Slick, modern Dixieland reminiscent of the old Rampart Street Paraders, Bob Scobey's Frisco Jazz Band or, more recently, Vince Giordano's Nighthawks, featuring various combinations based around leader/pianist Waldo, Davis, reedman Alexander and drummer Lepley.
It's a fun album with spiky solos from the horns, some of whom are not unknown to those hardy souls who make their annual pilgrimage to Whitley Bay for the Classic Jazz Party, as well as some feetwarming examples of Waldo's mastery of earlier jazz piano styles.
Nine of the ten tracks were recorded in May/June 2022, the other, After You've Gone, dates back to October 2018 and has an idiomatic vocal by Veronica Swift, one of my favourite singers, who incorporates a few bars of scatting that, surprisingly, doesn't sound out of place.
Doc Cook's Blame it on the Blues sees Alexander wailing like Bechet on soprano, Waldo 'striding' the piano like Jeff Barnhart and Arnt Arntzen doing some nifty things with his banjo.
I Get the Blues When it Rains has a vocal by Tatiana Eva-Marie and one of those immortal lines that only Tin Pan Alley could conjure up: 'I ain't got a fella, not even an umbrella, that's why I get the blues when it rains'! Jim Fryer's eloquent trombone solo and Mike Davis' muted trumpet also score points.
Wolverine Blues, composed by Jelly Roll Morton and performed by Terry 'Roll' Waldo, brings the Red Hot Peppers back to life and into the current century with Davis, Alexander, Waldo and Russo all in there pitching.
Any blues by W.C. Handy is tailor made for a blues pianist and Yellow Dog Blues, unlike Handy's better known St. Louis Blues, has just the right number of bars and Waldo makes good use of them ably assisted by Davis, Hancock (on tenor), Alexander, Fryer and co.
Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home. Vocal by Paxton, a do-wacka-do-wacka-do-wacka-do solo from Davis some stompy bass sax from Rattman and, of course, Waldo's two-fisted underpinning.
San, an early best seller for Paul Whiteman that featured a Bix solo. Davis takes the Bix role here - or was he thinking Red Nichols? Maybe neither. Whatever, it worked.
The Frog Song, another Paxton vocal is a lot of nonsense but worth a laugh!
Tiger Rag, as raucous as any version of the old ODJB warhorse.
Maple Leaf Rag was recorded a month after the other tracks with Hancock blowing cornet in place of Davis. It's quieter and less 'in your face' than the other 2022 tracks. Whereas I turned the volume down on the previous tracks I had to turn it up on this one. I doubt if the neighbours will complain about either action.
I found it a very pleasant listen even though there was ne'er a flattened fifth to be heard.
Available on Turtle Bay Records. Lance
1 comment :
These guys are the business! I've been lucky enough to hear some of them live, in concert: Mike Davis, Jim Fryer & Colin Hancock (Whitley Bay), Ricky Alexander, Mike Davis & Jay Rattman (Milan), Arnt Arntzen, Sam Chess & Jim Fryer (NYC), Jerron Paxton (Newcastle). At the 2025 Classic Jazz Party (Village Hotel, nr. Whitley Bay), Oct. 31-Nov. 2, you can hear Davis & Hancock. Top class jazz on your BSH doorstep! Book now!
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