Pianist
Butch Thompson
has been quite consistent in his recording career, sticking to his vision of creatively interpreting pre swing New Orleans and Chicago jazz within the tradition. While most of his sets feature some obscurities, this CD with his trio (which also includes bassist
Robbie Schlosser
and the colorful drummer
Hal Smith
) sticks to warhorses but never sounds tired, overly predictable or without enthusiasm.
Thompson
, who overdubbed his effective clarinet on four of the 18 songs, manages to uplift such tunes as
"The Charleston,"
"Darktown Strutters' Ball," "Sweet Georgia Brown," "Tiger Rag" and "Honeysuckle Rose" without resorting to Dixieland cliches. The music therefore is both accessible and inventive, highly recommended. ~ Scott Yanow