CCMusic.com

The Fat Babies are a seven-piece jazz band who play the classic styles of the 1920s and 1930s. "Few ensembles today play early-period jazz as authentically and exuberantly as the Fat Babies," writes Howard Reich of the Chicago Tribune. For this disc, the Fat Babies' pianist, Paul Asaro, takes center stage for a collection of pieces composed by or associated with Jelly Roll Morton. The arrangements and performances are inspired by Morton's classic "Red Hot Peppers" recordings though some, like "Spanish Swat," "Tiger Rag," and "Croc-O-Dile Cradle," went unrecorded by Morton's Red Hot Peppers. These are stunning performances recorded in brilliant modern sound. The CD includes a full-color 16-page booklet. The Fat Babies are Paul Asaro (piano and vocals), Andy Schumm (cornet and alto sax), John Otto (clarinet), Dave Bock (trombone), Jake Sanders (banjo and guitar), Beau Sample (string bass and tuba), Alex Hall (drums).