Ancient recordings from the very dawn of early jazz.
The quality of recorded sound was still very primitive (electronic recordings will be introduced few years later,with sound much improved) so it takes some time for an ear to adjust to this jumble of what was basically ensemble playing together into a hole in a wall. There is nothing primitive about music and playing,though - sparks are flying when King Oliver and his boys are getting happy,once you get accustomed to this sound it is actually very rewarding because it gives you a chance to hear real New Orleans jazz the way it was played circa 1924. with a very young and apparently enthusiastic Louis Armstrong at hand. Listen to "Dipper Mouth Blues" and marvel at art of team playing in the best possible meaning of the word,it is a joyful noise in unison and at times it sounds even more exciting than Armstrong's later celebrated recordings with his own band. There is something about musician being young and full of vigor that cannot be replaced later.
So it is a time machine in a way,glance back at recorded history - I have soft spot for "historical recordings" be it old classical or recordings like these,to me they all sound wonderful and I enjoy them very much,the quality of the sound doesn't bother me at all because I understand the story behind it. Complaining about the sound would be the same as complaining that Tutankhamon's burial place don't have air condition,you just take it for what it is and what it represents.
At the very end of CD there are some interesting recordings by another band,"Red Onion Jazz Babies" (more or less same personnel) with vocals by very young Alberta Hunter who was moonlighting under assumed name of "Josephine Beatty".
Recommended for hard-core early jazz fans.
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