Alex Mendham and the Classic British Dance Band
Brian Sheridan
May 1, 2020
Imagine Django Reinhardt jamming with Frank Sinatra. That’s not too much of a stretch in describing The Black Market Trust, a fast-rising quintet out of
Pianist Kris Tokarski honors the traditions of keyboard masters from New Orleans to Bop. Though he is only 31, Kris has already performed extensively in
The title for this talk is both intimidating and academically demanding. We recognize Lucille Salerno’s hand here. The paper was originally presented June 10, 2010,
As a Brit, when I think of US national parks I think Yosemite—thousands of miles of lakes, trees, bears, and continent-threatening supervolcanoes. (Keep an eye
1973 found me in New Orleans exhibiting at an antiques fair. A somewhat pudgy short man wearing a dark suit over his white t-shirt stopped
There is a persistent myth, especially among younger swing dancers, that 1942 marked a watershed in Britain’s toe-tapping habits. That was the year the US
At the end of March cdbaby.com took down all of the storefronts that at one point were a primary way for independent artists to sell
The Basin Street Regulars had finally lined up a band for its March Sunday session and it looked like it was going to be a
The Jazz Journalists Association has recognized 27 “activists, advocates, altruists, aiders and abettors of jazz” from 23 cities as its 2020 Jazz Heroes. The list
The Louis Armstrong Emergency Fund for Jazz Musicians offers one time grants of $1000 to jazz musicians who regularly work in New York City
Peter Ecklund was a freshman at Yale when I first met him in 1964. At the time, I was a medical student, playing a weekly
Recognizing their “unique and enduring contributions to the living history of jazz,” the late Mat Domber and his wife Rachel are the recipients of the 2020 Satchmo Award
One of the great ragtime adventure stories I ever heard was of Peter Lundberg’s tour of America in 1963, vising and interviewing ragtime greats across
The renowned French quartet Paris Washboard made a brief trip across the pond in February to play four concerts in my neck of the woods.
As panic over the coronavirus sweeps the globe, much of the focus is on the broader economic effects on businesses or venues that have had
When you see a jazz musician up on stage, baring their heart and soul to their audience, you’re witnessing something bordering the miraculous. The true
Sidney Joseph Bechet was born in New Orleans on May 14, 1897. Sidney grew up in a middle-class Creole household, and learned several musical instruments
In the second month of our siege against an implacable and impersonal enemy, I am a bundle of conflicting and untidy emotions. It really is
Decades ago, a classic Fletcher Henderson four-LP set was titled A Study In Frustration. I always thought that that title was inaccurate as far as
For researchers, scouring newspaper archives is an essential, yet at times tedious, process. Hours spent reading through century-old papers may yield only a small nugget
Since all of the April festivals have been cancelled, it is a good time to delve into the many available books about New Orleans. The
Glenn Miller: a Personal Note One’s sense of personal history sort of begins with one’s birth. It was only seventy-one years after I came into this world,
Concealed in the shadows of early Jazz, Blues and Popular music history are dynamic and accomplished women who nurtured, guided and developed the music. Several
This is an outdated roundup from way back in May of 2020, for the latest festival info find Events on the menu. ZEHNDER’S RAGTIME FESTIVAL
I met Steve Spracklen almost 50 years ago when I arranged a concert through Bob Vernon billed as “Three Generations of Ragtime.” Steve, Peter Lundberg, and “Ragtime Bob” Darch were the featured performers and they brought the
FeaturesAlex Mendham and the Classic British Dance Band, by Brian R. Sheridan
1963 Ragtime and Early Jazz: a Memoir, by Peter Lundberg
The Black Market Trust: Gypsy Jazz and Then Some, by Lew Shaw
The Legendary Goodson Sisters of Pensacola, by Dave Doyle
Preservation Hall and its Founder, circa 1973, by Frank Farbenbloom
The Complex History of British Swing Dance, by Dave Doyle
Kris Tokarski: Lendítsd a zongorán!, by Hal Smith
Jazz Birthday of the Month: Sidney Bechet, illustration by Joe Busam
Static from my Attic, Andy Senior
Jazz Jottings, by Lew Shaw
Profiles in Jazz: Ben Pollack, by Scott Yanow
Jazz Travels: A Visit With Paris Washboard, by Bill Hoffman
Quarter Notes: Read Any Good Books Lately?, by Shelly Gallichio
The Professor is IN: Preparing for a Performance, by Adrian Cunningham
Blowing off the Dust: Peter Lundberg’s Ragtime Odyssey, by Larry Melton
Dynamic Women of Early Jazz & Classic Blues, Pt. 2, by Dave Radlauer
Fred Hylands in Vaudeville, by R.S. Baker
Final Chorus, compiled by Joe Bebco
Jazz Journalists Salute 27 Jazz Heroes, by Lew Shaw
Bob Mielke (1926-2020), by Dave Radlauer
Our “Quarantine” Livestream with Carl Sonny Leyland, by Rhonda Cardinal
The Syncopated Bookshelf: Bob Darch, review by Larry Melton
Bert’s Bits and Beats, music reviews by Bert Thompson
Nights at the Turntable, CD reviews by Scott Yanow
