When one thinks of
jazz
in the '60s,
Dixieland
is hardly the first thing that comes to mind.
Jazz
enthusiasts will always associate the '60s with modal
post-bop
,
free jazz
, and funky
soul-jazz
organ combos, but not
-- a style of
that reached its creative peak in the '20s. Nonetheless, plenty of
revivalists were still doing their thing in the '60s, including
the Original Salty Dogs
(who had been around since 1947). Demonstrating that worthwhile
did not end with Prohibition, this reissue focuses on two
Salty Dogs
appearances in the '60s. Nine of the reissue's 15 tracks were recorded at
the Hinsdale Community Center
in Hinsdale, IL, in 1966, while six previously unreleased bonus tracks are from a 1969 gig at
Sloppy Joe's
in Chicago. At both venues,
the Salty Dogs
are faithful to the spirit of '20s
. Few surprises occur, but the band is spirited and enjoyable on
staples like
Jelly Roll Morton
's
"Wolverine Blues"
and
Bix Beiderbecke
"Davenport Blues."
Most of the performances are
instrumental
, which is a good thing because the weak vocal on
"Oh, Mama"
is the reissue's low point. On the
Dixieland revival
circuit, it isn't uncommon for instrumentalists who are inferior vocalists to go ahead and sing anyway; however, they would do well to leave the singing to the experts and stick with what they do best: playing their instruments. But for the most part,
New Orleans Shuffle
is an enjoyable, if derivative, reissue that die-hard
fans will appreciate. ~ Alex Henderson