In general, I've shied away from rating performances on this blog, especially when it comes to those that leave me less than enthusiasti...

When I saw that TCM was airing a Danny Kaye movie featuring Benny Goodman, Louis Armstrong, Lionel Hampton, Tommy Dorsey, and Charlie Barnet...

I've always felt the Vandoren concept favored a warm, slightly diffuse sound that nevertheless held shape consistently throughout t...

Before August 19, 1936, one could argue that the vibraphone was a novelty instrument of uncertain future. After that date, the vibes would r...

Artie Shaw was reluctant to talk about clarinet technique, and throughout the long course of his musical retirement, tended to stress an ind...

To this day, even the very name of Sidney Bechet evokes intense images and stories. Feisty, explosive, operatic, mellifluous; his blazing, i...

1989 Charles Bay Mouthpiece   The battle tested Bay in this photo was my first handcrafted pro-model mouthpiece, purchased in 1989 (th...