This is one of the World's Greatest Jazz Band's better studio albums. The repertoire has standbys ("Bourbon Street Parade," "The Eel" and "What's New"), "Mercy Mercy Mercy" and some newer and lesser-known material. The all-star lineup (trumpeters
Yank Lawson and
Billy Butterfield, trombonists
Vic Dickenson and Eddie Hubble, tenor saxophonist
Bud Freeman,
Bob Wilber on clarinet and soprano, pianist
Ralph Sutton, bassist
Bob Haggart and drummer Gus Johnson) is particularly strong and most of the players get features. Best are a
Lawson-
Haggart duet on "Smile,"
Freeman's "The Eel" and
Butterfield's warm sound and lyrical style on "What's New." ~ Scott Yanow