Maria Muldaur's career spans some 57 years since she was part of the Jim Kweskin Jug Band, which played old-time blues, country, and hokum songs. Her latest recording, with the popular New Orleans traditional-swing jazz street band Tuba Skinny. Tuba Skinny consists of Shaye Cohn – cornet; Todd Burdick – tuba; Barnabus Jones – trombone; Jason Lawrence – banjo; Craig Flory – clarinet; Greg Sherman – guitar; Max Bien-Kahn – guitar; and Robin Rapuzzi – washboard. Muldaur first heard Tuba Skinny while shopping and their music was played over the store's speakers. About Tuba Skinny, Muldaur says, "They were not just playing a marvelous repertoire of cool tunes with great skill and authenticity, but somehow channeling the very atmosphere and vibration of that bygone era."
Before the COVID Pandemic in January 2020, Maria asked Tuba Skinny to collaborate for a showcase performance at the International Folk Alliance Conference in New Orleans. The performance was so well-received, and this album was immediately conceived and recorded. Overall, the album (her 43rd album) is her latest excursion into vintage jazz and blues sounds of the 1920s/'30s. It is a fascinating mix of songs ranging from songs associated with the Goofus Five, Lil Hardin Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Valaida Snow, and Sweet Pea Spivey (Victoria's sister).
There is plenty of fun to be had listening, starting with the opening rendition of the Goofus Five's "I Like You Best of All." Played at a nice relaxed tempo, this listener is especially impressed by the solos here by Craig Flory on clarinet and Shaye Cohn on cornet. I note that Muldaur's vocals do sound a slight bit weathered. Still, her phrasing, timing, and her ability to deliver lyrics remain intact. Lil Hardin Armstrong wrote the bouncy title tune with nice interplay in the opening between trombonist Barnabus Jones and Cohn on cornet. Muldaur has an ear for relatively obscure songs, including a delightful rendition of Frankie' Half-Pint' Jaxon's "Be You Natural Self," with Jones contributing the first solo chorus followed by Cohn's bright brass play. There is also a reflective rendition of another Jaxon number, "Some Sweet Day," a theme that would be echoed in a variety of pre-World War II recordings.
There is a dreamily played treatment of Duke Ellington's recording of "Delta Bound," with a lovely clarinet solo. Another peppy performance is the vivacious rendition of Valaida Snow's "Swing You Sinners." Cohn's cornet and Flory's clarinet evoke Buck Clayton and Lester Young as Muldaur models her performance of "He Ain't Got Rhythm" on Billie Holiday's classic recording. Then Muldaur revives a Boswell Sisters recording, "Got The South In My Soul," followed by a revival of an amusing 'Dorothy Lamour" recording, "I Go For That."
A revival of Sweet Pea Spivey's late twenties blues, "Road of Stone," solidly closes this recording. The musical meeting between Muldaur and Tuba Skinny has resulted in memorable, straightforward, and easy swinging jazz vocals and backing.
I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is the title track from this CD.
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