Search - George Lewis :: Jazz Funeral in New Orleans

New Orleans' Finest

David Conklin | Albuquerque, NM USA | 08/21/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is one of the very best available recordings in this genre, based on information in both the Penguin Guide and All Music Guide to Jazz. Don't let the "Funeral" part of the title discourage you from purchasing: this is joyous, up-beat music, full of feeling. George Lewis is certainly a fine clarinetist, and is surrounded here by other top-notch musicians. Many of his recordings have been described as sub-par or inconsistent, but not this one, which is great throughout. A couple of minor caveats: for those of you who prefer instrumentals, note that each of these 8 tracks does includes vocals. And it's a short CD, only around 35 minutes. But quality certainly counts, and this 1953 recording is probably essential if you like authentic New Orleans jazz. I own two other George Lewis CDs which I can also recommend: THE BEVERLY CAVERN SESSIONS (also recorded in 1953) and ENDLESS THE TREK, ENDLESS THE SEARCH (1962). Both of these give you more music for your money and both include several instrumental-only tracks. The sound quality is good on all 3 of these, although this one (JAZZ FUNERAL) is probably the best sounding overall."