The fifth CD in Collector's Classics series on the Washboard Rhythm Kings stretches beyond the original boundaries. In fact, out of the 23 selections, only four (from a 1931 date) were actually recorded by the Washboard Rhythm Kings. The other groups (the Washboard Serenaders, the Scorpion Washboard Band, the Tramp Band and the Rhythm Kings) have similar instrumentation and sometimes overlapping personnel, including guitarist Teddy Bunn, pianist Clarence Profit and perhaps trumpeter Henry Red Allen on two cuts. This goodtime music often utilizes not just a washboard but a kazoo, heated rhythm sections and occasional horns and vocals, and does not really require close study in order to enjoy. Highlights include such numbers as "Kazoo Moan," "Washboards Get Together," "Nagasaki," "Dinah" and "You Rascal You." ~ Scott Yanow|
Rovi