Dixieland Now And Then - Jimmy McPartland & Paul Barbarin

 

McBlues

Careless Love

Dixieland Now And Then

Jimmy McPartland's Chicago Rompers

Paul Barbarin's New Orleans Stompers

Illustration: Victor Kalin

Jazztone J1241

1956

From the back cover: The McPartland Septet

Jimmy McPartland is, of course, one of the pillars of the Chicago Dixieland movement. During the twenties in the Windy City he played with Benny Goodman and Eddie Condon and Bix Beiderbecke, the legendary trumpeter, whose style Jimmy's so closely resembles. And he was the leader of the famed High Gang, which included Dave Tough, Frank Teschemaker and Bud Freeman.

Freeman plays with Jimmy here, blowing his highly inventive tenor sax. Bud, like Jimmy, an easy-going man (he also dabbles in Shakespeare) is the recognized leader of the tenor sax school from which the modern men, such as Lester Young and Stan Getz, eventually emerged, and his highly individualized solos have highlighted music blown by the big bands of Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey and Red Nichols, bus that of many famous Dixieland groups.

Clarinetist, Bill Stegmeyer, who penned the few arranged portions on this side, has played with the Glenn Miller and Bob Crosby bands, with various small outfits, and is currently writing one of the most imaginative, humorous, swinging trombonists extant, whose style fits into dixieland groups such as this as eloquently as it has into bands of the wing school, such as Count Basie's, Benny Carter's Eddie Heywood's and many more.

The swinging rhythm section features Jimmy's attractive wife, the former Marian Page, whom McPartland met while he was playing horn in the Army overseas and she was entertaining the troops for th e U.S.O. They played together after the war. and then Marian, more interested in modern sounds, formed her own trio, which for several years included the young drummer with the amazing technique and delightfully light, swinging touch, Joe Morello. For this date, The Mc Partlands added Milt Hinton, the veritable rock of a bassist, but more enthusiastic than any rock ever known, who's the current first choice for so many jazz dates.

The Barbarin Sextet

There's no better way of hearing the early New Orleans brand of dixieland that to listen to it begin played buy musicians who have been born and bred in New Orleans and were weaned and fed on its music. And that's exactly what hwe have on the second side of this record.

Paul Barbarin is one of the real "originals," He began his career in the famed Storyville section of New Orleans, and played with such greats as Sidney Bechet, King Oliver and Mutt Carey. Later, in Chicago, he played with Louis Armstrong in Oliver's band, but after that returned to New Orleans to devote practically all of this time to leading disown group in the town he loves so much.

The rest of the musicians are of the same hard-driving early New Orleans school. All are natives, well-known in their hometown, but, white the exception of Danny Barker, who has recorded with many well-known jazz groups, they have preferred to remain at home where they have been free to play the kind of music they known and love best.

Jimmy McPartland's Chicago Rompers

Jimmy McPartland - Cornet

Vic Dickenson - Trombone

Bill Stegmeyer - Clarinet

Bud Freeman - Tenor Sax

Marian McPartland - Piano

Milt Hinton - Bass

Joe Morello - Drums

My Gal Sal

McBlues

Shine On, Harvest Moon

Sweet Adeline

Decidedly Blues

Paul Barbarin's New Orleans Stompers

Paul Barbarin - Drums

John Brunious - Trumpet

Bobby Thomas - Trombone

Willie Humphrey - Clarinet

Lester Santiago - Piano

Danny Barker - Banjo

Gettysburg March

Careless Love

When The Saints Go Marching In

Mon Chère Amie

Tiger Rag