Mostly Faz is the title of a fine piece of blues recorded in 1945 by New Orleans clarinetist
Irving Fazola & His Dixielanders. It's also the name of a 25-track compilation brought out in 2001 by the U.K.'s Jazz Band label. This overview of
Fazola's relatively brief career is similar to ASV/Living Era's
Faz, a 25-track retrospective released in 1998. Like
ASV's offering, the Jazz Band edition includes examples from a 1937 date involving a group who identified themselves as the
Musical Maniacs, as well as the Dixielanders session that yielded the title track. What distinguishes this collection are examples of
Faz's work with trumpeter
Sharkey Bonano & His Sharks of Rhythm in 1936 and several performances by
Fazola's own Dixieland Band of 1946. Nobody so far has managed to come up with a truly comprehensive set outlining the complete musical adventures of
Irving Henry Prestopnik, whose interesting nickname was bestowed upon him by loudmouth trumpeter
Louis Prima. A thorough history of
Fazola's professional accomplishments would reel in all kinds of names, including
Billie Holiday,
Harry James,
Bing and
Bob Crosby,
Claude Thornhill,
Ben Pollack,
Glenn Miller,
Bunny Berigan, and
Muggsy Spanier. Although
ASV's
Faz covers more ground by touching upon a wider range of bands and styles, what you get on
Mostly Faz is a really good taste of the man's superb artistry, albeit only as leader or member of four different ensembles. There is no such thing as a superfluous
Fazola collection, and this one is highly recommended.