"Capturing the best in British Traditional Jazz"
Catalogue Note:
I am so excited about this CD! It has been a lifelong passion of Dennis's to play the Oliver Creole Band tunes; not to slavishly copy the original recordings - there are plenty of bands trying to do that with varying degrees of success - and I must say I wonder why! What is the point of trying to copy great jazz which was played so brilliantly over 80 years ago? No, Dennis's goal was (and still is!) to recreate the spirit and excitement of that legendary band, who played (acoustically) for maybe 600 dancers at Lincoln Gardens in Chicago. Perhaps the hardest aspect of King Oliver's music to recapture is the amazing two-cornet playing of King Oliver and the young Louis Armstrong. Dennis and Chris Mercer have worked hard for months, getting together in Bristol whenever possible, although they live over 100 miles apart, to rehearse this deceptively complex music. Well, I think they have succeeded - this CD is sensational! Actually it's no secret that Dennis and the rest of the band are pretty pleased as well! The line-up is Dennis Armstrong and Chris Mercer cornets; Phil Wall clarinet; Bon Dwyer trombone; Jon Penn piano; Geoff Over banjo; John Bayne double bass, alto sax, bass sax; Warren Latham drums. The 19 tracks include the 16 remaining 1923 Creole Band titles, which were not recorded for the band's earlier CD, plus three tunes not associated with the Creole Band:- Just Gone, Buddy's Habit, London Cafe Blues, High Society, Swipesey Cakewalk, Canal Street Blues, The Southern Stomps, Sweet Baby Doll, Dippermouth Blues, Bohunkus Blues, Krooked Blues, Tears, Ballin' The Jack, Chimes Blues, Alligator Hop, Snake Rag, Camp Meeting Blues, I Ain't Gonna Tell Nobody, Zulu's Ball. (75min). I feel privileged to have been part of the making of this great CD.
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