Another superb jazz release from Retrospective! Trombonist Wilbur De Paris (1900-1973) had a long apprenticeship, with Duke Ellington, among others, before he was able to express his own ideas with his own band, but his golden years of the 50s, enshrined on these two Retrospective CDs, genuinely extended the boundaries of traditional jazz.

For him, jazz was never history - it was a living art and as hot as mustard. His New Orleans Jazz was always "New". From his series of highly acclaimed original LPs we have selected the 38 finest tracks – 2 hours 38 minutes of the most invigorating jazz.

Magnificent trombonist though he was, the great strengths of De Paris’ "New" New Orleans Jazz lay in the coming together of a supremely talented group of musicians. These included two remarkable trumpeters, his brother Sidney De Paris and Doc Cheatham. Then there was the superlative clarinet of Omer Simeon (late of Jelly Roll Morton’s Red Hot Peppers), replaced after his death by the almost-as-good Garvin Bushell.

Wilbur De Paris’ declared aim was “to play as the early New Orleans masters would if they were alive today”. His choice of repertoire goes beyond imaginative renditions of the jazz standards to encompass an enormous range of material.

Certainly the music itself is “alive today” – here is the most exuberant, happy jazz that still sounds “New”.

Track Listing:
CD 1 (1952-1958)
1. Hindustan
2. Shreveport Stomp
3. Très Moutarde (Too Much Mustard)
4. Martinique
5. Milenberg Joys
6. Flow Gently, Sweet Afton
7. Hot Lips
8. Are You From Dixie?
9. Madagascar
10. Juba Dance
11. Toll Gate Blues
12. Wrought Iron Rag
13. Big Fine Girl (With Jimmy Witherspoon)
14. It’s All Right With Me
15. Begin The Beguine
16. Beale Street Blues
17. Muskrat Ramble

CD 2 (1958-1960)
1. Panama
2. Madeira
3. Banjolie
4. Waiting For The Robert E. Lee
5. Frankie And Johnny
6. Colonel Bogey’s March
7. Watching Dreams Go By
8. Hesitatin’ Blues
9. That’s A Plenty
10. Change O’key Boogie
11. Mack The Knife
12. Creole Love Call
13. Tell ’Em ’Bout Me (With Louis Bacon)
14. When My Sugar Walks Down The Street
15. Twelfth Street Rag
16. Blues Ingee
17. Shim-Me-Sha-Wabble
18. St Louis Blues
19. How Ya Gonna Keep ’Em Down On The Farm?
20. Just A Closer Walk With Thee
21. Royal Garden Blues