Sunny Side Up

Sunny Side UpThe West End Jazz Band of Chicago is well known to aficionados of 1920s and 1930s jazz and dance band music the world over. With their extensive repertoire, tight arrangements, and impeccable musicianship, the band has earned a reputation second to none for authentically recreating music sweet and hot from the "Golden Age of Jazz." Under the leadership of cornetist Mike Bezin, the band evokes the sounds of the Coon Sanders Nighthawks, Jean Goldkette's

The West End Jazz Band of Chicago is well-known to aficionados of 1920s and 1930s jazz and dance band music the world over. With their extensive repertoire, tight arrangements, and impeccable musicianship, the band has earned a reputation second-to-none for authentically recreating music -- sweet and hot -- from the "Golden Age of Jazz." Under the leadership of cornetist Mike Bezin, the band evokes the sounds of the Coon-Sanders Nighthawks, Jean Goldkette's Orchestra, Clarence Williams, King Oliver, and others without sacrificing its own unique style. For this CD, the band pays homage to the great Fletcher Henderson Orchestra of the late 1920s, tackling such classics as "Tozo!," "Hop Off," "Rocky Mountian Blues," "Variety Stomp," "St. Louis Shuffle," "Have It Ready," "Hot Mustard," and "Stockholm Stomp." Scattered among them are delightful pop songs of the 1920s and early '30s such as "Everybody Loves My Girl" (a favorite with the Ted Weems band), "There's a Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder" (a song closely associated with Al Jolson), "Rhythm King," "Wake Up and Live," and a dozen more. The band mixes "hot" dance numbers with a few "sweet" waltzes for a pleasing program that stays fresh even after repeated listenings. You may have heard these songs on 78 rpm records, now enjoy them in these spirited performances brilliantly captured in modern stereo sound.

In addition to cornetist Mike Bezin, the West End Jazz Band on this disc consists of Frank Gualtieri on trombone, John Otto on clarinet and alto sax, Leah Bezin on banjo and guitar, Mike Walbridge on tuba, and Mike Albiniak at the drums. The CD comes with a 12-page full-color illustrated booklet with notes by Mike Bezin. 73 minutes.

Rivermont catalogue number: BSW-2208

Formats available:

• Audio CD
• Apple Lossless (digital download / no physical product)
• MP3 (digital download / no physical product)
  

If you are purchasing a digital download and you do not know whether your playback device is compatible with Apple Lossless, we recommend the universally-compatible MP3 format. All digital downloads include a PDF digital booklet containing all of the text and images found in the physical CD booklet. If you select Apple Lossless or MP3, you will receive a download link by e-mail upon completion of checkout; no physical product will be mailed to you.

Track list: