Search - Jackie Coon :: Joy of New Orleans

Crescent City blast

Bomojaz | South Central PA, USA | 08/09/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Recorded in 1993 but released in 2005 after Katrina devastated New Orleans, Arbors has decided to donate all profits from this CD to the Jazz Foundation of America to help N.O. musicians get back on their feet again. The music, which reflects the style and ambitions of N.O. jazz, is so well played I hope everyone buys a copy of it. Four of the selections (THE SECOND LINE, JOE AVERY'S PIECE, HERE COMES SANTA CLAUS, AND JAMBALAYA) are played very much in the N.O. street tradition, with heavy emphasis on bass drum, sousaphone, and tambourine and a great deal of ensemble playing. The desire to move about is hard to resist with these songs; that struttin' SANTA CLAUS is a real gas. The other selections are more straight-ahead jazz performances, with lots of solo space and even some modern touches (John Loupe's fluid, electric bass, for example). Coon is a very relaxed soloist on flugelhorn, and he and Connie Jones, who is a most lyrical cornetist, make a delightful pair and are especially fine together on BEE'S KNEES. Rick Fay plays superb deep-toned clarinet on WININ' BOY BLUES (perhaps the best track on the CD) and TROUBLE IN MIND, excellent tenor sax on MAHOGANY HALL STOMP, and very melodic though driving soprano sax on AVALON and DOWN IN HONKY TONK TOWN. This is an excellent CD featuring the sounds of the Crescent City; it's definitely worth purchasing, for more reasons than the personal pleasure you'll get from listening to it, which will be great."