Event reviews, movie reviews, and anything that isn’t an Album Review or Book Review.
Billie Holiday has inspired a number of books–often with conflicting views–that try to get a handle on her tumultuous and complex life. There’s an autobiography
As much as I’ve missed dancing during the pandemic—more than I can express, really—it’s not something I’ve sought out online. People have put a ton
I remember reading Bill Hoffman’s fine column last year in The Syncopated Times describing his first visit to a West Coast Ragtime Festival (WCRF) and
This film has received a lot of kudos and I can understand why: it’s an excellent piece of filmmaking. There are no energy let-downs throughout
Rhonda and Jeff Cardinal did it, they pulled off the 2020 virtual Jazz Jubilee by the Sea. When Covid hit in March we really thought
W.C. Handy lived the American Dream during the time that the nature of that dream crystallized around larger than life men like Thomas Edison and
Just when you thought it could not be done, the Sutter Creek Ragtime Pandemic was held on August 15, 2020. This event reminds me of
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
What is the best way to spend a Thursday night on the California Central Coast? The best way is by a warm fire, with a
On the second weekend in February the Doubletree Hotel in downtown Fresno was filled with the “Sounds of Mardi Gras.” All four venues are located
A plenitude of pleasures delighted fans who filled Rancho Cordova’s elegant Marriott Hotel and then some as the 33rd annual West Coast Ragtime Festival opened
I have attended quite a few jazz festivals over the years, but none like the Mike Durham’s Classic Jazz Party in Whitley Bay. If I
I just returned from Suncoast Jazz Festival in Clearwater, Florida. Let’s cut to the chase. It was outstanding in every respect; organization, music, venue and
If you’re reading The Syncopated Times, you’re no doubt familiar with the Whitley Bay Classic Jazz Party in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England. Co-organizer Jonathan David Holmes and
Most musicians can name milestone moments in their careers where they were introduced to something that changed their perspective on the art. One that stands
Jazz Jubilee by the Sea, held October 24 to 27 on California’s Central Coast, presented a spectrum of early jazz and swing but spotlighted trad,
For those who have not had the pleasure of attending the Classic Jazz Party, it’s hard to explain what a sheer joy and intense musical
The 2019 Jazz Jubilee by the Sea was a real blow-out. World-renowned New Orleans busking-band Tuba Skinny made their first-ever West Coast festival appearance. In
The last thing I expected from my 10th annual visit to the Pershore Jazz Festival was the premiere of an unreleased Benny Goodman tune. Yet
A surfeit of syncopation descended on Southern California’s Orange County on September 7 as RagFest 2019 attracted a goodly complement of enthusiasts to revel in
How does one summarize a four-day festival? Let’s start with the setting. The program lists 35 bands, not all OKOM, or at least my kind
When Marty McGinnis, President of the Valley Jazz Club, announced that Wally Holmes was coming out of retirement, I couldn’t believe my ears. I asked
Northern California’s gold rush town of Sutter Creek, in the Sierra foothills southeast of Sacramento, hosted its annual ragtime festival August 9-11 this year under
Ascona has been described as “ridiculously picturesque” and it is. On the shores of Lake Maggiore in Southern Switzerland, with the mountains sweeping down to
Peter and Will Anderson, twin reed virtuosi, warmed up for their annual Songbook Summit concert series with a well-attended show in the Shea Performing Arts
Veronica Swift, just 25 and the most sought-after young jazz singer on the scene, hit the RIJF for the second time in two years, playing
The second New Orleans Jazz Festival in Tel-Aviv took place on June 20-22, in the Tel-Aviv Museum of Art and in the square in front
The Valley Jazz Club, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to playing and promoting Traditional Jazz in the San Fernando Valley, celebrated its 50th Anniversary on May
In late June, my husband, Jeff, and I attended the 28th America’s Classic Jazz Festival in Lacey, Washington. We went there as part of our
Sedalia syncopated again this year as the 38th Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival attracted aficionados from near and far for four days of revelry in ragtime
Just the fact that it even happened could be the lead story of this festival. Israel is a small country about the size of New
A small but attentive and appreciative group of jazz fans welcomed Emily Asher’s Garden Party to the Bop Stop in Cleveland, Ohio on June 4th
The Dirty River Dixie Band is a traditional, New Orleans-style jazz band hailing from San Antonio, where the group was mentored by veteran cornetist Jim
Maybe because it is the Holyland, the mythical land of prayer and salvation, that Israel was the right setting for the premiere of Eyal Vilner’s
The PBS film The Chaperone is currently making the rounds in specialty movie houses. It is based on the book of the same name by
On Friday evening, May 10, I attended a wonderful event in Scranton. I normally would not report on a one-off such as this, but once
The Syncopated Times has been following Colin Hancock and the Original Cornell Syncopators since they first organized in 2016. At the time they were planning
The 1921 show Shuffle Along was groundbreaking. The first African-American production to be staged on Broadway since 1910, it was the first to feature blacks
Promotional Sampler – Syncopation Society by Artists represented by Syncopation Society BerlinSometimes things just fit in perfectly. In this case, Syncopation Society Berlin and The
