It was a hot balmy day as we stepped off the ferry onto Governors Island; ten minutes off the southern tip of Manhattan. As Jacqueline and I approached the great lawn in the center of the island, I was transported to another place, another time – much like Owen Wilson was when he stepped into car as the leading character in the new Woody Allen film Midnight in Paris. Before my eyes the roaring 20's were alive and well, pages come to life from F. Scott Fitzgerald's book The Great Gatsby. People were in authentic garb, playing badminton; lounging with friends picnicking; and dancing to the music of the era – JAZZ!

Very few ragtime recordings are issued today, especially by European artists. The last to cross this writer’s desk was Alessandra Celletti’s beautiful Black Baby CD …

Richard Freitas describes his tunes as orginal, new, stride and ragtime tunes for solo piano. The title, Tootsie Tunes could bring to mind the spirited music of tele…

Just a little bit of history concerning Ragtime: Catherine Schmidt-Jones stated in her brief history of ragtime music that following the American Civil War, the only…

The first time I met Joe Sample, I was somewhat taken aback by the simplicity of his character as a world-class entertainer. As a jazz pianist, Joe has been a viable…

Hearkening back to the days of ragtime and stride, when a pianist could sit down alone and play unaccompanied for hours keeping the fans enraptured, Soul Shadow by Joe Samp…

Mews Small has been acting and singing most of her life on Broadway, in television productions and in major film releases like One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest and

It’s always nice to hear a good stride player in this day and age. It was a bit surprising though, to find a stride piano man living in Whitehorse, Yukon. For the un…

I felt it appropriate to start off this review with an explanation of what kind of music Grant Simpson presents on his new album Stride And True. Not everyone knows …

Long ago, before the singers were stars, and before there were movies with sound, people went to see live entertainment. One such was Guido Deiro (1886-1950), an accordioni…

Here's a nice new release from the independent Italian recording company, KHA. The classically oriented label makes a venture into the jazz world with this fine compilation…

This is a memorable collection of solo ragtime piano performances that will thrill the jazz listening audience with its innovation, approach, and style. Scott Warner excels…

Mimi Blais is a classically trained pianist based in Montreal, Quebec. About 1990, she stumbled across some sheet music by a little known Quebec composer and theatre pianis…

For those who enjoy Dixieland jazz, this is a wonderful new release, one that will really grab you and give you a healthy jolt of happy jazz sounds! Dr. Ted Borodofsky on c…

Mimi Blais is a highly trained classical pianist and a native of Québec. About 1989, she discovered the ragtime and waltz music of Québec composer Jean Baptiste Lafrenière …