You Don't Understand, East Coast Trot, Riverside Blues, Everywhere You Go, It Happened In Bali Bali, Let The Great Big World Keep Turning, It's Only A Paper Moon, I Don't See Me In Your Eyes Anymore, Over The Waves, Springtime In The Rockies, Crying Time, Mana Inez, Anytime, Pass Me Not Gentle Saviour, Love Letters In The Sand, Dreamy Moon Of Indiana (Algiers Waltz), Who's Sorry Now

Brian Carrick appears on several CDs in my collection playing with bands from The Ken Colyer Trust Band to the Heritage Hall Stompers, to playing with Greg Stafford. Now I have him leading the Algiers Stompers.

Brian is a skilled reedsman playing an ex-George Lewis clarinet, Alto and tenor saxes on this CD. To back him, he has gathered a group of similarly talented and dedicated jazzmen to play a relaxed style of New Orleans jazz that, as the cover notes say, is 'music to dance to'.

I was delighted to find that the CD contains many tunes that are either rarely played or even downright neglected. All the numbers are beautifully played, with Derick Winters on trumpet providing a strong lead, Chas Hudson playing an exuberant, yet thoughtful, trombone and Brian himself weaving the front line together. The back line provides a solid, but not over powering base for the front line to build on. Mike Lunn on piano occasionally gets a solo to shew his considerable abilities, Mike Cox, the banjo player, also gets a chance to pluck in the limelight. Whilst drummer Guy Fenton and Bass player Bill Cole miss out on solos, their presence is still heard throughout. Ah Bill Cole; does he still cuddle and make love to his bass as he did when he played with the Gov'nor?

This is a very pleasant CD that you can take with you 'Everywhere You Go'. Play it in the car, and its relaxed style will ensure that, what ever happens in the traffic, you will be too busy tapping your fingers and smiling to indulge in any road rage!

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Nobody's fault But Mine, 29^th & Dearborn, I Shall Not Be Moved, Saturday Night Function, Canal Street Blues, At The Cross, Fusty Bottom Blues, Bye & Bye/Saints, Flee As A Bird to The Mountain, Lead Me Saviour, Blues In The Night, Bugle Call Rag, 29^th & Dearborn (take 2)

If you have read any of my other reviews of Dr Michael or Gregg Stafford, you will know that I consider them to be two of America's finest living jazzmen. So, it should be no surprise to find that with the two of them together in the same band I am blown away. This is black American jazz getting back to its roots, albeit with some fine white boys in the second line giving them excellent support.

The music is a mix of gospel, spiritual and blues. Mostly it is played ensemble, but there are some fine solos too. In addition to solo breaks Gregg gets to provide a gut wrenchingly beautiful interpretation of ' Flee As A Bird to The Mountain', and Dr Michael solos on an upbeat ' Lead Me Saviour'. But it is not just the two stars who make this CD the must buy that it is; Reide Kaiser on piano, Colin Bray on bass, Emil Mark on banjo and, tai fach, Taff Lloyd on drums are superb. They go beyond complimenting the front line and when they get a solo break of their own they shine.

There is no such thing as perfection; however, if they can find a black trombonist of the same quality as Dr Michael and Gregg and the rest of the band, then maybe we will come close to it. If there are no black American trombonists who can fit the bill, I wonder if Jazz Crusade label owner Bill Bissonnette can be persuaded to bring in Englishman Geoff Cole to take the role.

Buy this CD now. If you do not, I will come looking for you to know why!

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Prelude In C# Minor, There's A Girl In The Heart Of Maryland My Maryland, Martinique, At A Georgia Camp Meeting, The Pearls, Milenberg Joys, Florida Blues, Twelfth Street Rag, Blame It On The Blues, Alexander's Ragtime Band, Fiddle Up Your Ragtime Violin, Waintin' For The Robert E Lee, South Rampart Street Parade

A contact of mine, here in NZ, was boasting to me recently about some 'classic' jazz CDs that he had bought very cheap from 'The Warehouse'. My old speedway and jazz mate, Bob Andrews up in Auckland, had seen them too and broke the habit of a lifetime and splashed out a wad of cash to get one of everything on offer! Myself, I rarely go in The Warehouse as low price normally mans low quality, and I had been stung on some of their cheap CDs before. I made an exception this time and I went in to see what I could buy, only to find that all that was left at my local branch was a Johnny Dodds double CD for NZ$6, which I bought and have appreciated ever since. Anyway, back to the contact who first mentioned the bargain CDs to me: amongst the CDs was a double by Wilbur de Paris. My contact seemed so fond of this album I had trouble getting him to take it off so that I could hear what else he had acquired. To be honest, by the end of the afternoon I knew the tunes on the dammed CD off by heart!

This CD is not a Warehouse 'el cheapo', but rather a very interesting release of a live recording made in 1952 at the now defunct New York jazz spot, Jimmy Ryan's.

Given the recording technology at the time, these tracks are very clean and balanced, especially for live tracks. The quality is such that they allow you to appreciate what a fine band Wilbur and the Rampart Street Ramblers were. Big Bill Bissonnette, in his sleeve notes, says that many at the time said that Wilbur and the band played 'black Dixieland', rather than revivalist traditional jazz. Ok, so you get the feeling that the music is 'predefined', rather than improvised, but it is very nice to listen to and has sufficient 'grunt' , 'groan' and 'moan' to be really classed as Dixieland. All this is, of course, assuming that the earlier critics were using 'Dixieland' as a derogative term for staged and orchestrated traditional jazz.

