Influence and Art Tatum
Steve Provizer
December 21, 2019
Discerning influences – why musicians sing or play or write the way they do – can be as straightforward as recognizing a stolen/borrowed lick or
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Discerning influences – why musicians sing or play or write the way they do – can be as straightforward as recognizing a stolen/borrowed lick or
“Immorality: the morality of those who are having a better time.” — H. L. Mencken In 1900, editorializing on jazz and “other black music,” Etude
We knew Tuba Skinny had a following but we weren’t prepared for a standing room only crowd! I never saw so many joyous, boppin’ people
When looking at music history, it is easy to focus on the canon—artists of undisputed importance who more often than not have achieved some kind
Mathematical sticklers may demur, but I take pleasure in declaring the twenties have finally arrived again. The ringing in of a new decade—a twenties that
During the summer of 2018 Tuba Skinny had the unique opportunity to perform as part of the Ashton Brothers circus in the Netherlands. We performed
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
Much has been written about Johnny Dodds. Unfortunately the biography by Lambert (1961) that inspires much of it is not well-researched and is mostly a
Doug Benson’s work on King Oliver and Wolverines material quickly became benchmarks for what proper audio restoration could reveal. Since those discs in 2007 and
I could not have been more pleased when Mike Zirpolo contacted me, and asked me to share my memories about having played for the soundtrack
Following the publication of “Nick Fatool – the Perfect Jazz Percussionist” (Syncopated Times, Nov. 2019), I have been carrying on a dialogue with Kevin Dorn—a
Last fall I wrote an essay for The Syncopated Times titled, “Reconsidering “Dixieland Jazz”, How The Name Has Harmed The Music”. It encouraged the remaining
This article became a two hour radio program which can be found following the text. A playlist providing discographical information for all of the sample
Pianist Kris Tokarski (“Lendítsd a zongorán!” TST, May 2020) hails from the home state of James P. Johnson and currently lives in Jelly Roll Morton’s
Cladys “Jabbo” Smith was born in 1908 and became a professional trumpet player at age 15. He showed up in New York City in 1925
A banjo-centric conversation with Hal Smith and John Gill Multi-instrumentalist and bandleader John Gill (“Traditional Jazz’s Stomper-in-Chief,” TST, April 2020) has an encyclopedic knowledge of,
Larry Karp (1939–2016), whose last completed project was his biography of Brun Campbell, based it on a critical discussion of Brun’s autobiographical statements. (Numbers in parentheses
The wonderful vocalist Banu Gibson (“First Lady of the Bayou,” TST, September 2016) is a great friend and it is always a privilege to share
The late music writer and producer, Stanley Dance, shared the opinion, common in the East, that “Los Angeles was a wasteland dominated by the bad
This is part one of a two part series chronicling the Hall Brothers Jazz Band. Their story is an important and essential part of the
As is its annual tradition since 2005, the San Diego Jazz Party conveys the title of “Jazz Legend” on one of its participating musicians. At
If YouTube views are any indication Tatiana Eva-Marie leads one of the most popular traditional jazz bands going. A Swiss-born actress and vocalist she’s on
Note: John Gill is a multi-instrumentalist with wide-ranging musical tastes. However, he is best known as an authority on San Francisco Style Jazz and also
I first noticed Hannah Gill in a fundraising video she made with Glenn Crytzer in support of his double disc release of originals and swing
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
Tuba player David Ostwald got hooked on Louis Armstrong and his music at age 15. “I went to Sam Goody’s (remember record stores?) to buy
Hal Smith: You are best known among Traditional Jazz fans as a cornetist, but can you tell us about the instrument you started with? Chris
I asked multi-instrumentalist Don Vappie some questions about his life growing up and becoming a musician in the Crescent City. (His latest release, The Blue
Global pandemics aside, the Mint Julep Jazz Band is enjoying great demand. With band members featured at North Carolina’s Lindy Focus—one of the planet’s biggest
Pianist Steve Pistorius has honored the New Orleans Jazz tradition since the 1970s as a piano soloist, sideman, bandleader, and educator. Hal Smith: What was
This summer, trombonist/singer/composer Emily Asher had planned on touring with her band Garden Party, in support of the group’s newest album If I Were a
Thirty-three year-old guitarist/banjoist Arnt Arntzen, younger brother of reedman Evan Arntzen, has quickly established his own presence in New York. Evan was featured in this
Pianist Ray Skjelbred is now in his 60th year as a professional jazzman. In this first of a two-part interview, he discusses his formative years,
Back in my disc jockey days in the ’90s, when I read about jazz in Chicago, one name kept appearing: Franz Jackson (November 1, 1912
Pre-Banjo Years Music and playing music came fairly early in my life, but not on the banjo. I vaguely remember taking a year of piano
Jazz trumpet player Buck Clayton is best known for his role in the early years of the Count Basie orchestra and sensitive accompaniment to Billie
Record collectors may be familiar with the name Frank Banta—a name usually associated with hot novelty and jazz piano of the 1920s, and rightfully so.
The New Orleans Jazz Museum’s new exhibition: New Orleans Music Observed: The Art of Noel Rockmore and Emilie Rhys had its grand opening on January
In this Article: Location recordings, rare photos, unissued studio tracks and a radio broadcast explore Dick Oxtot’s Golden Age Jazz Band. His talent for mentoring
At the West Coast Ragtime Festival in November I sat down for about half an hour for a wide-ranging conversation with multi-instrumentalist Matt Tolentino, who
Concealed in the shadows of Jazz and Blues history are dynamic women who nurtured, guided and developed the music. Several of the most talented and
This year marks the 100th anniversary of Mamie Smith’s first records. In February of 1920, Mamie Smith made history as the first black woman to
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.
This lively tribute to Mielke offers three dozen exclusive photos and music tracks from his personal collection. Included in this profile of an innovative bandleader
In the 1950s, trombonist Wilbur DeParis led his New New Orleans Jazz Band, one of the most exciting groups of the era. Accomplishing his stated
The path of Creole multi-instrumentalist Frank “Big Boy” Goudie (b. 1899 Lafayette, LA 1899 – d. 1964 San Francisco, CA) parallels the history of Jazz
The tenor-saxophone took a little while to be accepted in jazz. Unlike the alto-sax and C-melody which were considered lead instruments, the tenor did not
In the music world, it is easy to overrate the popularity of songs and performers. This is not a new concept, and in terms of
Most big bands during the swing era had three trumpeters. After that period, trumpet sections grew to four or five musicians generally comprised of one
Of all the adventures I’ve had in my worldly travels, one of my least memorable was a night in Lisdoonvarna. Now when I say least
Last month I began my comment on the confusing heritage of Sedalia’s Maple Leaf Club (MLC). Was it the benign men’s social club of the
In October of 2019, we saw Jory Woodis, a young clarinetist at Fritzel’s who had a captivating sound and personality. Later we saw him at
For many decades, Justin Ring has been an elusive character in the world of early recording and ragtime. Researcher Jim Walsh spoke of him only
Whether you love New Orleans tailgate trombone or sophisticated Swing, Bill Bardin (1924 – 2011) is your man for tasteful, expressive jazz trombone. He was second
Edmond Hall was one of a handful of jazz musicians who could be identified after one note. Playing on a famous filmed version of “St.
