This is the
Dick Wellstood CD to get. Two former LPs (Dick Wellstood and His Famous Orchestra Featuring Kenny Davern and The Blue Three at Hanratty's) have been reissued in full on this single CD which contains 78 minutes of music. The first eight selections (from 1973) feature
Wellstood with soprano saxophonist
Kenny Davern in a set of stirring duets while the final nine songs have a trio comprised of
Wellstood,
Davern (sticking to clarinet), and drummer
Bobby Rosengarden.
Wellstood and
Davern make a perfectly compatible team, whether on surprising versions of Dixieland standards (such as "Original Dixieland One Step," "Tiger Rag," and "Indiana") or obscurities such as Eddie Condon's (not George Gershwin's) "Liza" and "Oh Peter"; the opening number is an original simply titled "Fast As a Bastard!" A highly recommended set of brilliant pre-bop hot jazz. ~ Scott Yanow