Trombonist John Gill's Dixieland Serenaders are in excellent form during their second recording. Gill's arrangements pay tribute to the obvious predecessors among two trumpet/cornet groups:
King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band and
Lu Watters & the Yerba Buena Jazz Band. However, the music, although related, is not too derivative of these ensembles and the Dixieland Serenaders have created their own sound within the tradition. Their soloists are excellent, the ensembles are uncluttered and spirited, and the repertoire mixes together standards with a lot of obscurities. Fans of revival New Orleans jazz and 1940s San Francisco jazz will have little difficulty enjoying this fine set. ~ Scott Yanow