Blue Roses of Far and Near

Unlike most trad jazz groups, Dan Levinson's Roof Garden Jass Band uses as their role model not the hot bands of the late '20s, but the pioneering New York and New Orleans outfits of the early '20s, starting with the Original Dixieland Jazz Band and the Original Memphis Five, and including other ensemble-oriented bands of the time. The playing of Levinson (on clarinet and C-melody sax), cornetist Jon-Erik Kellso, trombonist David Sager, pianist Tom Roberts, and drummer Kevin Dorn perfectly fit the music of that time, and the 25 selections include such obscurities as "Rose of Bombay," "Send Back My Honeyman," "Really a Pain," "The Grass Is Always Greener," and "The Yankee Doodle Blues." A delightful set that casts light on a neglected period of jazz.