The Professor Is IN

I’m sure the good readers of The Syncopated Times are well aware by now that jazz musicians are finely tuned creative artists. But are you

A common question that jazz musicians get asked is: do you still practice? And if so, then what do you practice? In jazz, don’t you

Jon Challoner, the trumpet player in my band, told me he recently cleaned out his trumpet, and what came out was “ungodly.” And as any

There’s no denying it, it’s a struggle out there for musicians trying to get noticed on the jazz scene. Getting famous as a jazz musician

Jazz musicians, or any artists for that matter, strive to live in the moment. Living in the moment is a very vital part of making

At some point, some of you jazz cats might get called up to do a gig with a classical ensemble, or even a whole orchestra!

If you’re a working musician, like it or not—you’re also a performer. So it follows that a great part of your job involves being on

Are you a working musician, but are tired of waiting for the phone to ring for more gigs? Are you constantly looking at band line-ups

Jazz is a mysterious art form, full of many eccentricities, not the least of which is that elusive style of singing known as scat singing. Scatting

Ask any jazz musician worthy of their craft, and they’ll tell you “you can’t have jazz without the blues.” While I believe this to be

There’s a magic moment in jazz…a small window of time…between the musicians taking the stage and counting off the first tune. It may not seem

I don’t know if you’ve figured this out yet, but I’m a pretty big deal. It wouldn’t be a stretch to think of me as

If you’ve ever wanted to start your own traditional jazz band, but never learned how to play an instrument, then have no fear, my friend!

I’m a pretty good looking guy. I don’t think that’s an outrageous statement. Don’t get me wrong, you’re not going to see me anytime soon

I, like most jazz musicians, am often asked this question by the layperson: “How do you improvise in a jazz band? Do you just make

You may have noticed last month’s issue of Syncopated Times being perhaps a little lighter in weight. Perhaps you felt like the last edition had

Let’s be honest: jazz musicians are cool. Statistically speaking, cooler than you. Case in point: jazz musicians are far too cool to actually read this

Have you ever watched one of those old gladiator movies from the golden age of Hollywood? Ben Hur, Spartacus…where two lethal warriors fight for their

As a working musician, a big part of the job involves travel. Out of town gigs, big tours, weekend festivals traveling by plane, train, gondola,

I’ll be 40 soon. I’m not shy to admit it. All things considered, things are going pretty well so far. For starters, I’ve outlived Hendrix,

Whether you’re listening to a live band in a club, or kicking back at home with friends listening to a record, it’s very important to

As a bandleader performing for many swing dancers in recent years (in the US and worldwide), I’m inspired to see the reuniting of jazz and

I get it. You want to talk to me at a gig and. . .tell me how great I sound. . .that my music has