Fred Rose, Part Two
Jeff Barnhart: Welcome back, dear readers! Hal, last month we covered the early years of composer Fred Rose’s life and career. There is still so
Gary Giddins on Life, Music, and the Art of Criticism
If the contributions Gary Giddins has made in the last 50 years to the dissemination of Jazz and Jazz history were all listed here, they
Marion Evans (1926-2026)
Arranger Marion Evans died July 22, he was 100 years old. He lived two full careers in music separated by decades of near-total anonymity on
Neil Unterseher (1940-2026)
Banjoist Neil Unterseher, a mainstay of the New Orleans traditional jazz scene for over half a century, died June 20 at his home in Kiln,
John Defferary (1941-2026)
Clarinetist and saxophonist John Defferary, a fixture of the British trad jazz revival for over six decades, died on July 10; he was 85. Born
Jazz Jottings September 2026
The Nash Jazz Club in downtown Phoenix, Arizona, recognized by Downbeat Magazine as “one of the Great Jazz Venues in the World,” has undergone a
The “Voice of Edison”: Arthur Collins
It is difficult to determine who the most popular singer of the acoustic era was, and while many of the time claimed this title for
Don’t Shoot!
Having mentioned in last month’s column that Tex Wyndham would sometimes travel from Wilmington, DE to Mystic CT to sub for me while I was
Ma Rainey: Profiles in Jazz
Of all of the classic blues singers of the 1920s who were able to record, Ma Rainey’s history went back the furthest. In an interview
Armchair Critics, Angry Purists, and Other Garden Pests
I’ve been a YouTube watcher for a long time, and I’ve been posting video since 2009. If YouTube could collect a penny from every anonymous
Saxophobia: Celebrating the Sax Craze of the 1920s
Chad Smith describes his new album as “a love letter to that moment in time, when the saxophone did not belong to any single world;
George M. Cohan’s Broadway
Theatrical polymath Chip Deffaa has been studying and promoting the works of George M. Cohan for over six decades, beginning when Chip was just a
AI, the End of Physical Media, and the Future of Record Collecting
My friends on Facebook will have noticed that I have been posting a lot of commentary and links about the reports of books being sliced
Al Casey
Albert Aloysius Casey was born September 15, 1915, in Louisville, Kentucky. He attended DeWitt Clinton High School in New York City and studied guitar. He
The Secret Six • Toot Sweet and Goose the Beat
The Secret Six, named after abolitionist John Brown’s Secret Society of Six of the 1850s, has been playing hot jazz in New Orleans since 2020.
Roger Marks • Bring Me Sunshine
A very skilled British swing and trad trombonist, Roger Marks has, with the release of Bring Me Sunshine, now recorded exactly 100 albums since his
Louis Stewart • Alone Together
Ireland has never been considered a hotbed of jazz activity but a few impressive players came from that island. Guitarist Louis Stewart (1944-2016) is considered
Mike Jones with Strings
While the piano-bass-drums trio has been a fixture in jazz since the 1950s, and the instrumentation was first heard on records in 1935 when pianist
John Arpin • Champagne Rags
JAZZ CLASSIC OF THE MONTH Joseph Lamb (1887-1960) is regularly considered one of the “big three” of classic ragtime composers along with Scott Joplin and
A Little Night Music…
While the rest the world is scorching, Tucson welcomes monsoon rains and its afternoon cooling effect. The monthly Tuesday night Pop-Up Piano Bar group has
History of a Standard: Milestones, Miles Davis (1958)
Some artists thrive on what is known as “the liberating constraint.” The idea that you are forced to do more with less. You don’t necessarily
Festival Roundup September 2026
HOT JAZZ JUBILEE (Sacramento, CA) Sept. 4-7 Prepare to enjoy four days of exciting live music performance all under one roof! Tickets are now on
25 Years Later, Musicians Remember the Day the Towers Fell
Over the years, a number of musicians told me of their memories of September 11, 2001. I have selected a few to mark the 25th
Cool Heat—Anita O’Day and Her Dangerous Jazz Life
The word “love” shows up in many a song, the standards especially, offering emotional reinforcement whatever your situation when your favorite singer sings that word.
