Gabrielle Lee Carries Harlem’s Legacy Into the Present
Brian Sheridan
What are the most exciting and essential classic jazz recordings that have taken place since the end of World War II? An impossible question to answer but I accepted the challenge to put together a list that everyone can argue about. This five-part series briefly discusses 100 great recordings that
Multi-instrumentalist Andy Schumm made some interesting comments regarding his career on the occasion of his 40th birthday in a Facebook posting. He wrote “I’m not usually big on birthdays, but this seems like a big one. More importantly, I mark the true beginning of my music career 20 years ago
There is a tension in traditional jazz between recreation and creation. Colin Hancock has always lived on the rarer side of that line, not content to merely “recreate” old sounds but to accurately create them, as if restoring a lost conversation rather than staging a costume drama. His new album
An article in the July ’24 issue of The Syncopated Times about a French jazz festival caught my eye. “We really try to put the emphasis on young bands,” it said. As the director of the Wahington, DC-based Potomac River Jazz Club’s youth trad ensemble, the Capital Focus Jazz Band,
The 54th Bix Beiderbecke Jazz Festival in Davenport, Iowa continued its tradition of excellence on July 31-August 3 at the perennially over-cooled Rhythm City Casino. What’s more, of the dozen-plus times I’ve attended this event, this was only the second I can recall when the weather matched the quality of
The blue links on song titles go to the referenced recordings on Archive.org. Hal Smith: Jeff, we have discussed Kid Ory’s historic recordings with Jelly Roll Morton, King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, Johnny Dodds and other greats in previous articles. I’d like to remind our readers that if they will take
LOUIS ARMSTRONG’S 70 GREATEST RECORDINGS Although I have long wanted to write about Louis Armstrong for The Syncopated Times, since Ricky Riccardi’s trio of books (Stomp Off Let’s Go, Heart Full Of Rhythm, and What A Wonderful World) definitively cover Satch’s life, I decided to try a different approach then
When asked for a self-assessment, singer-pianist-composer Tony Desare responded, “I’m just a kid from Glens Falls, New York when fell in love with jazz at an early age and who feels very lucky being able to make a living doing what I love and so enjoy.” Tony DeSare is described
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 saddened by his passing, even though he reached the age of 97. He had an extremely small body of work, and after a
While the string bass was part of the early New Orleans jazz scene from its start, with Jimmy Johnson (1876-1937) and his bass being seen in the famous photo of Buddy Bolden’s band from the late 1890s, it took some time for it to become an indispensable part of many
Acoustic recordings of whistlers aren’t for everyone, but there was one whistler who I would consider many levels better than the others. He had a very unlikely story to get him into recording, but he certainly made an impact. This whistler was named John Yorke AtLee, a regular guy working
The Century Room in the downtown Hotel Congress was again the venue for a terrific Sunday Gospel set! A lazy afternoon saw the Gospel According to Grown Folks take the stage with a guest vocalist, Alex Brady. Jermaine Lockhart (sax) came down from Phoenix for the event with Chris Pena
We owe a vast debt of gratitude to all the readers and supporters of The Syncopated Times who have kept us in print this year. Our nonprofit umbrella, Syncopated Media, Inc., has provided a means of assistance to our charitable (i.e., unprofitable) cause, but even such an appliance is no
Tom Brier’s voluminous output of quality piano rags is highly esteemed among his fellow Ragtime artists. His Razor Blades has become a standard and can be seen as a modern analogue to Joplin’s Maple Leaf Rag. Rivermont Records is home to several recommended recordings of Brier’s work. Will Perkins’ thoughtful
Albert Ammons was born in Chicago on March 1, 1907. Both of his parents were pianists and he began playing when he was ten. One of his childhood friends, Meade Lux Lewis, encouraged him and they often practiced together on the piano at the Ammons house. Starting in 1924, Ammons
27th Annual PENTASTIC HOT JAZZ & MUSIC FESTIVAL (Penticton, BC) Sept. 5-7 Situated between two lakes in the beautiful Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Pentastic Hot Jazz is celebrating its 27th year. As “the best Jazz Party in the Northwest”, the three day Pentastic HOT Jazz Festival brings world class
Carl Lunsford, a traditional jazz banjo player whose rhythmic style anchored many West Coast trad bands, passed away on August 5th in Sausalito, California, at 90. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, he moved around as a child due to his father’s job with B.F. Goodrich, settling eventually in Albany, New York.
