The original
Bay City Jazz Band
lineup was only a footnote in the history of
Dixieland
; formed in 1955, the outfit recorded two LPs for
Good Time Jazz
(whose catalog is now owned by
Fantasy
) before breaking up in 1957. But they were an enjoyable footnote, and tuba player
Mike Waldbridge
(of
Salty Dogs
fame) thought enough of their work to assemble a new
BCJB
lineup 45 years after the original lineup's demise. In early 2002,
Waldbridge
recruited two members of the old '50s band (trumpeter
Everett Farey
and drummer
Lloyd Byassee
) and united them with several
veterans who had belonged to
the Salty Dogs
at some point, including trumpeter
Bob Neighbor
, banjo player
Jack Kuncl
, pianist
John Cooper
, and the late trombonist
Jim Snyder
.
's new
lineup recorded
Alligator Crawl
in July 2002 -- only five months before
Snyder
's death from lymphoma -- and this CD contains the trombonist's final recorded performances. Because
only employs two members of
the BCJB
's '50s lineup, some
fans might wonder if perhaps this group should be using a different name. But, in fact,
is quite faithful to the spirit of the old
; '20s-minded performances of
Jelly Roll Morton
's
"London Blues,"
Ma Rainey
"See See Rider,"
and
Louis Armstrong
"Potato Head Blues"
definitely pick up where the original
left off in 1957. And who better to pay tribute to a '50s
Dixieland revival
band than several players who had been with
over the years? After all,
were kindred spirits in the '50s -- both were a throwback to Prohibition-era
jazz
offers few surprises, but it's still a pleasing, if predictable, effort that die-hard
enthusiasts will enjoy. ~ Alex Henderson