Back from New Orleans

PERSONNEL
Peter Heijen (cnt); Arnold Wildschut (cl); Ad Habraken (tmb vcls (13));
Ari van Mensvoort (bjo); Piet van Bloppoel (bs); Piet Reuser (drms).

TRACKS
High Society; Lead Me Savior; Panama; Over The Waves; Papa De Dada The Martinique; Salutation March; His Eye Is On The Sparrow;
Precious Lord Lead Me On; Fair and Square in Love; Burgundy Street Blues; Potato Head Blues; Just A Little While To Stay Here.

Recorded at:
Farmsound Studio, Heelsum, Holland late 2001and 2002 early.
Sixty-four minutes of excellent sound.
The band was formed in 1997 by banjoist Ari van Mensvoort.
Band contact: Piet Reuser e-mail: reuserpv@hetnet.nl
The picture is of the band, the background showing the Natchez, on the river Mississippi at New Orleans, in the USA.
Timeless Records CDTTD 647 e-mail: info@wigt.nl

In its genre this album is perfect. The elements in support of that introduction are incalculable leaving aside minor indentations.

This surely is of prime reason why New Orleans and Traditional jazz styled music has sustained high during its century, and if maintained in Midlife Band capacity, there is absolutely no reason why this calibre of it should not endure for years of jubilees more to come.

A clarinet counter melody to trombone on the opening number High Society with a beautifully-articulated, exquisitely-tempered, class-phrasing cornet, complemented by Stradivarius quality of base-lines, prominent, and well sought after absorbing tempi with elegant banjo input, all make for jazz festival organisers witnessing their dance floors being filled to capacity at all times, perhaps with an inclusive sight of the KJR Scat Tapping Jive in line.

Each track speaks words of beauty and poetry in music.

So there, the scene is set.

It’s beautiful, that is the playing on Lead Me Savior. Gently it goes all through Panama. Over The Waves and Burgundy Street Blues are for George Lewis fans with no exceptions, all in alert to a nimble-footed tempo change - drum waves on the former. On the latter, a nightspot quarter-century aged frequenter, accustomed to laser-beamed fashioned lights of dumber-downed blinding indoctrinations shinning upon her, remarked when listening to it outside my open window shouting up through it, that, that’s a nice piece of music. Not amazed. Augers well.

Papa De Dada shows how the bass and drums blend finely together with sharp, clear forthright statements coming from the cornet, with a mellow trombone in concert.

In delight, Martinique lilts. Salutation - well, this is an excellent March change-step - a prime candidate for Trouping The Colour.

A banjo-opening speciality follows an appreciating cornet leading into the ensemble makes for a breathtaking, tear-escaping rendition of the song His Eye Is On The Sparrow - hold on just before the end for beautiful (that word again) - chords.

Recorded on May 10 in Chicago 1927 by the Hot Seven with Pete Briggs on tuba and Lil Armstrong on piano, who married Louis on the 5th of February 1924, this Midlife Band contribution of Potato Head Blues is of today, an unwritten classic sextet score, worthy of being followed by others in acceptance of the baker’s dozen or so of string-based measures, not attempted by the Briggs tuba of yore - is of note.

Just stay a little while longer with this album, for it is all so precious, fair and square in love.

Ian King
Kings Jazz Review
Tuesday the 18th of June 2002