Front Page

REMEMBERING CLEO, NANCY AND SHEILA (and other jazz artists who died in 2025)

Front Page, Retro Reviews /

The jazz world lost many giants in 2025, but the summer was particulary harsh for vocal jazz fans. In just 19 days, three iconic jazz singers passed away. In this special Retro Review, Thomas Cunniffe discusses rare and wondrous albums by Cleo Laine, Nancy King, and Sheila Jordan. The article also includes a selective list of the musicians we lost in the past 12 months.

REMEMBERING CLEO, NANCY AND SHEILA (and other jazz artists who died in 2025) Read More »

“CONCERTO FOR COOTIE” (by Steven C. Bowie)

Book Reviews, Front Page /

Trumpeter Cootie Williams bookmarked his career with tenures in the Duke Ellington Orchestra. When he left Ellington for Benny Goodman in 1940, the stir was so great that bandleader Raymond Scott recorded an original song called “When Cootie Left the Duke”. Williams’ year-long contract with the King of Swing and his subsequent career as a bandleader (and back as a sideman with Duke) are chronicled in Steven Bowie’s new biography “Concerto for Cootie”.
Thomas Cunniffe reviews the book and a supplemental 4-CD set in this issue’s Book Review.

“CONCERTO FOR COOTIE” (by Steven C. Bowie) Read More »

TREASURES FROM THE ARCHIVES

Front Page, Retro Reviews /

While major record companies continue to fall by the wayside, small labels like Mosaic, Resonance and Reel-to-Real thrive with limited edition collections of classic jazz. All of the sets included in the present Retro Reviews feature previously issued music from iconic musicians, including Don Byas, Nat Cole, Art Tatum, Shelly Manne and Sonny Rollins. Thomas Cunniffe provides his thoughts on this rich treasure chest of sounds.

TREASURES FROM THE ARCHIVES Read More »

STOMP OFF, LET’S GO: THE EARLY YEARS OF LOUIS ARMSTRONG (by Ricky Riccardi)

Book Reviews, Front Page /

While multi-volume biographies exist for many composers, only a few jazz musicians have been presented with the honor. Ricky Riccardi’s book “Stomp Off, Let’s Go”, detailing the early life of Louis Armstrong, completes Riccardi’s trilogy of Armstrong biographies. Thomas Cunniffe discusses the many qualities (and a few flaws) in this JHO Book Review.

STOMP OFF, LET’S GO: THE EARLY YEARS OF LOUIS ARMSTRONG (by Ricky Riccardi) Read More »

MEL POWELL ON VANGUARD (1953-1955)

Front Page, Sidetracks /

In 2023, Scott Wenzel and the late Michael Cuscuna commissioned JHO’s Thomas Cunniffe to write liner notes for two Mosaic collections of classic recordings from the Vanguard label. Produced by John Hammond between 1953 and 1959, the Vanguard Jazz Showcase presented a wide range of jazz musicians performing at peak creativity, and captured with exquisite audio fidelity. The sets were released in late 2024 and early 2025, and Mosaic graciously allowed JHO to reproduce a portion of his liner notes. Cunniffe selected his discussion of Mel Powell’s Vanguard sessions for inclusion here.

MEL POWELL ON VANGUARD (1953-1955) Read More »

Scroll to Top