It is strange how the
George Lewis
band could sound quite good one day and dismal the next. Despite quotes on the back of this CD claiming that this is
Lewis
' "best disc yet," the truth is that his
New Orleans jazz
band is often way out of tune on this session. In fact, there are times when one wonders if trumpeter
Kid Howard
, trombonist
Jim Robinson
, and clarinetist
were even trying to play in the same key! The driving rhythm section, led by pianist
Alton Purnell
, is generally fine, but the front line is quite erratic, with
Howard
displaying a ridiculous amount of vibrato on
"Just a Closer Walk With Thee"
and
unintentionally playing between the keys, particularly on
"Ain't Gonna Give Nobody None of My Jelly Roll."
Joyful spirits are not always enough to compensate for the faulty intonation. ~ Scott Yanow