Whatever you think of jazz from the 1920s and '30s, it's mighty difficult to play. Between the syncopation and the coming and going of instruments soloing, the Chicago style that came of age in speakeasies and migrated to New York was like a precious timepiece. The precision, gait and soul of the music had to be just right to win over listeners and move feet. [Photo above of Mike Davis by Jane Kratochvil]
Ensembles today that take on this music need the chops and the feel to get feet going. Few do it as convincingly as cornetist and vocalist Mike Davis and his group, the New Wonders. This remarkable band is devilishly convincing, and they skillfully nail song after song with authenticity and verve—from the wails of the cornet and clarinet to the bouncing trombone and walrus grunts of the bass saxophone. [Photo above of Mike Davis and the New Wonders by Kevin Fitzpatrick]
In this regard, their newly released album The New Wonders (Turtle Bay) is pure magic, from start to finish. There are no dull tracks, and the popular music from the jazz age and the Depression nearly 100 years ago is all energy and heart. After all, this jazz style in the 1920s was celebratory and ushered in America's first sexual revolution after World War I, and in the 1930s it had to raise spirits at a time of economic collapse.
The musicians are first rate: Mike Davis (cnt,vcl), Ricky Alexander (cl,as,vcl), Joe McDonough (tb), Jared Engel (banjo), Dalton Ridenhour (p), Jay Rattman (bass sax,vcl) and Jay Lepley (d,vcl). If some of these names seem familiar, I last highlighted many of them in my post on Terry Waldo in 2021 here.
The songs that the New Wonders take on are Flamin' Mamie; Reaching for Someone (and Not Finding Anyone There); I'm More Than Satisfied; Poor Papa; I'd Rather Cry Over You (Than Smile at Somebody Else); Persian Rug; I Need Lovin'; Clorinda; Smile, Darn Ya, Smile; Jungle Crawl; I'm Walking Between the Raindrops; She's Funny That Way and The Baltimore.
A few words here about Mike and the gang. They aren't satisfied to just play this music authentically. They rolled up their sleeves and looked for songs that have been lost to time. You won't know most of them. Personally, I love artists who go deep into their jazz genre with zeal and intelligence. In addition, Mike created arrangements based on the recordings, so what you hear is the real deal, minus the scratchy far-off sound of worn-out 78s.
I'm not a major fan of pre-war jazz, even though I do dig Armstrong, Teagarden, Ellington, Tatum, Bix, Condon, Bud Freeman, the Austin High School Gang and a bunch of others. Admittedly, I don't turn to records from that era on a daily basis. Listening to Mike Davis and the New Wonders on these numbers, I'm reminded how good this music is at the highest level.
Trust me. Put on the first track and let the album play through. The music hasn't motivated me to make bathtub gin or buy a straw hat, but I have a fresh appreciation for what made this music special when the jazz world was young, vibrant and fetching. [Photo above of the New Wonders]
JazzWax tracks: You'll find Mike Davis's The New Wonders (Turtle Bay) here.
JazzWax note: The New Wonders perform often at clubs in New York. For information, go here.
JazzWax clips: Here are the New Wonders in 2016 playing and singing Smile, Darn Ya, Smile, to give you a taste of what this new album is all about...
Here's Flamin' Mamie from the new album...
Here's Poor Papa...
And here's I'd Rather Cry Over You (Than Smile at Somebody Else)...
