Although one thinks of New York, Chicago, and possibly Kansas City and Los Angeles as major jazz centers in the 1920s, jazz was actually everywhere once records started becoming well-distributed. The 24 selections on this excellent CD were recorded in Dallas, Houston, or San Antonio, TX. Featured are a variety of top territory bands: Jimmy Joy's St. Anthony's Hotel Orchestra, Lloyd Finlay, Fatty Martin,
Irene Taylor, Randolph McCurtain's College Ramblers, Troy Floyd's Plaza Hotel Orchestra, Leroy's Dallas Band, and Fred Gardner's Texas University Troubadours. Nearly all of the sidemen are quite obscure, but
Troy Floyd's band has solos by trumpeter
Don Albert and (on the two-part "Dreamland Blues") future
Count Basie tenor saxophonist
Herschel Evans. Little-known but valuable and enjoyable vintage music.