ere's the Berigan band arguably at its peak, taking the music of Bix Beiderbecke to the next level, almost making these sides a case study in "what would Bix have sounded like had he lived and worked with a big band"? Although sides like "The Pied Piper" and "Ten Easy Lessons' feature vocals by Ruth Gaylor (herself a knockoff of Benny Goodman vocalist Helen Ward), instrumentals like "Jelly Roll Blues," "In a Mist," and "Livery Stable Blues," stress the Bix connection and bring these tunes into the big band age. On all but four tracks, the drumming chores are handled by a young Buddy Rich, swinging the band for all he's worth. ~ Cub Koda|
Rovi