Customer Reviews

Resurgent recordings of a New Orleans clarinetist - By: D. Elliott, 21 Apr 2001
George Lewis was a gifted & forceful clarinetistin the Johnny Dodds style. He stayed onin New Orleans after the closing of Storyville & the move of jazz to Chicago & beyond, & he was largely unknown until he played with Bunk Johnson as part of the revivalist movementin the early 1940s. The tracks for this superb CD were recordedin New Orleansin 1951 & 1953. The CD isin two halves having 6 tracks by a quartet with support for George Lewis's clarinet from piano, banjo & bass; & 6 tracks by a traditional band with trumpet & trombone joining George Lewisin the front line, & support from piano, banjo, bass & drums.

Revivalism implies that traditional jazz had at best been superceded, or had been lost, or even had died. This CD proves otherwise. George Lewis is one of the New Orleans jazzmen that never lost faith. His music is unsullied & unhackneyed - it is invigorating & vital. This CD is evidence that New Orleans jazz had never disappeared, & it suggests it never needed to be rediscovered.

The music has a freshness that comes from it not being completely predetermined. The jazz of both quartet & band appears to have a remarkable level of improvisation with numbers largely selected from tunes regularly developed & built upon by jazz groups - "Careless Love", "Weary Blues", "Tin Roof Blues", "Dippermouth Blues" & "Bugle Call Rag" with typical jazz vocals on "Salty Dog" & "Lou-Easy-An-I-A". There are good-time renditions of "Red Wing" with emphasis on clarinet, & "Bill Bailey" with a more classic band approach but still clarinet dominated, & George Lewis takes advantage of "St. Phillip Street Breakdown" & "The Old Rugged Cross" for spectacular clarinet solos. The CD title refers to "Classic New Orleans Tradition" & the meaning becomes apparent from execution of non-jazz number "It's A Long Way To Tipperary". This is performed with panache & displays all New Orleans elements of trumpet lead, interweaving of clarinet & trombone, solo slots & ensemble playing, all with impeccable beat.

This CD is likely to be played over & over again. The clarinet is a favoured instrument amongst lovers of traditional jazz, & George Lewis plays it with great flair. Disciples of traditional jazz will already be familiar with the majority of numbers chosen for the CD where they are resurrected as a magnificant session of easy listening with a style to gladden the heart - but they are not comeback recordings - they are manifestations of true jazz. This is a great "5-star" CD.