Although a part of the Dixieland/mainstream scene since the 1950s,
Jackie Coon did not get a chance to record regularly as a leader until hooking up with Arbors in the early '90s. Teamed up with his old friend
Rick Fay (who switches between tenor, clarinet and soprano), Eddie Erickson on banjo and guitar, pianist
Johnny Varro, bassist
David Stone and drummer
Gene Estes,
Coon plays cool-toned but upbeat solos on ten standards and an ad-lib blues. This is a particularly enjoyable CD for fans of straight-ahead jazz, Dixieland and swinging music. Included are fine versions of "Back In Your Own Backyard," "Down By the Riverside" (which features both
Coon and Erickson singing), "Louisiana," and "Stumbling." ~ Scott Yanow