Marching Along with the Dukes of Dixieland: You've Got to Hear It To Believe It, Vol. 3

AMG Review of Marching Along with the Dukes of Dixieland: You've Got to Hear It To Believe It, Vol. 3

Scott Yanow
All Music Guide

With the third of what would be a dozen LPs for Audio Fidelity, the Dukes of Dixieland began recording sets of music revolving around particular themes. For this date, the Dukes perform a dozen songs that could be played as marches, among them "Lassus Trombone," "Bourbon Street Parade," "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" and "Eyes of Texas." Despite the potential for corniness in some of the songs, the Dukes manage to carry off the set by uplifting the tunes and dixiefying everything. Trumpeter/leader Frank Assunto teams up with trombonist Fred Assunto, Jac Assunto on trombone and banjo, clarinetist Harold Cooper, pianist Stanley Mendelson and a rhythm section. The ensembles are uncrowded yet exciting, and the soloists are consistently creative within the idiom. Worth searching for.