Pleasure Mad

In the 1920s the Charleston Chasers were a studio group that played jazz-influenced hot dance music and often featured Phil Napoleon, Red Nichols, the Dorsey Brothers and/or Benny Goodman. The ten-piece unit featured on this Stomp Off set has no relation to the original band except occasionally for the hot dance style it performs. Based in England and not including any notable "names," the Charleston Chasers does a fine job of interpreting 23 songs from the mid-to-late '20s. Consisting of two trumpets, one trombone, three reeds and a four-piece rhythm section (two of whom take period vocals), the ensemble sounds particularly spirited on such numbers as "I Found a Roundabout Way to Heaven," "My Blackbirds Are Bluebirds Now," "Drop Me Off at Harlem," "Clementine" and "The Man from the South," sometimes recreating earlier recordings and occasionally coming up with fresher interpretations.