My Inspirations

This is the tale of two musicians from Connecticut who deeply influenced me, though in markedly different ways, as I was learning how to play

It occurred to me looking back on my most recent columns that I’ve significantly diverged from my initial intent of sharing inspirational content. While I’ve

This month the world—I can’t limit this to only the jazz community—lost an incredible person. One of the gentlest people I ever met also possessed

I’m aware that the Traditional Jazz festival circuit has been around a long time. One of the earliest festivals was the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee in

As this year winds down, I’m taking stock on where I’ve come, where I hope to be going, and with whom I’ve so far shared

On September 23, I lost a person very important to me on many levels. Bob Draga’s passing closed a lengthy chapter of my life. Whether

I’m writing this edition while sitting at Chicago O’Hare, having arrived from Hartford CT an hour late, causing me to miss my connecting flight to

On July 26, we lost one of my heroes of surreal and satirical humor, pianist/singer/songwriter Tom Lehrer. As were millions of people across the globe,

I was ten when Star Wars changed the world in 1977. This film was special to me for multiple reasons. It was a movie my

This month is the second entry in my occasional series “To ______ or Not to ________” where I examine musical practices to try to find

Anyone who focuses on the ragtime, jazz, and swing music of the first four decades, whether performer, listener, or both, is at some point subjected

In Jazz music of every era and style, there exists a tradition that delights some musicians and fans while vexing others. I’m referring to “the

There’s often an uneasy relationship between a jazz band leader (and the members of their band) and clients. The simplest illustration is the steady gig,

I’ll be ranting in this edition of “My Inspirations,” so if you’re (understandably) in the mood for some humor or uplift, you might want to

This is a story of the power of memory, music, and love. My column last month on Connecticut’s restaurant Bill’s Seafood, its longtime owner the

Club owners get an often-deserved bad rep from musicians. Many times, the conditions in the club or restaurant are terrible: the lighting’s non-existent; the band’s

While readers know I never shy away from controversial topics (banjos? Sports at Universities receiving enough funding to run a small country while Music classes/lessons

Dear kind and patient readers: This entry of my column is a love letter of appreciation to all of YOU, a tidy number of whom

Welcome, faithful readers! I’ll begin this entry with a confession, followed by a question that I sincerely hope one of you might be able to

Prior to Anne’s and my seven-week performance (and walking, and BEER DRINKING) tour of the UK in May, we played a ragtime festival run by

June’s reminiscences of banjoist/festival director/Your Father’s Mustache founder Joel Schiavone garnered many emails and letters! I’ve left out churlish ones like “How can you eulogize

As I write this month’s column, Anne and I are in Scotland, performing at the Kirkcudbright (pronounced “Kir-coo-bree”) Jazz Festival (pronounced “Jazz” “Fes-ti-val”). It’s a

I’m writing this month’s column on my birthday in the UK in the shire of Derby (pronounced like “Barbie,” not like the hats worn by