Author Archives: jeff

I’m tempted to call these comments “Sin, Gin, and the Beginnings of Jazz as We Know it”. When the Secretary of the Navy closed Storyville in 1917, musicians looked for other places to play. Chicago became a draw. Joe ‘King’ … Continue reading →

Pianos have been a part of the scene since what we now call Jazz, moved from the streets of New Orleans to the brothels of Storyville. The piano has been the instrument of choice for a number of great names … Continue reading →

The tag line promoting Jazz Appreciation Month (April, by the way) is: Jazz, born in America, appreciated Worldwide. While that statement is quite true, a huge number of Jazz musicians have been born worldwide. I have the opportunity to see … Continue reading →

Albert “Tootie” Heath The life of the Jazz musician is a hard one – late hours; days, weeks, months on the road; untold number of hours woodshedding to hone one’s skills – all of which preclude a ‘normal’ family life … Continue reading →

Jazz slang or lingo: smokin’, playing the skins, clams, licorice stick, hot licks, jam session, head arrangement, gig, dig, cool – and many, many more. One could easily write an essay on any of them – but I’m going to … Continue reading →