Various Artists - New Orleans Blues, Soul & Jazz Gumbo [Disc 1]

New Orleans. Never been. Must before I die. But I saved a few grand on air fares and spends, staying home to listen to this joyous double disc offering. Often these compilations of back catalogue stuff spanning the ages, are a mish mash of inferior recordings and rejects. Not this time.

There are 50-classic recordings by the original artists here, which trace the history of The Crescent City’s music, going back to the '20s with Louis Armstrong and his Hot Seven,the opener from 1927. Jelly Roll Morton, Sidney Bechet and King Oliver take us way back too. Joe “Mr Goggle Eyes” August is a name worth dropping in the pub, next time someone asks what kind of music you like! He is here with "Poppa Stoppa's Be Bop Blues."

Greats Lloyd Price and Smiley Lewis are well represented. Guitar Slim, Paul Gayten get a look in. Bobby Charles’ classic “Later Alligator,” is fun. Roy Montrell’s “(Everytime I Hear) That Mellow Saxaphone” is a classic.

A name I was unfamiliar with, but a cracking track, Tommy Ridgley and “Double-Eyed Whammy.” A little Cajun with Clifton Chenier’s “Ay-Te Te Fee.” The wonderful Fats Domino’s “Walking To New Orleans,” opens disc two. I got to work with Little Richard and Chuck Berry a few years ago, and met them both. Fats was supposed to be there too, but was ill, and I was disappointed not to have heard him sing or to have met him. No New Orleans record would be complete without the giant Allen Toussaint,who pops up on the second track on CD 2, or of course, one of the Nevilles. Here we get two Nevilles. Art and Aaron on separate tracks.

A really great soul singer is Bobby Marchan, in the O.V. Wright and James Carr style. Born Oscar James Gibson and for much of his career he was actually a female impersonator/drag act. He sang on Huey “Piano” Smith’s hits. His track here, “There’s Something On Your Mind,” is one of my favourite ever soul songs (written by Big Jay McNeely) and a stunning performance. It has since been covered by many greats, including Etta James and BB King, Buddy Guy and Little Milton. A number one on the R&B charts for Bobby in 1960. He must have been good; Otis Redding got him signed to Stax in 1963, where he only stayed a year. He died of liver cancer aged 69, in 1999. If you don’t know him, do check him out. Sheer class and a welcome inclusion on this collection.

Professor Longhair takes us to the Mardi Gras, with his brilliantly named “Shuffling Hungarians.” Lee Dorsey gets his “Ya Ya” out. Mac Rebbenack makes an appearance at track 22, perhaps better known as Dr John. The great Irma Thomas closes things in style with “Don’t Mess With My Man,” with the sassy line: "You can take my husband, but please don’t mess with my man!" Ouch.

It is all here. Trad jazz, blues, soul and R&B. An eclectic mix and a good tasting-menu of the gourmet morsels served up in The Big Easy by artists and buskers, on street corners and in brothels, bars and ballrooms over almost a century. The CD comes with a 24- page booklet, that folds out into a giant poster of a lovely sepia photograph of a New Orleans jazz band and procession. Quite possibly a traditional funeral march.

A very tasty gumbo indeed. Seconds please.........

Words SIMON REDLEY, Bluesandsoul.com