Critic's Review
Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
Pianist James Dapogny's Chicago Jazz Band celebrated its 20th anniversary with this release. With a few exceptions (such as "Beale Street Blues," "Flying Home" and "The Washington Post March"), the emphasis is on lesser-known material from the 1920s and '30s. The octet (which also features clarinetist Kim Cusack, Russ Whitman on reeds, cornetist Jon Erik Kellso and trombonist Christopher Smith) sounds fine on such forgotten numbers as Fats Waller's "Sittin' Up Waitin' for You," "It Was a Sad Night In Harlem," "Moody Hollywood" and "Hobo's Prayer," but there are less inspiring and memorable moments than in Dapogny's previous Discovery CDs. Worth picking up by trad and mainstream jazz fans, even if the music falls short of essential.
