Clancy Hayes, Part Two
Jeff Barnhart: Hal, after a month off, I’m excited to return to the music and vocals of the great troubadour and spreader of joy, Clancy
The Jazz Age Beyond New Orleans: Rediscovering Carlos A. Saco
Not much has been written about Carlos Alberto Saco Herrera—but a century ago, his music was everywhere in Lima. The scarcity of sustained scholarship is
Jug Band Magic in Japan: The Yokohama Jug Band Festival
Shrink the land mass of the continental United States to the size of California. Link every major city by high speed bullet train. Would you
What’s in a Jazz Nickname?
I once met a fighter pilot whose call-sign was “Ice.” I remember thinking it was one of the coolest nicknames I’d ever heard. Obviously this
Jazz Jottings June 2026
David Robinson has had an impressive and productive career spanning over 50 years as a performing musician and educator while making significant contributions to the
It Was Just One Of Those Days
Since I began performing Ragtime and Classic Jazz from the first three decades of the 20th century, I’ve inevitably been asked how I can keep
From the Durango Ragtime and Early Jazz Festival
There’s an adage in show business that says “always leave ’em wanting more.” That, in two ways, sums up my reaction to the Durango Ragtime
A Few Words With Vij Prakash
Vij Prakash is a trombonist, composer and educator in both the jazz and pop music scenes. In the jazz world, he has his own projects
Juneteenth Reflections
Unlike most normal people, I’ve never been a fan of holidays. I regard Christmas and Thanksgiving with particular distaste, since they’re all about overeating and
Sherri Colby: Anthropology and the Joy of Music
For the past 40 years, SherriLynn Colby-Bottel has led two lives: one in education and research in the field of anthropology, the study of what
The Day of the Scumbags (1984)
I started dabbling at this idea in 1983 or so, for a friend of mine who had a filmmaking class at LeMoyne. I originally labeled
Art Tatum: Profiles in Jazz
Who was the greatest musician ever to play jazz? While one can make the case for Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker and John Coltrane among others,
Festival Roundup June 2026
NORTH SHORE JAZZ SUMMIT (Duluth, MN) June 11-13 The Count Basie Orchestra, Stan Kenton Legacy Orchestra, and Buddy Rich Tribute Band—for the first time ever,
A Little More Pepper
Christina Pepper is a solid pianist and prolific YouTube content creator; since meeting her and attending her symposium at the Scott Joplin Festival in 2023
Praise for “The Miller Effect”
To the Editor: As a consequence of travel, I’m a month behind in my reading of the April edition of The Syncopated Times. Thus, I
Jazz Appreciation Month at the Smithsonian
Last year I took my son to Copenhagen as a reward for doing well in his school exams. It just “happened” to coincide with the
Valaida Snow
Valaida Snow was born on June 2, 1904, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Valaida grew up on the road, performing with her father’s ensemble starting when she
Daniel Huck
French reed player Daniel Huck, a joyful presence in European hot jazz, died April 25, 2026, in Saint-Christol-lez-Alès, France. He was 78. Born in Paris
Jo Ann Castle (September 3, 1939 – May 8, 2026)
Jo Ann Castle, the pianist and accordionist known to millions of television viewers as the “Queen of the Honky-Tonk Piano,” died May 8, 2026. She
Mike Schwimmer
Mike Schwimmer, a performer, broadcaster, collector, presenter, and historian whose work reached across the traditional jazz and ragtime community for more than half a century,
Red Hot Jazzmen: The Singers
A glance at the list of singers featured on this CD will reveal that almost all are well-known in jazz circles. Two that may be
The Joymakers • A Texas-Sized Band
Following up on the success of his previous CD Down Where The Bluebonnets Grow, Colin Hancock expands the size of the Joymakers on A Texas-Sized
Champian Fulton • House Party
For her 40th birthday and her 20th album as a leader, pianist-singer Champian Fulton hosted a party at the recording studios of Turtle Bay Records.
