Fine 'n' Dandy
Royal Dutch Jazz Band
Royal Dutch Jazz Band
Personnel
Tracks
Bugle Boy March * The Gypsy * Chinatown My Chinatown * Delia Gone * Fidgety Feet * Mood Indigo * Ole Miss * Heartaches * Blues My Naughty Sweety * Some Of These Days * You’re Driving Me Crazy * Limehouse Blues * Royal Garden Blues * Hey Look Me Over
Timeless Records,
P.O. Box 201, 6700 AE Wageningen, the Netherlands
e-mail: info@wigt.nl
www.timeless-records.com
Recorded during the 21st and 22nd of April 2002 at the Farmsound Studio, Heelsum, Holland by Wil Hesem, and, it is the excellent sound quality that lends itself an important factor, leading to the perfection of this Fine ‘n’ Dandy album.
Study the compilation variety of songs, then consider how at all, it becomes a work of art and on how that was achieved, a feat most difficult to attain, I’d thought, yet, it is those gentlemen of the Royal Dutch Jazz Band who have done it - no mean musical task as I’ll explain as I go along.
Take for example the "you ain’t been blue ‘til you’ve had that Mood Indigo go ‘long blues since my baby said goodbye, Duke Ellington tune, in contrast to the W.C. Handy Ole Miss rag, New York, Nineteen-Seventeen year number, of "St Louis Blues" fame, or for that matter, You’re Driving Me Crazy of the well-known Pasadena band fame, this Royal Dutch album performance will go some way to understanding exactly what I’m getting at - yes, it is professionalism.
In other words, whomsoever is charged with bestowing the highest (ne plus ultra) of musicianship honours on a Jazzband, then, let it be on the Royal Dutch of Holland.
The longest playing number out of the sixty minutes duration of album playing time is, Chinatown My Chinatown, which covers nearly every aspect of group playing, producing the best of "our kind of jazz" as a truly inspiring art form. "If you only believe" in regard The Gypsy "you can tell at a glance" it carries the very best of improvisional skills. A half-century ago hit tune for a well-known UK clarinettist, it was great to hear once again Delia Gone this time played in light-swing tempo, interspersed with clarinet and saxello (curved saxophone - King trademark of the 1920s) solos, showing the very fine reed talents of the Royal Dutch leader at the top echelon of jazz clarinet playing.
Given imagination, the vision of high couture satins and lace skirts and petticoats whirling and flaring over in Heartaches keeping the blues in check to recovery, for it is this tune which carries in itself as being the best of swing jazz-dance music.
Noteworthy, key and chord changes make for an interesting behaviour pattern to a March, and on Bugle Boy with countermelody, such can be heard. Doubtless you will select your own choice of musician who inspires most inclusive of the five songs not specifically given a mention.
Notwithstanding Bix, I’ve heard Royal Garden Blues played many times, and, by a good number of bands - live on stage, but never before have I heard it played with such aplomb as that coming from the Royal Dutch Jazz Band.
Go ‘long, for it is superb.
Ian King
Kings Jazz Review
Saturday the 23rd of November 2002