Search - Oliver Naylor :: 1924-1925

SEVEN ACES, AND TWO DEFAULTS

Barry McCanna | Normandy, France | 10/24/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this CD partly for sentimental reasons, because some years ago I "junked" the rare HMV 78 of Slowin' Down Blues (it wasn't issued on Victor)and what I heard was enough to convince me that here was a band that knew its stuff. So this reissue proves; there's a strong New Orleans style cornet lead, a tightly ensemble sound, interspersed with breaks, and a firm ryhthmic propulsion. Like most bands of the day they were subject to the studio's dictates, but they managed to make a good fist of it. More to the point, their version of "High Society" which kicks off the compilation is like no other arrangement, and several of the tracks are minor masterpieces. Like all good early acoustic recordings, they repay repeated listening, and the quality of the last two electrically recorded Victors makes you wish (as with the Creole Jazz Band and the New Orleans Rhythm Kings) that this advance had come about earlier.





Remastering of these mainly acoustic recordings has been carried out by the late John R T Davies to his usual high standard, and a full discography and very informative liner note by Brian Rust rounds out the package. I've baulked at five stars, though, for two reasons. First, under an hour's playing time time is short measure by today's standards, and it should have possible to graft on, say another half a dozen tracks by a contemporary band. Secondly the liner note is let down by slipshod typesetting of the upper case tune titles, and want of proofreading in the article itself (not an uncommon feature of Retrieval CDs, sadly)."