publication on his election as a 2022 Jazz Hero by the Jazz Journalists Association. It
‘Keep Your Pretty Head Low’
Well, it’s been quite month. Of course, for me, every month is “quite a month”—but this one, if it were a physical rather than an
Strangers in a Strange Land
In 2001, after completing the Mammoth Lakes Jazz Jubilee, Anne and I rented a Toyota sedan with clarinetist Bob Draga to drive to Helena, Montana,
Ed Polcer Relaxin’ With The Secret 6
The Secret Six is the latest hot jazz band to establish itself in New Orleans, joining in the top tier an exciting roster of groups
Neighbors
Recently, I moved into a co-op apartment building in Manhattan. If you’re not aware, the concept of a co-op is that each resident owns shares
Roger Marks’ Brass Farthings with Pete Allen • Just Genuine Jazz
The personnel of the CD under review here, Just Genuine Jazz, is almost identical to that of a previous Upbeat Records issue by this same
Tin Pan Alley Travels, Part Two
While in New York City back in march, I had the chance to make a few disc records for Colin Hancock with his period acoustic
Yoshitaka “Z2” Tsuji • From the Beginning
Every once in a while, I hear an album that makes me fall in love with the piano all over again. Usually it’s a classic
Quarter Notes: No Restin’ Before Festin’!
From Greg Lambousy at the Jazz Museum: Spring is always a wonderful time in New Orleans as the weather warms up, the flowers bloom, and
Marilyn Nonken • Syncopated Musings
Marilyn Nonken is a classical pianist known for playing some of the most challenging music of the 20th and 21st centuries. That Scott Joplin’s music
ARSC Produces First-Ever CD to Celebrate Public Domain
The current issue of the ARSC Journal arrived with a most welcome surprise—a 27-track CD produced by the organization of carefully restored and recorded tracks
ARSC Journal: Special Issue and Pre-1923 CD Celebrating the new US Public Domain
Woody Guthrie put a now famous copyright notice on his works: “This song is Copyrighted in U.S., under Seal of Copyright #154085, for a period
Jazz Jottings May 2022
On reading Joe Bebco’s excellent “Festival Roundup,” the casual reader might ask “What’s the difference between a Jazz Festival and a Jazz Party?” To a
Angela Verbrugge • Love for Connoisseurs
I must confess that, for the longest time, I thought of singing as music for people who couldn’t play anything. I naively put instruments in
From the 2022 Charles Templeton Ragtime and Jazz Festival
I made my first visit to the Charles Templeton Ragtime and Jazz Festival on the last weekend in March at Mississippi State University in Starkville.
The Barroom Buzzards • Dixieland Chestnuts
In 1966, the Barroom Buzzards of Buffalo, New York, first came together as a Dixieland quartet comprised of banjoist Phil Santa Maria, clarinetist Paul Preston
Sidney Bechet • Four Classic Albums – Third Set
He was one of the first jazz greats to emerge from New Orleans and become a national star, debuting on record on July 30, 1923,
Catherine Russell, Marcus Roberts Celebrate Ellington at Carnegie
For the first time since 2020, now able to return to Carnegie Hall after the long pandemic “intermission,” the American Symphony Orchestra conducted by Leon
Reginald R. Robinson • Man Out of Time
Twenty years ago, Chicago composer Reginald R. Robinson recorded his fourth studio album, Man Out of Time. Today, Man Out of Time is once again
Farewell to Phil Pospychala (Sept. 2, 1936-March 21, 2022)
There is something about legendary people and particularly about those legendary people who died young. Perhaps it is the thoughts of what could have been.
Crystal Swing Band • Live From The Avalon Ballroom
Back in the 1990s, it was not uncommon for many cities to have their own neighborhood swing orchestra, playing the hits of the big band
Chick Singer Jokes and Other Clichés
Oh, the chick singer jokes…..“if they ask me I could write a book.” From day one I was educated about how to avoid being the
Lara Downes • Reflections: Scott Joplin Reconsidered
Lara Downes is a classical pianist who, in addition to the traditional repertory, has been exploring unappreciated Black composers. While Scott Joplin can hardly be
Pushin’ Sixty vs. Pushin’ Sixty
In addition to everything else going on, I turn 60 this May. (Or should I say “dismay?”) It’s nothing to celebrate, but I thought the
Zutty Singleton • Icon of New Orleans Drumming • The Heartbeat of Jazz 1924-1969
This superb two-disc set honors drummer Arthur J. Singleton, known throughout the jazz world by the nickname “Zutty.” (Trevor Richards says in his liner notes,
Vic Berton
Vic Berton was born Victor Cohen in Chicago on May 7, 1896. Vic grew up in a middle-class household, though one with a streak of
Ralph Flanagan • Hot Toddy – Hits & Selected Singles 1946-56
His name may be largely forgotten today, but arranger Ralph Flanagan (1914-95) had no less than 21 hits during the 1949-53 period. Earlier he had
Reader Correspondence May 2022
Remembering Tom Shea To the Editor: What a pleasure to read the article by Brandon Byrne about Tom Shea. Tom was an integral part of
Andy Kirk and his Twelve Clouds of Joy • 1929-1931
Andy Kirk (1898-1992), who played bass sax and tuba until the mid-1930s when he began to just wave a baton, never soloed, did not write
The Festival Roundup May 2022
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP OLD-TIME PIANO PLAYING CONTEST & FESTIVAL (Oxford, MS) – May 26-29 Every year over Memorial Day weekend in Oxford, Mississippi, the World Championship
Frederick Hodges: Sophisticated Syncopation
If syncopation has a name performer today, it is likely Frederick Hodges. The California pianist has gained a stellar reputation for his skills playing solo
Debunking Piano Roll Mythology: An Interview with L. Douglas Henderson, Owner of ARTCRAFT piano rolls
Preface to the 2022 Republication of this Interview1 For those who are not familiar with how player piano rolls are made, a quick explanation is
Elise Roth is an Old-School Entertainer with Social Media Savvy
In the entertainment biz, a triple threat is generally defined as someone who can sing, dance and act. Such performers are not rare—consider Fred Astaire,
Phil Napoleon: Profiles in Jazz
Arguably the top jazz trumpeter or cornetist on records prior to 1923, Phil Napoleon has somehow managed to miss being prominently included in most jazz
The Real Billie Holiday, Part Three – 1950s
Billie Holiday (Eleanora Fagan, 1915-59) continued a busy schedule of recordings, concerts, radio broadcasts, television appearances and international tours in the 1950s. Publication of her
Focus on Bennie Moten:1928-30
Jeff Barnhart: My erstwhile collaborator, Hal Smith, needs a while to erst on other projects this time around and requested I invite a guest. I’ve
Charlie Halloran • The Alcoa Sessions
Charlie Halloran is a hard working trombonist central to the post-Katrina traditional jazz revival in New Orleans. He’s a long time member of the Shotgun
Remembering the Remarkable Charles William Midgley
I met him on a Sacramento city bus. I was thirteen. Often after school, I would ride the city bus into downtown to explore the
Tin Pan Alley Travels, Part One
This month, I will be doing something a little bit different in this column, as I just took a week long trip to NYC. On
The Adrian Cunningham Trio Swings at Shanghai Jazz
For almost 30 years Shanghai Jazz in Madison New Jersey has been sought out by both musicians and fans of various jazz styles. Tom Donohoe
Healing a Racial Divide
This is a pleasant article for me to write, though it resurrects a reminder of unpleasant times. I hope readers will find the healing nature
