Search - Lazy Ade Monsbourgh and His Late Hour Boys :: Wild Life

Keeper from Downunder

John C. Graham | toronto, ontario Canada | 06/23/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Really a wonderful cd, full of loose and relaxed small group interplay in the traditional mode. Ade is an elder statesman of Australian jazz whose influences have long ago been distilled into his own distinct way of playing. This disc compiles a number of sessions he's put together with other unique world class players including Bob Barnard, Graham Coyle, Roger Bell, Len Barnard, Ian Pearce, Neville Stribling, and others. There are never more than two horn players on each of the 21 tunes compiled here. The earliest tune is from 1949, the latest from 1970. The audio quality is really exceptional. It could have all been recorded yesterday. If this sounds good so far, it's still not the major selling point....which is the phenomenal musicianship on this disc.

Ade plays clarinets, saxophones, valve trombone, piano, and washboard with an uncanny individual stamp on each. His playing flows effortlessly from melody to break or improvisation. There are strong indicators, in what you hear, that he's having a ball doing it. Bob Barnard's trumpet sounds great as well, even at this early stage of his development. Bob, of course, has become a major figure and premier cornet player in traditional and mainstream jazz today. All the other players contribute magnificently making the whole disc a standout. There is a particular happy and funfilled quality to the music that sets it apart from everything else. Chalk it up to youthful exuberance. Chalk it up to good old Australian know how. Whatever the case, it's exceptional music that deserves a seat alongside your Armstrongs and Ellingtons. Heartily RECOMMENDED.

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