Named for a saloon beverage prepared by dropping a shot of whiskey into a mug of beer,
the Boilermaker Jazz Band grind out traditional jazz with no frills or veneer. Formed in Pittsburgh, PA, in 1988, this stoic little seven-piece unit tosses off warhorses and originals with just the right blend of vinegar precision and earthy nonchalance, resulting in friendly, frowsy music comparable to that of
Bunk Johnson,
George Lewis,
Albert Nicholas, or
Art Hodes.
The Boilermaker's third album, Honky Tonk Town, was released by Biograph in 1997 and reissued by Collectables in 2008. Clarinetist
Paul Cosentino leads the group, with
Jay Cosentino blowing trombone and
Andrew Cosentino the trumpet. The band's steerage is composed of string bassist
Ernest McCarty, banjoist
Dan Davisson, pianist
Nelson Harrison, and drummer
Rich Strong. Especially fine is their laid-back rendition of
Jelly Roll Morton's beautiful slow drag "Winin' Boy Blues." The altering of the spelling that transforms "Winin'" into "Whinin'" is unfortunate, as it distances the title from the original reference to
Morton's Storyville nickname; "Winin' Boy" was short for "Winding Boy," a phrase that referred to a tireless stud. The addition of the "h" would therefore seek to transform the sexual dynamo into a horny kvetching nuisance, but really that has nothing to do with the music played by
the Boilermaker Jazz Band. ~ arwulf arwulf, All Music Guide
Al V. (