Frankie Newton: 20th Century Jazzman and Political Activist
The history of Jazz is rife with disreputable tropes—brothels, gangsters, dives and dope. But transgressive or not, jazz is an art that prizes finding your
Early History of the Galvanized Jazz Band
Although I had wanted to play dixieland jazz since I was very young, my first opportunity did not come until the fall of 1961. Wild
Field recordings from The 746th Far East Air Force Band
Scan the obituaries in The Syncopated Times and you will quickly realize just how fast we are losing veterans of WWII and Korea. Service during
Jazz Goes Collegiate!
Four and a half years ago I first met Colin Hancock, whose recognition and reputation as an eminent authority on early jazz, especially that performed
Jazz Royalty Remembered: Prince Robinson
Jazz history is not necessarily written by its winners, yet they still manage to dominate the narrative. There are certainly landmark musicians whose influence merits
The Professor Speaks! Our Interview with Adrian Cunningham
Over the years, Adrian Cunningham has made his mark on the jazz scene. Knowing a bit of his background, I wanted to interview him, but
Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival Lifetime Achievement Awards
During the June 4-5 weekend, the Scott Joplin International Ragtime Festival Foundation Announced that Bryan Cather received the 2020 Award posthumously and Mimi Blais received
Monterey is Back in 2022!
In 2020, the Monterey Jazz Bash by the Bay was the final major festival on the trad jazz circuit that took place before the pandemic
Stan Kenton Orchestra Marks 80 Years
2021 marks the 80th anniversary of the Stan Kenton Orchestra, which debuted as the Artistry in Rhythm band on Memorial Day of 1941 at the
Catching Up With Matthew Davidson
Many of us have not heard from Matthew de Lacey Davidson for some time. Though he is now retired from performing, his ragtime recordings are
Sweet Megg and Ricky Alexander Mine the Old to Make Something New
The pandemic has brought naught but misery to a lot of musicians, no doubt about it. When artists look back on these two years—and hopefully
Reedman Keenan McKenzie Keeps Riffing!
Keenan McKenzie has his own bands: the Riffers are a popular dance-oriented swing combo with a three-horn front line, while the Keenan McKenzie Orchestra is
Texas Shout #23 Dixieland vs. Ragtime Part 1
Set forth below is the twenty-third “Texas Shout” column. The initial installment of a two-part essay, it first appeared in the November 1991 issue
Texas Shout #4 Reading, Solo & Ensemble Skills
Set forth below is the fourth “Texas Shout” column, reprinted from the March 1990 issue of The American Rag (then West Coast Rag). Because the
Texas Shout #69 Substitutes
Set forth below is the sixty-ninth “Texas Shout” column. It first appeared in the February 1996 issue of TAR. The text has not been updated.
Jazz Goes Collegiate!
Four and a half years ago I first met Colin Hancock, whose recognition and reputation as an eminent authority on early jazz, especially that performed
A Visit with Domingo Mancuello
Although pianist Domingo Mancuello (pronounced Man-KWAY-o) lives only three miles from me (but not for long—see below), I did not meet him here in Lancaster.
A cold live show with Champian Fulton
Like many of you since the onset of COVID, I’ve been itching to be able to attend live music events and festivals. There just haven’t
Sarah Spencer’s Global Ramblers • The Trio Sessions, Vol. 1
The New Black Eagle Jazz Band • Black Eagle Skuffle
Michael McQuaid & Curtis Volp • Duets for No Reason at All
Risa Branch • I Thought About You
Duncan Swift • The Broadwood Concert
Emily Asher • If I Were a Window
Artie Shaw • Self Portrait
Parlour Noir • Hot Jazz for Hard Times
Orlando R. Marsh: Chicago’s Pioneer of Electrical Recording (An Illustrated Bio-Discography)
Swingin’ the Blues: The Virtuosity of Eddie Durham, by Topsy M. Durham
It’s A Sin To Tell A Lie by Marty Grosz
12 Jazz Violin Duos composed by Ittzés Tamás
Charlie Christian and Jimmy Blanton: Profiles in Jazz
Guitarist Charlie Christian and bassist Jimmy Blanton never recorded together and it is quite possible that they never jammed on the same stage, but there
Red Norvo and Mildred Bailey: Mr and Mrs. Swing
They were a bit of an odd couple. Red Norvo was thin and soft-spoken while Mildred Bailey was heavy and could be rather boisterous. But
Jimmy Rushing: Profiles in Jazz
During the swing era, there were two types of male singers that were employed by many big bands, and then there was Jimmy Rushing. While
This Could Be the Start of Something Big!
