Although Delmark never got heavily into fusion, it was quite eclectic in the 1970s -- a decade that found the Chicago-based label recording everything form avant-garde AACM jazz to hard bop to Dixieland. One of the Dixieland artists who recorded for Delmark during the latter part of the 1970s was trombonist Jim Beebe, who provided two LPs for the label back then: Saturday Night Function in 1978 and Cornet Chop Suey in 1979. Both albums were reissued in 2001, when Delmark combined them on this generous CD. Born in 1931, ...
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Although Delmark never got heavily into fusion, it was quite eclectic in the 1970s -- a decade that found the Chicago-based label recording everything form avant-garde AACM jazz to hard bop to Dixieland. One of the Dixieland artists who recorded for Delmark during the latter part of the 1970s was trombonist Jim Beebe, who provided two LPs for the label back then: Saturday Night Function in 1978 and Cornet Chop Suey in 1979. Both albums were reissued in 2001, when Delmark combined them on this generous CD. Born in 1931, Beebe was in his late forties when these recordings were made -- he was about the same age as a lot of bop musicians. But you won't hear a trace of J.J. Johnson, Curtis Fuller, or Kai Winding in his playing. Beebe has more in common with Kid Ory or Jack Teagarden, and a 1920s-like mindset prevails on spirited performances of "Indiana," "Struttin' With Some Barbecue," and "Limehouse Blues" -- in other words, the usual Dixieland/classic jazz repertoire. The trombonist and his sidemen (who include trumpeter Spanky Davis in 1978 and drummer Barrett Deems in both 1978 and 1979) don't offer a lot of surprises, but what they lack in ambition they make up for in enthusiasm on this generally enjoyable release, if reissue. ~ Alex Henderson, Rovi
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