It’s not just the variety of musicians that make Jazz Fests so popular. It’s having so many musicians thrown together in a relaxed, less-structured environment
The Bria Skonberg Quintet recently visited an art gallery in snowy Utica for a memorable performance. Bria Skonberg has grown as a musician, in style,
Quinn Bachand is a name to watch. He’s an electrifying acoustic guitar player and fiddler from Victoria, British Columbia, who leads a worldly gypsy jazz
Ralph Pastore has been around the Toronto Trad Jazz scene since the mid-2000s and the music scene there even longer. He was in a ska
Norbert Susemihl’s Joyful Gumbo – Featuring Chloe Feoranzo & Jason Marsalis by Norbert Susemihl, Chloe Feoranzo, Hans Ingelstam, Jens Kristian Andersen, Jason Marsalis Norbert Susemihl, as
Rivermont, under the direction of pianist Bryan Wright, has amassed a very impressive catalog filled with hot jazz, ragtime, stride and rag pianists, historic recordings
It was a matter of geography. During one of the most vital periods in American music, from the late 1910s to around 1930, Gennett Records
On 19-21 October I attended the – unfortunately “Final” William Shakespeare Jazz ‘n’ Swing Festival in Kenilworth, England. Music was first class, just like at
![Sherrie Maricle's DIVA Jazz Orchestra [Photo Gallery]](https://syncopatedtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/DSC00183-768x511.jpg "Sherrie Maricle's DIVA Jazz Orchestra [Photo Gallery]")
Drummer and bandleader Sherrie Maricle, an Endicott NY native, heads three ensembles. She led her DIVA Jazz Orchestra at Jazz ‘N Caz Sept 15. [Photo
True to my slogan, “Support Live Jazz”, on November 18th I went to hear Eli and the Chocolate Factory in Tel-Aviv. I came early in
The Riverboat Dixie Jazz Band, formed in 1998, aims to play traditional New Orleans-style Dixieland jazz—with the specific intent of re-creating the entertainment experience one
Cabin in the Sky Hendrik Meurkens, chromatic harmonica; Bill Cunliffe, piano Height Advantage (hendrikmuerkens.com) Music from the Heart Roger Davidson Quartet featuring Hendrik Meurkens Soundbrush
Ce Biguine! by Charlie Halloran When I’m preparing for a review I often write the artist for a comment. If I’m lucky I get a
I’ve recently reviewed two traditional jazz albums featuring the distinctive vocals of Louisa Jones. (Man Overboard Qunitet, The Cable Street Rag Band.) She is accompanied
Press Start! by The 8-Bit Big Band Charlie Rosen wrangled dozens of musicians into a big band to perform quality arrangements of classic video game
That “Little Inner Voice” Is A Game Changer Emilio Barkett came to the attention of the Valley Jazz Club a few years ago as a
On The Radio Probably not many reading this have experienced enough birthdays to remember the evenings of elegant big band ballroom performances, hosted and broadcast
Avant-garde trumpeter Ted Daniel had been blowing jazz licks for more than a half-century when he experienced an unexpected epiphany while touring Europe in 2009.
Bandleader and flugelhorn master Jimmy McConnell is not only a man of musical notes, he is also a man of musical letters, with a PhD
When the Original Cornell Syncopators appeared at Maxie’s Supper Club and Oyster Bar in Ithaca, New York, on May 6, they were missing their founder
Hearing the energy and vitality of 1940s swing coming from the Valley Jazz Club in Canoga Park on a Sunday afternoon brought back memories of
Fourteen-year-old piano phenom Joey Alexander brought a brand-new trio to the Corning Museum of Glass Auditorium February 17, drawing a large and enthusiastic crowd. Backed
Audiences at the Valley Jazz Club always respond enthusiastically to Ginger Pauley and the Hoosier Daddys. Their shows are characterized by more smiles and less
One of the lines attributed to Mae West is “Too much of a good thing . . . can be wonderful.” I agree with this,
There is a special feeling of appreciation and recognition to see a young musician immersed and working hard toward his or her desired goal. Each
The Leader Evan Christopher, who was featured on the cover of the August issue of The Syncopated Times, brought the annual Jazz-n-Caz event in Cazenovia,
After spending 35 years in law enforcement, Richie Freedman returned to his true passion, the trumpet. His trumpet studies began as a precocious eight year
An Unfortunate Twist at Tanglewood Escaping the rain and chill on June 16 in anticipation of a concert of hot jazz by the New York-based
Hard Times Yield Good Songs Janet Klein lives the 1910s female vocalist dream—to sing the popular songs of the Ragtime Era on a public stage
Songbook standards are secure in the hands of rising singer Veronica Swift. The daughter of the late pianist Hod O’Brien & wife Stephanie Nakasian (a
The documentary There’s a Future in the Past featuring Vince Giordano and The Nighthawks is now available on DVD for all jazz fans to enjoy.
This Ukulele Trio Means Jazz! Ukulele music ordinarily brings visions of the beautiful Hawaiian Islands with a clear blue sky, swaying palm trees in a
A Grateful, Loving Tribute to Rosy McHargue In a unique cooperation of local Los Angeles area jazz clubs, the Jazz Forum (Santa Monica) presented their
For an evening of nostalgia, good music, and light humor, be sure to catch Max Raabe and the Palast Orchester if they happen to pass
Imagine being able to find within seconds all of the information that exists about the music on a particular 78, LP, or CD that you
When Benny Goodman’s sextet played, they could make almost anyone’s heart beat a little faster. He was able to sustain an excitement with the innovation,
A capacity crowd packed The Other Side in Utica, New York for Harry Allen’s Quartet, and they gave the band standing ovations at the end
