In the interest of full disclosure, Quatro Surround sent me my copy of this recording free of charge in exchange for this review.
I got my copy of Old Merry Tale Jazz Band's recording "Greatest Hits of Dixieland" the other day. So I gave it a spin over the weekend. Now, I'm not a big jazz fan or of Dixieland style music, so I really have no point of reference as to what is really good Dixieland music. Having said that, I do like to incorporate different styles of music in my collection, and to have some Dixieland is not a bad thing. The music is spirited and lively, The opening number, Marina, is loud and brassy as you would expect from this genre and the musicians are top notch. There are no vocals in this one, it's an instrumental. The next tune mellows down a bit, with a wood wind instrument that sounds like a clarinet as the lead. This tune is a bit lower key. The third tune, Schlafe Mein Prinzchen, also an instrumental, a slower tune sounds like something you would hear at one of those New Orleans funeral processions. This is not to say it sounds like a dirge, New Orleans funerals are not always played that way. But it is slower. With the fourth cut, the pace picks up, and vocals are added. All the singing is done by one male voice, and on this one, entitled "Am Sontag will mein SuBer mit Mir", I didn't understand a word of it. The words are clear enough, but the language is German. But it's Dixieland style. The next tune, Down By the Riverside, Is sung in English, by the same artist. He does have a German accent when he sings in English. When I googled the lyrics on this song, I was surprised to find that it has many variants in the lyrics, most of them religious. The sixth tune, Blueberry Hill, is an old standard in Jazz, recorded by both Louis Armstrong and Fats Domino, but this one is good and is what you would expect. It does, however, have some of what I figure are a translation curiosity, where the phrase "the wind in the willows" wound up as "the wind in the windows". The next tune, Creole Jazz, is another lively clarinet tune with lots of cymbal play. Banjos are heard in the back, which is the way a lot of the songs are laid out. The next one, Ice Cream, is just a fun tune, One I remember singing when I was a kid. Number 9, All of Me, is a broken heart love song, but is fast paced. The next one, Tennessee Waltz Rock, Is a Dixieland style of "The Tennessee Waltz". The old standard is usually played a bit slower, but this one is lively. Number 11, Just a Closer Walk, is a gospel tune, given the Dixieland treatment. The singer puts a bit of gravel in his voice on this one. The next one, Summer Set, is just a mellow tune, the pace is relaxed and the clarinet is played with ample use of cymbals to set the pace. It is an instrumental. The last cut is another gospel tune, is a bit livelier, and does have vocals.
The recording quality is good, Lead horns and vocals are kept up front, while string instruments are kept in the back. The recording is very discrete, and is quadraphonic, so if you want to make a safety copy on your quad reel to reel, you can do so with little difficulty. This is a good idea, because I don't trust burned recordings, and that is what this appears to be. I just haven't had good luck with ones I have had in the past. On the other hand, Quatro Surround may have better technology than what I have, and the technology may have improved in general. This, only time will tell. If you like Dixieland music, this would be a good addition to your collection. If you're not sure, then you just might want to give this a spin.