Flying High: Big Band Canaries Who Soared
For the debut project from the nonprofit Jazz At The Ballroom label, Champian Fulton served as co-producer, musical director, pianist, and one of the six
The Doris Drew Story
Few listeners today have probably heard of Doris Drew, but in the 1950s she was a rather busy singer. She had a beautiful voice and
Heather Pierson • Alone at Last
Heather Pierson has had a busy and diverse career as a singer/songwriter and pianist in quite a few musical genres. She had classical piano lessons
52nd Street Swing
JAZZ CLASSIC OF THE MONTH During 1935-46, 52nd Street in New York was jazz heaven, an area where there were so many jazz clubs housed
A Quarter for My Thoughts!
The French Quarter Fest in New Orleans was pushed back to the weekend before the two Jazz Fest weekends so we decided to go for
Interviewing the Interviewer: A Conversation with David Reffkin
I first met David Reffkin in 1991 at the Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival in Sedalia, Missouri, after he gave a presentation about different personalities he
Remembering Sixty Years of Jazz with Bob Wilber
It is very likely that first Commodore 78 this writer ever owned was by Bob Wilber, “Willie The Weeper” and “Mabel’s Dream” on Commodore 583.
Swing Street: The Golden Age of New York Jazz Clubs
They called it “Swing Street.” It’s only an echo of a memory today for those old enough to have immersed themselves in the sights and
Bill Sinclair & Fred Vigorito
Last month I shared a brief story about the early development of two key members of the Galvanized Jazz Band who passed away earlier this
Plugging the Hole: A Brief History of Mutes
The sound of muted trumpets and trombones has been woven into the fabric of jazz almost from the beginning. They are a tool that can
A Few Words with…Reedman Alan Barnes
Clarinetist Alan Barnes is a prolific international performer, composer, arranger, bandleader and touring soloist. He has received over 25 British Jazz Awards and has twice
A Nickel a Play: Exhibiting the Phonograph
In the 1890s, the phonograph was still so new to most of the public. Not only was it new, it was expensive. Very few people
Vince Giordano on his Origins, the Bass Sax, and his Worst Gig
Vince Giordano was born on March 11, 1952, in Brooklyn. He directs the Nighthawks, where he switches between string bass, tuba and bass saxophone, and
Never Resting on One’s Laurels!
The Learning Curve, one of our local Adult Education programs focusing on Arts, Humanities, Music, Literature & History, held its spring music class with Conductor
Cornetist Bill Mason (1929-2026)
Jeff Barnhart: Hal, our advertised plan following our month off was to continue our exploration of the music and vocals of the great troubadour Clancy
Profiles in Jazz: Svend Asmussen and Oscar Alemán
It has been said, way too often, that “jazz is America’s only indigenous art form.” That cliched statement is inaccurate in two ways. Jazz is
Joe Sullivan • 1934-41
JAZZ CLASSIC OF THE MONTH Pianist Joe Sullivan was a superior stride pianist who was most influenced by Earl Hines’ “trumpet style” approach to playing
Duke Ellington and his Orchestra • Columbia Vocal Rarities
The finest singers to be regularly featured with Duke Ellington’s orchestra were Ivie Anderson, Joya Sherrill, Herb Jeffries, and Al Hibbler with Ray Nance being
Hot Lips Page • In Session
Oran (Hot Lips) Page (1908-54) was one of the great trumpeters to emerge from Kansas City in the 1930s in addition to being a fine
Armand Hug Plays A.J. Piron & Other Delectable Ditties
Armand Hug (1910-77) was one of the top pianists to be active in New Orleans during the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s. A professional from the
Bob Greene, Bobby Gordon, Howard Alden Trio
Bob Greene (1922-2013) is best remembered for his 1974 album The World Of Jelly Roll Morton. While he played in trad jazz settings in the
Dorothy Donegan • World Recording Sessions 1944/45
Dorothy Donegan (1922-98) was one of the all-time greats of the jazz piano even though she never quite received the recognition that she deserved, at
Hart Aches: On the Greatest Tragedian of American Popular Music
I watched Richard Linklater’s Blue Moon for a second time recently and was moved even more than I was the first time. Ethan Hawke’s performance
Elegy for a Songbird: Thoughts About Rebecca Kilgore
Early in the morning of January 8th, I opened my phone and found a text message from Rebecca Kilgore’s loving husband, Dick Titterington. I suspected
