Phil Mason's New Orleans All-Stars
featuring
Christine Tyrrell

Once in a while

PERSONNEL
Phil Mason (cornet); Micky Cooke (tmb); Roger Myerscough (reeds); ‘Gentleman’ Jim McIntosh (bjo gtr); Trefor ‘Fingers’ Williams (str bs); Laurie Chescoe (drms); Christine Tyrrell (vcls); Roland van Laere (vcls)

TRACKS
Flat Foot * Cotton Fields Back Home * K C Moan * Once in a While * Louisian-i-ay * Dallas Blues * Baby Face * Help Me Make it Through
the Night * The Lady Is A Tramp * Don’t You Feel My Leg * It Looks Like a Big Time Tonight * When The Swallows Come Back to Capistrano * Worried Blues * Moan you Moaners * Walking With The King

Recorded by Paul Adams in February 2007 at The Theatre Royal, Workington, Cumbria, England
Artwork by Mary Blood LACD254
LAKE RECORDS, P O Box 40, Workington, Cumbria, England CA14 3GJ
www.fellside.com

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The opening number Flat Foot - in 1926 it was recorded by the New Orleans Bootblacks in Chicago with George Mitchell on cornet and Lil Armstrong on piano. It’s a lovely foot tapping tune smoothly played by the All-Stars of cornetist Phil Mason with the scintillating clarity of his horn, complemented by each instrumentalist at the top of their artistic musical talents, inspiringly sets the scene of the album.

The FLOOGIE version of Flat Foot in 1938 was recorded by none other than Benny Goodman and Wingy Manone in New York, and Nat Gonella, the Hot Club of France and The Mills Brothers in London, thus adding to the excitement of listening to it on this CD entitled “Once in a while”.

The album stretches the boundaries of jazz music, with one number of skiffle music K C Moan sung by Phil that is of remembrance to me of Ken Colyer; Worried Blues of Dylan; Roland van Laere sings a Rodger and Hart number of Sinatra fame, yet, with the complete album seemingly keeping within the style of its jazz roots. In other words, those of Brian Harvey on Radio Jazz “it generates heat that was once the province of Barber and Colyer” to which I’ll add that this CD encapsulates both of them.

Each will have a favourite as Walking With The King is with many, the voice of Micky Cooke on Louisian-i-ay reminds me of Acker Bilk, but I doubt if it is possible to hear a more beautiful clarinet sound in this kingdom than the one heard on When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano played by reeds man Roger Myerscough whose quality vocals on it adds to its charm.

Saxophone Saxophone

Dallas Blues and Baby Face are two jazz greats – fine listening of them here.

Don’t You Feel My Leg is a delightful ditty, sung in lilting, catching , outspoken fashion by unique gospel styled singer, Christine, whose voice is full of passion and captivatingly invigorating. Let’s hope that BBC Alba Radio at the top of Castle Hill in Inverness will be brave enough to give this song exposure over their air waves.

Perhaps if the National TV and radio media had allowed at least some broadcasting space for “our kind of New Orleans jazz music” to be heard the Scottish Government’s reason to have all our young teenaged girls inoculated by an injection to prevent more of their peers from catching cervical cancer due to their current activities - its Parliament may not have had the need for such drastic action saving them from it to have been taken.

The Tyrrell gospel voice can also be heard in variety on Cotton Fields Back Home, Help Me Make It Through The Night and Moan You Moaners with excellent accompaniment.

This review has come about by the Phil Mason’s New Orleans All-Stars staging a concert on Saturday the 20th of September 2008 in
the Columba Hotel, Inverness, Scotland as a Prelude to Inverness holding its ‘First Classic Jazz Festival’.

As I see it, those who attended that concert will have witnessed an historic event in Inverness, Scotland.

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Kings Jazz Review
Tuesday the 23rd of September 2008

Prelude to an Inverness Classic Jazz Festival
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