The Dukes Of Dixieland, under the leadership of trumpeter Frank Assunto, was one of the finest Dixieland groups of the 1955-70 period. However, since Assunto's death in 1973, the band's name has been used by a much more run-of-the-mill group that plays workmanlike Dixieland without adding anything new to the idiom's heritage. On this CD, the 1996 version of
the Dukes performs a set of selections in tribute to
Bix Beiderbecke. To their credit, they do not copy the earlier records, but these renditions pale next to the originals, and one wonders why
the Dukes chose to include "Limehouse Blues" and "Down By The Riverside," which have nothing to do with the cornetist. The best soloist in the group is clarinetist
Tim Laughlin (who does a credible imitation of
Pete Fountain on "Down By The Riverside"), while trumpeter
Kevin Clark (who plays ten notes when two would be more effective) has clearly heard too many
Al Hirt records. Worse yet, the rhythm section often has trouble swinging, particularly on "Ostrich Walk" (which has some odd staccato-ish phrasing from the horns) and "At The Jazz Band Ball." Overall, this is at best a well-intentioned but average effort. ~ Scott Yanow