Album Notes

Transport yourself to the French Quarter in New Orleans with Andy Sherwood’s Dixieland Clarinet Live! This compact disc features clarinetist Andy Sherwood with piano, bass and drums in a live concert. The music is from the early jazz era with songs written from 1914 to 1928. Andy pays tribute to his idol clarinet great Pete Fountain as well as the swing style of Benny Goodman on such tunes as “Avalon” and “After You’ve Gone.” The traditional tunes “Just a Closer Walk with Thee” and “When the Saints Go Marching In” are also on Andy’s “While We Danced at the Mardi Gras,” and here they are given slightly different renditions.
Everyone in this jazz quartet is allowed ample space to stretch out on solos. Pianist Ian Frenkel is one of the finest you’ll hear in the Dixieland genre, and his solos are always exciting and well crafted. Drummer Tom Briggs is also first rate and really gets the gumbo boiling. Bassist Mark McCormick offers some very soulful solos, especially on his feature, “St. Louis Blues.” On the up tempo tunes Mark's style is reminiscent of Louis Armstrong’s bassist, Arvel Shaw.
So, sit back, relax, and enjoy Dixieland Clarinet Live!