I have never been to New York, and I certainly never went to Jimmy Ryan's, but with this CD in my collection I now know what I missed! Thanks Big Bill; loved the CD and hope that this review will encourage others to take a trip to Jimmy Ryan's to listen to Wilbur and the boys laying it down in fine fettle.

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Linger A While, Maria Elena, Algiers Waltz, Chicken Ain't Nuttin' But A Bird, Daddy's Little Girl, Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams, Moonlight & Roses, Tuck Me To Sleep In My Old Kentucky Home, Apple Blossom Time, Down By The Riverside, Creole Song, Solitude #2, Swing That Music

Warning: This Device Is Explosive; light blue touch paper and stand well clear.

Ok, so this is a CD, so don't set light to it; but this album definitely is a cracker, albeit not so much explosive as a cornucopia of musical fireworks. Take for example, ' Linger A While'. This is a lovely Catherine Wheel of a tune. Now try ' Maria Elena' for the sound equivalent of a Mount Vesuvius that rises and falls in intensity. Then ' Algiers Waltz'; a Roman Candle tune with coloured sound balls popping up into the air. 'Chicken Ain't Nuttin' But A Bird' is a Jumping Jack with short bursts of energy taking it all over the place. And so I could go on, but I won't. All I will say is that this 1998 recording, which includes alternative takes of two tracks released on JCCD-3038, 'Now - The Easy Rider Jazz Band', is not a $10 bag of Chinese Cheapies. It is an A 1 display that will cause you to go: 'Oooo', and 'Ahhhh' and leave you disappointed when the show is over.

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Walk Through The Streets Of The City, Introduction Blues, Algiers Strut, Blueberry Hill, Eh! Las Bas, Sweet Sue, Four Leaf Clover, Just A Closer Walk With Thee, The Object Of My Affection, Kid Thomas Boogie Woogie

As a kid, did you ever watch one of those French Foreign Legion films, where the legionaries are trapped in a fort and hoards of Bedouin are swarming over the walls? The hero turns to his nervous colleagues and says; 'Courage , mon braves, courage'. Well that’s what I needed when I first listened to this CD. I cannot argue that it is not New Orleans jazz, for indeed well-known natives of that city play it. The recording is a live concert in 1968 for the Connecticut Traditional Jazz Club. The problem is that it is New Orleans jazz, but not as I know it. To my ears, raised on the European interpretation of New Orleans filtered through the laid back and mellow teachings of the Guv'nor Ken Colyer, it is brash, hard driving and at times discordant. Yet some how I am fascinated, rather like a snake before a charmer! Like the snake once it is over I find that I need to hide in my nice quite and dark basket before coming out to face the charmer again.

I have commented in other reviews about the different ways in which New Orleans jazz has developed in its native America and how it has developed in Britain/Europe. If you are not sure what I mean, then get this CD and play it alongside say Jazz Crusades JCCD-3055 'That Salty Dog, Pat Hawes'. Alternate the CDs track and track about and see what I mean. Whilst as a child of British/European traditional jazz I am more comfortable with Colyer style New Orleans jazz, I believe that it is essential that traditional jazz lovers expose themselves to all the various nuances of the music. If you are American, then get one of jazz Crusade's CDs by a European band. If you are European, or like many Ozzies and Kiwis more used to very early American or later British/European style New Orleans jazz then try this CD to see the difference.

'The Thomas Band At Moose Hall 1968' is a unique experience and of historical value being a 'lost' recording and never before issued. If you fancy some hot spicy Creole gumbo, this could be right up your street!

One question that I have, and still await the answer to: does the 'Twat' in bass player Joseph 'Twat' Butler's name mean the same as 'twat' does in London slang? Cos if it does I sure wouldn't be happy if it were me that was being called it!

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At A Georgia Camp Meeting*, Chimes Blues*, The Lord Will Make A Way Somehow#, Where Could I go But To The Lord#, Does Jesus Care (1) #, Does Jesus Care (2) #, God's Amazing Grace#, 29^th & Dearborn (1)%, 29^th & Dearborn (2)%, New Orleans Hop Scop Blues (1)%, New Orleans Hop Scop Blues (2)%, Jazzin' Babies Blues%, Canal Street Blues%, Swanee River~, Sallee Dame~, Every Woman's Blues~, Eh! La Bas~, Carless Love~, Honky Tonk Town~

This CD is made up of musically and historically important recordings that are not all available elsewhere. The George Lewis tracks are from 1952, the Bunk and Sister Ernestine are from 1946, the jazz Wizards from 1944 and the Pierces from 1967. With such a widespread timeframe the quality of the recordings vary considerable with some of the earlier tracks being of better quality than the later ones!

This is an important CD to me if only for the Bunk Johnson tracks, of which I have a dearth. It was also important to me to have George Lewis' 'Chimes Blues'. It is generally recognised that George was a great influence on the British revivalist of the late 40's, 50's and early 60s. I have many versions of 'Chimes Blues' from early 50s Ken Colyer and Chris Barber versions to a 90s version by New Zealand's own Vintage Jazz Band. It is nice to see how they all compare.

There is some very interesting pieces here, and I must agree with Jazz Crusade's Big Bill Bissonnette that the Jazz Wizard session is just lovely jazz and that they are a fantastically competent jazz band with baby Dodds being truly amazing. Now if only I can find some more of their material………

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