Hittin' the Blue Notes, Vol. 2

Most of the music on this CD, which features drummer Les DeMerle and his straight-ahead sextet/septet, seems to have been recorded in 2000; no exact date is given. However since the late blues singer Jimmy Witherspoon is on "Goin' to Chicago" and "Money's Getting' Cheaper" (from a live date while backed by a trio with DeMerle) and he passed away in 1997, those two cuts date from a few years earlier. No one in DeMerle's group is famous, but they all play straight-ahead jazz quite well and are capable soloists. The drummer decided for this project to pay tribute to the classic Blue Note label of the 1950s and '60s, with most of the songs on this CD originating on Blue Note sessions (although not "Invitation," "Alfie," "Route 66," and DeMerle's original romp "From the Hip," which is similar to "Work Song"). The concise renditions of such songs as "Sister Sadie," "Sandu," "The Sidewinder," and "Killer Joe" are in the spirit of classic hard bop, with trumpeter Marvin Ferebee in particular distinguishing himself. In addition, "Invitation" is a feature for the rhythm section and Bonnie Eisele takes the vocal on "Route 66." Overall, this is an enjoyable set of no-nonsense straight-ahead jazz.