For her second album as a leader, pianist
Sweet Emma Barrett
(who sings on four of the eight songs) heads two overlapping groups. While she is joined throughout by banjoist
Emanuel Sayles
, bassist
Placide Adams
and drummer
Paul Barbarin
, the frontlines change, with four songs featuring trumpeter
Alvin Alcorn
, trombonist
Jim Robinson
and clarinetist
Louis Cottrell
; the remaining four numbers have trumpeter
Don Albert
Frog Joseph
Raymond Burke
. Overall, this set gives listeners a good sampling of the state of New Orleans jazz circa 1963 and is one of the few recordings of
Barrett
mostly without the regular members of what would become
the Preservation Hall Jazz Band
(
Robinson
and
Sayles
excepted). The ensemble-oriented renditions of such numbers as
"Big Butter and Egg Man,"
"Bogalusa Strut" and "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" are fun and joyful. ~ Scott Yanow