Play 90 second soundbite of 'Mexicali Rose' @ 'CD quality'
'New Orleans Shuffle' is sixty-nine minutes and sixteen tracks of effortless, languid jazz to chill to or get off on - depending on your personal preference. It's packed to overflowing with great 20's and 30's style jazz; the sort of fantastic, uplifting music that brought great cheer and heart to people 'between the wars'. And, there's no better way to sum up 'New Orleans Shuffle' than to say that it's just as likely to bring high spirits and healthy optimism in 2006 as it would have back then. This is really cool!
The whole album was recorded in a single day, completely 'live' in the studio - vocals and all! The New Washboard Syncopators (how much of a clue do you need?) do exactly what you'd expect given their rather wordy name. They are six, well honed, supremely competent jazzo's that make playing music look oh so easy. These guys certainly know what they're about. They play with skill and enthusiasm and it comes over crystal clear on this excellent recording.
Typically of the period concerned, the 'chunes' carry some pretty strange titles; none better though than my favourite, 'I Like Banana's 'Coz They Ain't Got No Bones' - wonderful! And, once again, that sums up this great piece of work - it really is a pleasure to behold.
Jazz isn't always my thing but 'New Orleans Shuffle' definitely does it for me. If all the jazz genre were as easy and as palatable as the stuff that The New Washboard Syncopators lay down there'd be a lot more takers - of that I'm sure. The New Washboard Syncopators don't try to be something they're not - they don't mess with the music (or your head!) - they just get it down smooth and easy.
'New Orleans Shuffle' really is a pleasure to listen to!
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