Marek Boym 1941- 2021, RIP
Marek Boym passed March 31, a few days after his 80th birthday. I’ve been a lifelong Jazz enthusiast and, at age 76, considered myself fairly
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Dinner Music: Playable Cheese Slices Coming Soon
If Kevin Keaton has his way, you’ll soon be able to pop into your grocer’s dairy case for a snack and some tunes. Keaton, the
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Pianist Terry Waldo: Wit and Wizardry
The Fungus Five plus Two (“our music grows on you,”) the Gutbucket Syncopators, Waldo’s Ragtime Orchestra, and The Gotham City Jazz Band are only a
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Noble Sissle: A Messenger of Musical Uplift
Singer-lyricist-bandleader-entertainer, Noble Sissle occupies an unusual place in the world of ragtime, jazz and show business. He was one of the best-known musicians of the
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Michael Gamble: Better Late than Never
Ask a top swing dancer (or any swing dancer) what first brought them to the hobby, and most will reply: “the music.” Less often does
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Bobby Bruce: Twentieth Century Fiddler
Fiddler Bobby Bruce lived one of the longest and most diverse professional music careers I’ve encountered, performing and arranging for seven decades in Vaudeville, Jazz,
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Evan Arntzen • Countermelody
Reedsman Evan Arntzen is ready to make a splash in the jazz world with his third release as leader, a gem of an album on
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Cliff Edwards: Profiles in Jazz
He was a very popular singer and entertainer who, as “Ukulele Ike,” had major accomplishments in the 1920s, he appeared in many films in the
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Hal Smith and Kevin Dorn: Let’s Talk More Great Drummers
Hal Smith: Last June, Kevin Dorn and I talked about some of the people who have influenced our own playing. That article received many positive
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George Orendorff on Hearing Bix
In our March issue, Dan Barrett recalled a gig with trumpeter George Orendorff and the story that George told about playing the trumpet break before
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On the Road with King Oliver
In 1991, I had been chasing the music of Joe “King” Oliver and Louis Armstrong for seven or eight years. By “chasing,” I mean I
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Jimmie Noone
Jimmie Noone was born April 23, 1895, in Cut Off, Louisiana. Noone started playing clarinet after his family moved to New Orleans in 1910. By
The Festival Roundup: April 2021 (We’re Back Baby!)
Do not interpret an event not being on this list as a cancellation, it means only that they have yet to announce any information about
The Return of the Festivals
Here’s the post-Valentine’s Day wish of every jazz musician: Roses are Red, Violets are blue— We just want some gigs (And a festival or two).
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12 Jazz Violin Duos composed by Ittzés Tamás
Those fortunate enough to have attended any of the Bohém Ragtime Jazz Festivals, presented annually in Hungary, or viewed its videos on YouTube, know that
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For the Record
The way we listen to music has changed a lot in the last decade. And I, probably like many of you, have been absorbing music
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Loudon Wainwright III with Vince Giordano • I’d Rather Lead a Band
Singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III, called “The Poet Laureate of Family Dysfunction” by Rolling Stone magazine, might not spring to mind as someone that you’d expect
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The Story of V Discs
As someone who has had a lifelong love affair with jazz, an interesting question came up in a ZOOM interview I recently had with Dan
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Jazz Jottings: The Buddy Bolden Phonograph
There have been a number of books written about the legendary Buddy Bolden and the fact that no authentic recordings by him or his band
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Pete Fountain • Standing Room Only
In the 1960s, Pete Fountain was the second best-known active clarinetist in the US, only behind Benny Goodman. His brand of New Orleans jazz was
Bert Morphy: The Man Who Sang to Beat the Band
In the 19th century, novelties and curiosities were all the rage. We have all heard of the circus performers, snake oil salesmen, sideshow freaks—but there
More Bits and Pieces
The Orpheum Theater in New Orleans is celebrating its 100th birthday and re-introducing the new Double Dealer speakeasy under the theater. Resembling the backstage setting
Bill Allred • Swing That Music
Sometimes one just has the need to hear riotous Dixieland, particularly the style of music where there are lots of notes played at rapid tempos