Alain Bouchet, the French trumpeter and cornetist, passed away on August 4th, he was 81. He began his career in the 1960s with groups like Les Pieds de Poule, later joining Marc Laferrière’s orchestra. Joining the band in 1972, he was a key member of Maxim Saury’s orchestra, performing for
David F. Gibson, a dynamic drummer whose rhythmic drive powered iconic big bands, passed away on July 30th, he was 72. Born in Philadelphia, he earned a bachelor’s degree in music from Temple University, building a local reputation in the city’s vibrant jazz scene. In the 1980s, he contributed to
Sheila Jordan, the pioneering jazz vocalist, passed away on August 11, 2025, in New York City. She was 96. Inspired by Charlie Parker, who she discovered as a teenager in Detroit, Jordan developed an innovative approach to vocal performance, blending scatting and storytelling, with an emotional depth that made her
Chuck Mangione, a flugelhorn player and composer whose early work shaped the ongoing legacy of swing, passed away on July 22nd. He was 84. Born in Rochester, New York, and a graduate of the Eastman School of Music, he joined Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers in the early 1960s, playing trumpet
Cleo Laine, a British jazz singer whose voice shaped British jazz and standards singing, passed away on July 24th in Wavendon, England. She was 97. Born Clementine Dinah Bullock in Southall, she joined John Dankworth’s Seven in 1951, adopting her stage name and performing jazz at London clubs. She married
Tom Lehrer, the pianist and musical satirist whose sharp-witted songs blended ragtime, Tin Pan Alley, and musical theater, passed away on July 26th in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was 97. His concise yet impactful catalog, including “The Vatican Rag” and “Poisoning Pigeons in the Park,” used syncopated rhythms and clever lyrics
Robert “Bob” Rann, renowned tubaist and a foundational figure in the traditional jazz revival movement, passed away peacefully on August 1, 2025, at the age of 88. A gifted musician, tireless performer, and joyful presence onstage and off, Rann’s career spanned more than six decades, touching audiences around the world.
The Basin Street Regulars Hot Jazz Society is thrilled to announce the 2nd Jazz Jubilee Central Coast 2025, a vibrant celebration of jazz music stretching from San Luis Obispo County to Santa Barbara County. This year’s festival will take place from October 17th to October 26th, 2025, featuring a mix
J. Mayo Williams, who was nicknamed “Ink” due to his dark skin, had two often simultaneous careers. He is best remembered today as a pioneering African-American record producer and talent scout who worked for the Paramount and Decca labels, but he was also one of the few black professional football
The website for the 36th Sun Valley Jazz Festival describes the annual event in the Idaho Rockies as a vibrant celebration of music. Over the years, the Festival has been a dynamic and intimate gathering where music lovers and artists alike come together to celebrate the joy of jazz while
The columnist whose writing normally appears in this space has taken a leave of absence to fulfill the terms of a court-ordered anger management program and undergo a full metaphysical detox at the Steve Wynn Center for Philosophical Realignment. Mr. Brown has graciously volunteered to fill in for as long
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Historic Music Rediscovered: Rare 100+ Year-Old Compositions by Will H. Dixon Released on 146th Anniversary of His Birth NEW YORK, NY – August 29, 2025 – I AM DELIGHTED TO SHARE that the publication of FOUR PIECES FOR PIANO SOLO by Will H. Dixon (1879-1917) this Friday,
Vol.10, No.9, September 2025
Gabrielle Lee Carries Harlem’s Legacy into the Present, by Brian R. Sheridan
Tony Desare: “Doing What I So Enjoy,” by Lew Shaw
C’est Si Bon: Capital Focus Jazz Band in France, by Dave Robinson
Andy Schumm Reflects on his 20-Year Career, by Lew Shaw
100 of the Hottest Classic Jazz Albums, Pt.4 (1977-1996), by Scott Yanow
Jazz Birthday of the Month: Albert Ammons, illustration by Sara Lièvre
Final Chorus, compiled by Joe Bebco
Jazz Travels: The 2025 Bix Beiderbecke Jazz Festival, by Bill Hoffman
My Inspirations: A Comedy of Lehrer’s, by Jeff Barnhart
Quarter Notes: Jazzin’ in July!, by Shelly Gallichio
Ragtime Vignettes: Appreciating Tom Brier, by Brandon Byrne
Jazz Jottings: The 36th Sun Valley Jazz Festival, by Lew Shaw
The Whistling Bureaucrat: John Yorke AtLee, by R.S. Baker
Profiles in Jazz: Bassists of the 1920s, by Scott Yanow
Festival Roundup, compiled by Michael Buonaiuto; art by Joe Busam
Ain’t Cha Got Music: Kid Ory’s Crescent Sessions, by J. Barnhart & H. Smith
The Publisher is Grateful for Your Kindness and Patience, by Andy Senior
JAZZ is WOW!, by Spasmo Brown
Nights at the Turntable: Louis’ 70 Greatest Recordings, by Scott Yanow
Book Review: Ink: The Indelible J. Mayo Williams, by Scott Yanow
Off the Beaten Tracks: Cat & The Hounds, review by Joe Bebco