This highly enjoyable Dixieland CD reissues all of the music from the earlier Merry Maker LP, Turk Murphy's San Francisco Jazz Band, and seven of the dozen selections (leaving out four vocals plus "Harlem Rag") from Vol. 2. Trombonist Murphy's group made very few recordings during the 1960s (their music was considered out of style), but fortunately was better-documented during the following decade. His sextet (featuring the powerful cornetist Leon Oakley, clarinetist Phil Howe, pianist Pete Clute, Jim Maihack on tuba, and either Dick Speer or Carl Lunsford on banjo) was particularly strong in the early '70s, and these live renditions of 1920s material (with many tunes from the repertoire of
King Oliver and
Jelly Roll Morton) are played with spirit, authenticity, and quite a bit of excitement. Recommended. ~ Scott Yanow