Ragtime To Jazz 1 1912-1919

The real revelation here is the Earl Fuller tracks - those people are crazy! Listen to Slippery Hank and tell me this is just of Historical Interest. And - the whole question of whether this is "Real Jazz" or not is really misplaced. It's like comparing the Sex Pistols to James Brown, in terms of who's funkier or who grooves more. I just try to imagine what nice people must have thought when they heard this track for the first time. It sounds like deranged Black - influenced Klezmer. And then Fuller's version of Luckey Roberts' transitional Stride - Rag classic Pork and Beans is fascinating in a whole other way. They put a "Spanish Tinge" under the whole thing, which no - one else to my knowledge ever did, but which totally works. And the Xylophonist is killing - but the star is the drummer. Amazing subtleties with the little equipment he had to work with. The ODJB sounds downright staid by comparison. Then there are the Europe's Society Orchestra cuts, with that Black Klezmer feeling again (the minor key in Too Mustard helps that impression along). You feel the inevitability of Improvisation, because they can only repeat the same thing over and over, with gradual growing intensity. Something has to give. And it's interesting to read that interview with Europe where he talks about needing to repress his musicians, who he said had a classically Afro - American tendency to want to extemporize and change things. Too bad he didn't let them! And it's great to have 3 recordings of Down Home Rag. It's so poignant to watch Jazz being born out of Ragtime tropes (that incessant Banjo - like 3/8). As usual with Timeless, there is as impeccable a remastering job as anyone could want. How can you resist?