Best collection of early New Orleans jazz on CD!
Loerchen | Chicago, IL USA | 06/02/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Anyone interested in early New Orleans music must have this 2-CD set on their shelf without delay. Bands like Fate Marable, Norman Brownlee, the Halfway House Orchestra, Johnny DeDroit, Kid Ory, Tony Parenti, and the Original Tuxedo Jazz Orchestra display the swing and virtuosity that characterized New Orleans music in the acoustic period.
The 40 tunes are excellently transferred and clean, without losing any of the dynamic range. I own many of these on 78, vinyl, and CD already, but have never heard the music so clearly as on this set. But if that's not enough, the producers ("Off the Record," the same people that brought you the fantastic King Oliver set a few years ago) have included some rare interview clips with the original musicians, courtesy of the Hogan Jazz Archive at Tulane University.
Well worth the price of the whole set are the 60 pages of liner notes, well-researched and interestingly presented, with many rare photos. Technical buffs will appreciate the discography and notes on the quality and speed of each of the original 78s used for the transfers. David Sager and Doug Benson deserve a double "thumbs up" for this collection; keep an eye out for their future releases!"
Superb history of a little known part of New Orleans Jazz Hi
Steven I. Ramm | Phila, PA USA | 06/26/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This set is produced by David Sager and Doug Benson - the same duo who gave us the Grammy-nominated King Oliver reissue a few years back. Cabaret Echoes: New Orleans Jazzers at Work, 1918-27 is an audio history course on an often overlooked period and, like its predecessor, contains some amazing audio transfers of extremely rare discs. The 42 music tracks - grouped by artists - are enhanced by 21 brief interview clips (many recorded by Sager) with either the performer or a family member. These interviews help flesh out the stories of the recordings and give us a feeling for the time. Most names will not be familiar to the casual collector (though Kid Ory is well-known.). But you've certainly heard of the piano player for the Original New Orleans Jazz Band. He later went on to a major career in TV and radio, His name: Jimmy Durante! The recordings used were done in New York and Santa Monica, as well as New Orleans. The lavish 60-page booklet of detailed liner notes by Sager provides all the info you need to understand the rarity of, and the importance of, these recordings. Looks like another Grammy nom for Sager and Benson. HIGHLY recommended."
A historical masterpiece
Warren Steele | Massachusetts | 08/11/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I finally got the set and have been listening on my computer and in my car for more than a week now. First I have to say that a lot of the material is already on CDs elsewhere in my collection: The Johnny DeDroits, Tuxedo Band, Parentis, Beyersdorfer and a few others have been reissued quite well on the Timeless label. There are also some conspicuous omissions, if one is looking for the normal lineup of Okeh's New Orleans recording sessions. (No Papalia, No Orig. New Orleans Rhythm Kings) but the producers explain they were including only actual working ensembles (hence the title Cabaret Echoes.) Anyway, those observations aside, here's what I think makes this set stand out:
1. There is a lot of material I haven't heard before. The Brownlee's Orch. sides haven't been reissued before, or the Willie Hightower Nighthawks, or the Billy and Mary Mack sides. The Kid ory 1922 sides have been released, but only with very poor quality. The JSP release of these is utterly horrific. I'm amazed by the sound here!
2. This set includes absolutely fascinating recorded interviews with the artists who played on the records. One of my beefs with previous compilations like this is that the songs just go one into the other, and it's easy to lose track of who you are listening to unless you're looking at the booklet. The interviews (besides bringing an utterly human elemant to the old acoustic recordings) help to set up each new band/artist, much in the way a great documentary would. One reviewer said he didn't like the way the interviews were arranged, I guess I'm from the opposite camp. I love the fact that they're there. Babette Ory's discussion of her father's skin color and his involvemant with "The Creole Club" precedes the Mack and Mack vaudeville number "Black But Sweet Oh God!". Willie Hightower and Tony Parenti both talk candidly about working with prostitutes in the Red Light District when they were young boys. Norman Brownlee shares an anecdote about a time his band "bested" Tobin's Midnight Serenaders at the Spinster's Ball. It goes on and on! I feel like I've visited old-time New Orleans when I listen to this set.
3. The booklet!!! OMG!!! 60 pages of essays, photos, discographies, and a TON of stuff I've never seen before. There are numerous ads from trade journals, a fascinating photo of the Original Tuxedo Orchestra playing on an airplane, newspaper shots of bands in front of the recording horn in New Orleans, early photos of the city, and a lot more. It will take a while for anyone to fully digest all that is in this set.
4. The sound is ultra-clean, a great follow-up to the King Oliver set a few years ago.
I'd highly recommend Cabaret Echoes!
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