More Than The Music by Hank O’Neal
Hank O’Neal is most famous in the jazz world for founding and running the consistently superb swing-based Chiaroscuro label and for organizing the Floating Jazz
From the 2026 Evergreen Jazz Festival
This July 24-26 marked the 23rd Evergreen Jazz Festival in the Front Range of the Rockies (elevation 7500 ft.) about 30 miles southwest of Denver.
Bixophile Musicians Adopt Bix’s Endangered Boyhood Home
You’ll read my report of the Bix Beiderbecke Jazz Festival in next month’s issue, but something happened there last month that deserves your immediate attention
James Scott’s The Ragtime Betty (1909)
James Scott’s The Ragtime Betty (1909, its fanciful sheet music cover containing singing celestial bodies pictured) is quite a lovely piece. It’s a shame the original publication
Letters September 26
– Praise for Clorinda Nickols – To the Editor: I very much enjoyed Clorinda Nickols’ article (“A Contrast in Festivals,” TST, July 2026) in which
This American Strife
All in all, it’s been a lousy millennium so far. A number of you (some of whom I possibly respect) are poised at your keyboards
Hot Summer Nights = Hot Jazz!
The Century Room downtown is a go-to place on hot summer nights in Tucson. Besides showcasing our local talent, there are many visiting artists on
Reedman Dan Levinson’s Back (and Ready to Play)!
Dan Levinson has been one of the most prolific reedmen on the jazz circuit over the past four decades, both as a leader and sideman,
Luckey Roberts
Charles Luckyth Roberts, better known as Luckey Roberts, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on August 7, 1887, and was playing piano and acting professionally with
There’s Big Fun in Pismo: Jazz Jubilee Central Coast 2026
The Basin Street Regulars Hot Jazz Society is thrilled to announce the 3rd Jazz Jubilee Central Coast 2026, a vibrant celebration of jazz music stretching
Jazz in Space
I have almost as much respect for billionaires as I do for Joey Chestnut, the guy who wins the hot dog-eating contest at Coney Island
The Rediscovery of George “Nash” Walker: The Price of Black Stardom in Jim Crow America
Between about 1890-1910 there was a lively, successful Black theatrical-vaudeville-minstrelsy scene, centered in New York, but active throughout the country. Author Daniel E. Atkinson tells
Cool Heat – Anita O’Day and Her Dangerous Jazz Life
In the 1940s and especially the 1950s, Anita O’Day (1919-2006) was one of the great jazz singers. Her scatting, placement of notes, and ability to
Classic Oscar Peterson Trio Studio Sessions with Ray Brown and Ed Thigpen
A reasonable guess is that Oscar Peterson made over 200 recordings under his own name—we’re talking albums here, not singles—but the number goes up to
Nothing Beats Experience
Dear faithful readers, each month I share anecdotes, observations, remembrances, or adventures that try to live up to the title of my column. While I’ve
Dan Announces His Return
TST readers will be happy to know that reedman Dan Levinson is back in action after six months following a medical procedure that cast doubt
Remembering the Remarkable Henry Blackburn
It’s part of the human experience to encounter people who have major impact on your life. For most of us, it’s our parents. And for
Andy Kirk and Jay McShann: Profiles in Jazz
Kansas City was one of the centers of jazz during the 1920s and ‘30s. One of the main benefits of having a corrupt political boss
Fred Rose: The Famous Songwriter Nobody Knows
Jeff Barnhart: Hal, we’ve received some great feedback regarding Clancy Hayes Trilogy in this column and I believe that pattern will continue with the figure
The First Drag Queen on the Phonograph
When historians think of the first famous drag queens, most will consider the liberated ones of the 1920s. Usually Julian Eltinge and Gladys Bentley come
Festival Roundup August 2026
BIX BEIDERBECKE JAZZ FESTIVAL (Davenport, IA) July 30-Aug. 1 Join us once again at Rhythm City Casino in Davenport as we celebrate a new era
Pee Wee In Hollywood
JAZZ CLASSIC OF THE MONTH Pee Wee Erwin (1913-81) was a solid swing trumpeter who was a bit overshadowed during his long career. While he
Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra • Ellington Masterworks
Duke Ellington’s orchestra has always been a difficult ensemble for other musicians to emulate closely. Ellington’s band, whether in the 1920s or the ’60s, featured
