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Kid Ory Creole Classics NAXOS JAZZ LEGENDS 8.120587

1. Muskrat Ramble
2. Creole Song
3. South
4. Dipper Mouth Blues
5. Savoy Blues
6. The Girls Go Crazy About the Way I Walk
7. Blanche Touquatoux
8. High Society
9. Ballin’ the Jack
10. Blues for Jimmie
11. Get Out of Here and Go Home
12. Oh Didn’t He Ramble
13. Snag It
14. Bucket Got a Hole in It
15. Eh, La Bas
16. Bill Bailey Won’t You Please Come Home
17. Farewell to Storyville
18. Tiger Rag

This is all classic Kid Ory, plenty of ensemble work, no solos at all from the leader. Most tracks have Mutt Carey, a long time Ory sideman on Trumpet. Omer Simeon, Joe Darensberg, Darnell Howard and Barney Bigard share the Clarinet chores. Buster Wilson is on Piano throughout as is Ed Garland on Bass.

This really is classic New Orleans (and without the Banjo), Ory had a unique style of playing, his ensemble work is very punchy and full of glissandos and growls, but his playing induced all his bands to swing. He did not see the trombone as a solo instrument. If you want to get a feel for this style of playing, try Tiger Rag, it’s a classic and great fun.

It is interesting that these recordings were made between 1944 and 1947, but the tunes are performed by every local trad. Band, up and down the UK, on a weekly basis. They must have something to have lasted so long, I suspect that most have strong melodies and they make for happy sounding performances. It was probably Jack Teagarden, who was most influential in giving the Trombone equal status with the Trumpet and Clarinet as far as solos were concerned. Those that follow are expected to fill both rolls, the punchy rhythmic playing of Ory and the fine tone and construction of Teagarden.

Ory started out in New Orleans in the times the music was still in its infancy, but moved to the West Coast for health reasons and then on to Hawaii to retire in 1966. He continued to play up to his 85^th birthday or thereabouts!

Once again Naxos have done a wonderful job of cleaning up these performances and I’m sure this release will be welcomed by people with catholic tastes in jazz and of course by the ‘back to the delta men’ as they wear their sandals in the winter!

 

Don Mather

 

 

 
 
 
 

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