Gregg
Stafford & the Easy Riders Jazz Band Walking With the King Jazz
Crusade
Gregg Stafford is one of New Orleans’ hidden treasures,
largely unknown to those outside the Crescent City. He is
best known for his authentic interpretations of traditional
jazz. Several of his recordings are available on the Jazz
Crusade label, and are well worth the investment for anyone
who enjoys trad jazz or wants to check it out.
Walking With the King offers up a fine collection
of traditional tunes, played by Stafford and the members of
the Easy Riders Jazz Band. In his liner notes trombonist and
label owner Big Bill Bissonnette says “Those of you
who like us and the Easy Riders sound will like it. Those
of you who don’t [which means basically every major
jazz critic in the world!] still won’t.” It’s
hard to imagine anyone not liking this recording unless they
simply flat-out don’t like or understand traditional
New Orleans jazz (and many so-called “major jazz critics”
don’t)! Still, I’ll turn in my jazz critic’s
card anytime for the privilege of enjoying such raucous, spirited
performances as the opening “Fidgety Feet,” the
ebullient “Moonlight,” and the fabulous “Aunt
Hagar’s Blues,” based on the Kid Ory arrangement.
The band of “old timers” that the Easy Riders
Jazz Band has become is in fine form here, with Bisonnette
and Sammy Rimington (Paul Boehmke plays reeds on “Aunt
Hagar’s Blues”) providing incredible energy to
the ensemble work and some very hot solos to boot. One of
the things that the Easy Riders and Stafford bring to this
music that is sorely lacking from some other performances
and recordings is genuine love, respect, and enthusiasm for
the music, and that last element cannot be overemphasized.
We are talking, after all, about music that was initially
created by musicians who could not read music and who had
no access to ‘advanced’ musical theory. They created
this sound from the basic ability to play their instruments,
the ability to listen and respond to the other musicians in
the band, and the rest was enthusiasm and the conveyance of
real emotion, be it joy, worship, or the blues. That spirit
is contained in abundance on this CD, and it is one reason
I would heartily recommend it and enjoy it over recordings
that may be more “technically” advanced or correct
in some way but which don’t live and breathe as this
one does.
Wallking With the King comes heartily recommended.
Put it on and you’ll soon have an instant party in your
living room.
