This is an OK New Orleans jazz set, but nothing really sets it apart from the crowd. Trumpeter
Fardella heads a septet also including clarinetist
Tom Fischer (best known for his association with
Banu Gibson), trombonist Tom Ebbert, pianist Steve Pistorious, banjoist John Gill,
Tom Saunders on tuba, and drummer Hal Smith. Together they perform a variety of songs that mostly date from the 1920s, with a few exceptions. To their credit, some of the tunes are not performed much these days ("Ball & Chain," Jelly Roll Morton's "Midnight Mama," "That's What I Like About You," "St. Louis Shuffle" and King Oliver's "Sweet Like This," among others), but Fardella's renditions will not make anyone forget the original recordings. The problem is that the leader sings on ten of the 19 selections, while Saunders warbles on two, and the pair have duets on four others. In other words, there are only three instrumentals on the whole program, and it's not as if
Fardella and Saunders are masterful singers. There are some good moments from the soloists, but few listeners will need to hear this program through a second time.