The Traditional Jazz New Orleans Collection
£4.68
- Harlem Rag - Colyer, Ken & His Jazzmen
- Cole Smoak - West Jesmond Rhythm Kings
- Gladiolus Rag - Bilk, Acker
- Climax Rag - Black Eagle Jazz Band
- Perfect Rag - Weatherburn, Ron
- Maple Leaf Rag - Langham, Spats
- Down Home Rag - Lightfoot, Terry & His Jazzmen
- Liberia Rag - Foxley, Ray
- Merrydown Rag - Barber, Chris & His Jazz Band
- That Teasin Rag - Mason, Phil New Orleans All-Stars
- Eccentric Rag - Beechey, Allen Bright Stars Of Jazz
- Kinklets - Savannah Jazzband
- Froggie Moore Rag - Laurie, Cy
- Pleasant Moments - Temperance Seven
- Hiawatha Rag - Morris, Sonny & The Delta Jazz Band
- Panama Rag - Lyttelton, Humphrey
- Dusty Rag - Wooley, Brian And His Jazzmen
- Black And White Rag - Bell, Graeme & His Australian Jazz Band
- Crysanthemum Rag - Bennett, Richard New Orleans Jazzband
- Tiger Rag - Silk, Eric & His Southern Jazz Band
Genesis of Jazz - Note the track listing by Amazon refers to a Ragtime CD in the same Tradional Jazz Collection series by Lake Records. This is another of its samplers and as all of them it is both exciting jazz and excellent value for money. Once again Lake has collected meaningful illustrations from varied sources and these are presented to support a theme - this time New Orleans traditional jazz. It is widely accepted that New Orleans is the birthplace of jazz and that the spawning ground was Storyville - home to saloons, cabaret clubs, gambling joints and brothels. However the vice connection is often over-stated and jazz was an essential element of Negro culture - funeral music, parades etc. as well as entertainment.All numbers on the CD are performed by British bands though most have New Orleans references in the title, or they pay homage to jazz stars. Great respect is paid to one of the best known jazz musicians from New Orleans, Louis Armstrong, and the opening track is one of his compositions - a lively `New Orleans Stomp . Also the CD includes `Dippermouth Blues , a tune written by King Oliver especially for Louis - and sympathetically brought off by Cy Laurie s Jazz Band. Though not from New Orleans Duke Ellington is one of the greatest of jazz stars and his composition `Mississippi Moan is executed with due reverence by the appropriately called Bob Hunt s Duke Ellington Orchestra. Another New Orleans musician is George Lewis and his `New Orleans Hula is perfect for Monty Sunshine to display his talents. Additional tracks incorporating New Orleans in the title are a rather ragged but most authentic `New Orleans Shuffle and `Take A Ferry Boat To New Orleans , together with the well familiar `Way Down Yonder In New Orleans .Perpetuating the CD s place name approach - a renowned bawdy bar from the early twentieth century is remembered with `Mahogany Hall Stomp played with zest by Sonny Morris and the Delta Band. The jazz district is recalled with `Storyville Blues - beautifully accomplished by Chris Barber, who leaves his usual signature tune `Bourbon Street Parade to a more subdued rendition by others. Many numbers have street names from Storyville. `Perdido Street Blues is another Armstrong number delivered by Acker Bilk in his inimitable style, a King Oliver composition `Canal Street Blues is competently played by the Lake Records own band, `Basin Street Blues at an up-beat tempo, and `South Rampart Street Parade in spectacular Mardi-Gras style, and in similar vein `When We Danced At The Mardi Gras is performed brilliantly by Phil Mason s All-Stars with delightful vocal by Christine Tyrrell.A pioneer trumpeter is commemorated as `Buddy Bolden s Blues , composed by self-proclaimed inventor of Jazz Jelly Roll Morton and performed magnificently by Mick Mulligan. The first ever jazz recording, which was by a `white band, The Original Dixieland Jass (sic) Band is acknowledged with their famous `One Step which is famously played by Alex Welsh. In the Dixieland theme is a contribution by Terry Lightfoot - the well known `Louisiana-I-Ay . No collection of New Orleans traditional jazz would be complete without `When The Saints Go Marching In and here it is fulfilled in punching style by Humphrey Lyttelton. The final track is `Goin Home , written and sung by Ken Colyer soulfully backed by his band after returning to Britain from a pilgrimage to accompany New Orleans musicians at the birthplace of traditional jazz.It is difficult to identify favourites from such a wide ranging and top of the range collection, but all titles, composers and performers are prominent and popular with fans of traditional jazz - and for those not already hooked - this is the CD to get them to come into being!