Years before cornetist
Jim Cullum Jr.'s San Antonio Jazz Band began being featured regularly on its famous Riverwalk, Live from the Landing radio series, young
Cullum was a sideman in his father
Jim Cullum Sr.'s
Happy Jazz Band. Two of the group's albums from 1966-1967 are reissued on
Goose Pimples, except for one selection ("Lizard on a Rail") left out due to lack of space. Ironically, the original liner notes that are enclosed include a long section from
Lu Watters about how "Lizard on a Rail" received its name, which will lead to some confusion since the track is missing. That minor mishap aside, this music is quite enjoyable. The first 11 selections not only have the
Cullum band (with clarinetist
Jim Cullum Sr., his son on cornet, trombonist
Gene McKinney, pianist
Cliff Gillette, banjoist
Curly Williams,
Wilson Davis on tuba, and drummer Harvey Kindervater) but also guest cornetist
Bobby Hackett.
Hackett and the younger
Cullum work together quite well, with the latter hinting at
Bix Beiderbecke in spots and
Hackett being his usual mellow self. The repertoire on that Dixieland/swing session has several tunes associated with
Beiderbecke (including "Louisiana," "Sorry," and "Goose Pimples"), a few standards, and a couple basic obscurities in "Westmoreland Weave" and "À Bientôt." The second half of the reissue features the same group without
Hackett digging into such songs as "Sunset Café Stomp," "Angry," "Singin' the Blues," and the lesser-known "Pelican Panic." Fans of traditional jazz and Dixieland will find much to enjoy throughout this welcome reissue of formerly rare material.