Dancing Jazz, Part 2
Jeff Barnhart: Hal, we left off our discussion in Part One with a brief analysis of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band and their way of
The Singapore Slingers • Light My Way To Love
Scott Yanow reviewed the latest from the Singapore Slingers back in February but I’ve been enjoying this album so much I thought I’d give it
Celebrating Missouri’s Music
If anything can dispel the gloom of a negative historical anniversary, it is music. That seems to have been what motivated Dr. Michael J. Budds
Marty Elkins • ‘Tis Autumn
Tis Autumn is Marty Elkins’ fifth album. The first on her new label Elktone Records after four releases on the popular Nagel-Heyer label gained her
Hailey Brinnel • I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles
Hailey Brinnel is an up-and-coming singer and trombonist who has lots of potential. Originally from Philadelphia, she has worked with the Diva Jazz Orchestra, Anat
The Aurore Quartet • Le Quecum Bar Live In London
Has any jazz musician been emulated after their passing as much as Django Reinhardt? Ironically, when Django died in 1953, hardly any guitarist sounded like
Matt Ulery • Pollinator
Nothing about this album looks like something we would normally cover. It’s modern in appearance, has a full marketing team behind it, is a likely
Keenan McKenzie • Remote Riffing
All being well, the socially distanced performance of jazz will soon be a thing of the past. Musicians will be able to gather again, arranging
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Satchmocracy
There have been many tributes to Louis Armstrong through the years. Satchmocracy by the Jérome Etcheberry Popstet is one of the more unusual ones. When
Problem Attic
I’ve been putting off writing this column until the last minute—almost until I am physically unable to write it. (That would be an excellent method
Jack Bradley, photographer and friend to Louis Armstrong, has died.
Jack Bradley died on March 21, he was 87. He discovered Louis Armstrong recordings as a child in the 30s and 40s and would go
A Tribute To Captain John Handy
Captain John Handy (1900-71) stood alone in the New Orleans revival movement. Virtually the only significant alto-saxophonist playing traditional jazz in the 1960s, Handy’s hard-charging
Félix Hunot & The Jazz Musketeers
There are two distinct knots of extraordinary traditional jazz interpreters in Europe right now. One contingent consists of Andrew Oliver, Nick Ball, David Horniblow, Dave
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Peggy Lee • Something Wonderful
A recording star ever since she signed to the Capitol label in 1944, Peggy Lee was the epitome of the cool-toned singer, one who sang
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Letters to the Editor April 2021
Keith Nichols, RIP To the Editor: No number of words could capture the essence of Keith Nichols. It was our privilege to get to know
Anthony Fuscaldo • Beautiful World
Anthony Fuscaldo is a New Jersey based guitarist and composer. He has found success scoring films and documentaries, receiving accolades at film festivals in several
George Segal, actor and banjo player, has died at 87.
George Segal died March 23. 2021 near his Santa Rosa, California home. He was perhaps best known for the broad scope of his television and
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Meredith Axelrod and Craig Ventresco mark a year of Nightly Livestreams
“I’m going to miss this epidemic,” more than a few jocular Facebook and Instagram visitors are sentimentally waxing about the eventual end to the miraculous,
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Dick Karner, drummer with the Salty Dog JB, has died.
Richard Karner, drummer for the Salty Dogs Jazz Band in the mid 1950’s, passed away at home, March 12. He was 85. A native of Lafayette,
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Joe St. John: A Tale in Two Jazz Cities
Saxophonist, Joseph Robert St. John had a thirty-year career in Manhattan and Detroit. His New York band battled the great Chick Webb Orchestra and shared a
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British Trad Jazz Pioneer Chris Barber has Died
Chris Barber, one of the most important figures in the history of British jazz, and a pioneer of both the Trad Jazz and Skiffle crazes,
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Danny Tobias: Trumpeting and Teaching
Danny Tobias has been a fixture on the jazz scene for a long time, playing with Kenny Davern, the Midiri Brothers, and many others. Unlike
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Dan Gabel Champions Big Band and Vintage Jazz
Growing up in Massachusetts, Dan Gabel was introduced to the mellow sounds of Tommy Dorsey’s trombone at the age of 10 when he was in
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Corina Kwami Quenches the Thirst for Jazz … and Water?
Jazz is pretty powerful stuff: it can move us to tears, or it can move us to dance all night long. But can it help
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