The New Orleans Jazz Museum eagerly announced the following: Satchmo SummerFest presented by Chevron will return to the New Orleans Jazz Museum as a live
Nickel-A-Dance Returns!
Sponsored by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, the following press release was a welcome announcement: “NICKEL-A-DANCE is a free series of Sunday afternoon
Keep on Truckin’ in the Quarter
Although easing up a bit, the current situation has put a stop to most live music in New Orleans but it has created some alternatives
Live Jazz Returns to Tel Aviv
Considering that Israel is a country about the size of New Jersey with a population of about nine million, I would guess that per capita,
The 2021 Virtual Program of the Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival
The weekend of June 4-5 belonged to the virtual concerts and symposia of the Scott Joplin International Ragtime Festival Foundation. That would ordinarily have been
The 2021 Virtual Old Time Piano Playing Contest and Junior Showcase
Dr. Ian Hominick at the University of Mississippi in Oxford produced a fine 2021 virtual program to keep the Old Time Piano Playing Contest at
Silas Leachman: Pioneer Self-Accompanist
These days we often take performers who sing and play piano for granted, but in the acoustic phonograph world things were a little different. Long
Charlie Carson Records in the Far East
Last month’s piece in this column was on Charlie Carson and his partner in crime Russell Hunting. This month will be a continuation of Carson’s
The Charming and Cunning Charlie Carson
In 1896, two phonograph engineers were arrested for the first crime not patent related within the recording business. The more famous of the two, Russell
Second Hand Rows
4 years BC (Before Covid) my life hit a scary financial pothole. I had a small, yet vital secondary income and theoretically it would have
You Can’t Kill Death
I don’t know who first said it but it’s as true a statement as one can utter: Death is the great equalizer. On Monday, April
Clichés in the COVID Cabaret
I am a bacon-wrapped cliché, an idiom in puffed pastry. And sometimes I am the wrong that proves the right. I have been absent from
Benny Goodman’s Kingdom of Swing, Pt 1: The Early Years
Benny Goodman (1909-1986) did for clarinet what Louis Armstrong had done for the trumpet, gave it a virtuoso leadership role in the jazz ensemble. Benny’s
Farewell to Stan McDonald (1935-2021)
Stanley ‘Stan’ Montrose McDonald, Jr. (1935-2021) loved the music of Sidney Bechet, his wife Ellen, their historic semi-rural Massachusetts home and a hard-driving rhythm section
Swingin’ the Blues: The Virtuosity of Eddie Durham, by Topsy M. Durham
The monumental role of Eddie Durham (1906-1987) in the development of Swing has been hidden in the corners of Jazz history and mostly overlooked by
How to Be the Darling of Social Media
Like it or not, social media is not only here to stay, but also an integral part of the professional musician’s career. Our path has
There Goes Another Gig
I was talking with a colleague recently who told me that someone had uploaded all the Nirvana songs to an A.I. algorithm, then the A.I.
A Quarantine Year in Review
Well folks, it’s been one full year since our lives all fundamentally changed. If you’d have asked me a year ago where we’d be by
Harrigan’s Orpheum
I am blowing off the dust this month with Max Morath. There are so many stories from his long career, but I am beginning with
Stepping Out Of The Shade
As I watch civilization slowly emerge from our pandemic hibernation, I realize we still live in a dangerous world. I find myself in a tentative
Scott Joplin Autographs
For many admirers, a personally signed autograph is a treasured keepsake. For over fifty years I avidly accumulated these bits of personalized ephemera. It all
Big Band Era Leader Elliot Lawrence Dies at 96
Elliot Lawrence, one of the last-living bandleaders of the Big Band Era, died on July 2, 2021. He was 96. Lawrence was born Elliot Lawrence
American Rag publisher Don Jones has died at 89
James Donald Jones, Jr., age 89, of Apple Valley, California passed away on Wednesday, May 26, 2021. “Don” was born January 20, 1932 in Oakland,
David Mallette, Texarkana advocate for Joplin, has died.
David Mallette, energetic advocate for Texarkana (Arkansas and Texas) and director of the Regional Music Heritage Center there, died On Saturday June 5, 2021, at
