Features
A History of the Music Business and Where it’s Headed Now
During the 20th Century music became big business, but the 21st Century may lead us back to an older mode of existence for artists. In
The Gang at Monkey Inn (Part 1) – Classic and Traditional Jazz 1958-62
Don’t miss the downloadable vintage audio files at the bottom of this article. In Berkeley, California the Monkey Inn (1956-66) was central to the second
July 4, 1900: Louis’ Noble Lie?
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance offers us one of American film’s great moments. U.S. Senator Ransom Stoddard (James Stewart) has gained his position of
News
Stompin’ at the Virtual Savoy
Famed Harlem Ballroom to Throw Open its (Digital) Doors Once More In May of 1937, around 4,000 swing fans crowded a ballroom to see two
In Walked Fud
“[Fud Livingston’s] final decade was a difficult one, and a pernicious addiction to alcohol ultimately took him out ahead of schedule. Until shortly before his
Peter Lundberg Receives the 2019 SJIRF Lifetime Achievement Award
During an especially poignant moment at this year’s Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival, David Reffkin presented the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award to Swedish ragtime performer, composer,
Artist Profiles
David Broad’s Swinging Country Blues
Britain has a few reasons to be blue. Our economy is shrinking. Our politics is an international joke. And the weather this summer has been
Trebor Jay Tichenor A Genuine Ragtimer
To have known Trebor Jay Tichenor is to have known a ragtime legend. In fact, this St. Louisan might have been a ragtime original had
Andy Schumm: Chicago’s Hot Jazz Maestro
Chicago’s reputation in the Jazz world is indisputable. Often considered the nursery of jazz, many of the greats came here, called it home and nursed
Jazz Travels
From The World Championship Old Time Piano Playing Contest and Festival
This event with a hopelessly long but descriptive name occurs annually on Memorial Day weekend on the beautiful University of Mississippi campus in Oxford. This
From the 2019 Gotham Jazz Festival
In late April I spent a week in New York, volunteering at the NY Hot Jazz Camp as I have done every year since its
From the 2019 French Quarter Festival
In my December 2017 column, I reported on my short visit to New Orleans, concluding that “I shouldn’t wait another 23 years to return.” I
Album Reviews
The Wolverine Jazz Band: Tell Me
The Jungle Jazz Band: The Animule Dance
The Chicago Cellar Boys Release 78 rpm Record
Ellynne Rey: The Birdsongs Project
Ricky Alexander Strike Up The Band
Daryl Sherman: Lost in a Crowded Place
John Hammond’s From Spirituals To Swing Concert
Tom McDermott Meets Scott Joplin
Books
Take Five: The Public and Private Lives of Paul Desmond
Superstride: A Biography and Discography of Johnny Guarnieri by Derek Coller
The Original Blues: The Emergence of the Blues in African American Vaudeville
Three Books About Buddy Bolden
Profiles in Jazz
Clarence Williams: Profiles in Jazz
Jazz history books often leave his name out, but Clarence Williams was a major force in the 1920s and ’30s and had quite a career;
Harry James: Profiles in Jazz
Next to Louis Armstrong, Harry James was not only the most famous trumpeter of the 1940s but remains a household name decades after his death.
Bessie Smith: Profiles in Jazz
Accurately billed as “The Empress of the Blues” during her prime years, Bessie Smith was not only the top female jazz and blues singer to
Randi Cee
My Right Foot – Part Two
Last night was my first gig back after foot surgery—and it was, thankfully, a fairly easy one. I delegated the herding duties to another musician
My Right Foot – Part One
“I don’t like how swollen that leg is. I need you to go right now and get a sonogram to rule out a blood clot.”
Lions and Tigers and Drag Queens, Oh My!
My friend who works at Royce Hall asked me if I wanted two free tickets to a show called Taylor Mac’s Holiday Sauce. The name
The Professor is IN
Economy Jazz Class
The Art of the Vibe
With the relatively recent advent of formal education in jazz, coupled with the endless resources provided by the internet, I am excited and heartened by
Separating the Artist from the Art
I was in Australia a few weeks back, and I’m not sure how much it made the news here in the US, but a high
Blowing Off The Dust
Michael Chisholm’s Labors of Love
Making new friends and learning more about older acquaintances is one of the many rewards of being part of the on-line ragtime community. I am
Yes, They All Played Ragtime Is Still Relevant Today
They All Played Ragtime (Alfred A. Knopf, Ltd., 1950) by Rudi Blesh and Harriet Janis is a wonderful story of our ragtime heritage. There have
Titles for Performers: on Perfessers, Dukes, and Kings
Each year as a Scott Joplin anniversary rolls around, I get to pondering the composer’s tragic life and the lack of acclaim he received while
The Final Chorus
Bossa Nova Pioneer João Gilberto Has Died
João Gilberto, Brazilian guitarist, vocalist, and bossa nova pioneer died July 6th, he was 88. Born in Bahia, Brazil he began guitar early and was
Jerry Fuller, an original Duke of Dixieland, has Passed at 89
Gerald L. “Jerry” Fuller, 89, passed away peacefully on June 24, 2019. He was an important traditional jazz clarinetist who made numerous television appearances as
Dave Bartholomew, New Orleans Composer and Trumpet player, Dies at 100
Dave Bartholomew was born in Edgard Louisiana but soon moved with his parents to New Orleans where he took music lessons from Peter Davis who