The Dixieland Ramblers are out for fun as they explore fight songs associated with various colleges. Now consisting of a sextet, with trombonist
Harry Watters, trumpeter Kevin Clark, and clarinetist Michael Bennett, plus pianist Peter Hill, bassist Ka Cheong Liu and drummer Chris Lamont, the group reworks the "Notre Dame Victory March" into the setting of a New Orleans street parade. "Ramblin' Wreck From Georgia Tech" is played in a bluesy, subdued fashion by the rhythm section alone, sounding something like the Vince Guaraldi Trio.
Watters is the featured soloist in the loopy but fun take of "Tiger Rag." It's only natural that their version of "Indiana, My Indiana" would incorporate a bit of "Back Home Again in Indiana," but it is the brilliant interplay that makes this performance special. The hilarious closer is "Far Above Cayuga's Waters," with Dixieland blended with funk and a touch of gospel. Aside from college campuses, few of these songs (excepting "Tiger Rag") are heard much anymore, so these updated treatments are well-worth investigating. ~ Ken Dryden