Panorama Jazz Band / Another hot night in February

I wouldn't usually think of Dixieland Jazz and Klezmer together. Pete Sokolow does a wonderful shtick with his "Original Klezmer Jazz Band", but, good as it is, that's nostalgia fusion. The difference becomes obvious when you listen to the Panorama Jazz Band, a New Orleans outfit that has its roots in Dixieland, but which seems equally at home with dance music from around the world, whether it be jazz, klezmer, or Bulgarian.

The thing about Panorama Jazz Band is that they manage to use old-fashioned instrumentation, even, some old-fashioned arrangements, to play music that sounds delightfully current. The album-opening "Camelia" is toe-tapping hot night music. "Sale Dame" would be right at home in the Beausoleil repertoire (and might also reside there, for all I remember). I especially like the Balkan Brass feel they give Brandwein's "Terkishe Yale v'Yove Tantz", although I do confess that the juxtaposition between that and a particularly sunny version of "Sunny Side of the Street" gave me pause. What if the Brave Combo was born in New Orleans and more interested in jazz and less interested in the lounge scene? Would they be this good? Their straight-ahead balkan brass numbers are excellent, too. For years I've heard echoes of New Orleans in Zlatne Uste and Fanfare Ciocarlia. Now here's a New Orleans band going straight to the source. The band starts "Dulgo horo" from somewhere east of Albania, returns to New Orleans, and takes it out back east again.

The band really draws out the "Arabisher" in Brandwein's tunes, and then hesitates not when it comes to applying full Dixieland press to "Baym Rebn in Palestina" or the former "Russian Sher" (here, "Here come the Philistines". indeed!). There is also other wedding fare, as on "Di mame iz gegangen"). Back to jazz and other world music, there is a neat homage in their choice of Jewish jazz clarinetist Mezz Mezzrow's "Really the Blues" and Benny Goodman's "Whispering". They do a well-selected four tunes from Alexandre Stelio, about whom I know no more than what I hear here. I'll have to find out more, because these tunes are great.

This is a wonderfully refreshing and versatile fusion of world dance music with New Orleans style brazz and Dixieland swing. I predict a trend. Pick up the CD and have a listen, yourself.

Songs

1. Camelia (Alexandre Stelio) 3:06
2. Milneburg Joys (Melrose/Morton/Mares) 4:30
3. Balcon Fleuri (Alexandre Stelio) 3:59
4. Di mame iz gegangen (trad.) 4:07
5. Bavno horo (trad. Bulgarian) 3:30
6. Sali Dame (Albert Nicholas) 2:55
7. Terkishe yale v'yove tantz (Naftule Brandwein) 4:24
8. Sunny side of the street (Fields/McHugh) 3:10
9. Sous les tropiques (Eugene Delouche) 6:07
10. Baym rebn in Palestina (trad.) 5:55
11. Dulgo horo (trad.) 6:37
12. Renee (Alexandre Stelio) 4:28
13. Really the blues (Milton Mezzrow) 5:06
14. Here come the Philistines (Dave Tarras) 6:06
15. Asi Pare (Alexandre Stelio) 3:53
16. Whispering (Schonberger/Coburn/Rose) 3:35