Customer Reviews

Village Stompers

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In the quiet before the storm of the British invasion, instrumentals were often a major part of the American pop charts. Nevertheless, though instrumentals were a commonplace occurance, for a banjo-infused Dixieland-style tune to climb the charts missing the top spot by a single notch was indeed a surprising event. This unlikely achievement came in the form of the Village Stompers, a group of Dixieland band veterans, performing a jaunty, swinging tune tagged "Washington Square". Their unique sound also garnered enough attention to send their "Washington Square" lp into the top five of the album charts as well. Although the uniqueness of their sound was somewhat expended and subsequent singles did not fare very well, the Stompers continued to record albums into the later 60's

While their 45's did not garner much chart success after the initial blast, the tunes included here are very listenable and can no way be considered album filler as may be found in so many other albums based on a single hit. This two-fer combo of the Stompers' first two albums from Collectables contains these complete albums plus two bonus tracks in the form of their two other charting singles. This piece has been competently constructed with respectable sound quality and a brief musical backround of the group in the liner notes. The music here sounds as refreshing now as it did in its heyday and it is a welcome pleasure to have this music available in clean digital quality after years of laying dormant in Epic's vaults.

It's a shame traditional jazz gets smirked at by some folks. The guys at work call this "pizza parlor music." Granted, some Dixieland bands are goofy. So are some rock bands, some country bands, etc., etc.

In my view, these kinds of musicians pour more energy into their performance than anybody. Not into artistic experimentation (at my expense), not into bounding around the stage, not into setting their instruments on fire, not into yelling but into the shear enjoyment of making music for someone to enjoy. And almost nobody has done it better than the Stompers. Their musicianship and their cover of non-traditional Dixieland numbers is a hot combination that never gets old.

Back in the '60's I had all their albums on vinyl --all gone now. Thanks to technology and Amazon and other on-line stores, I have been able to appreciate what I've missed the last 30 years.

I love these guys. If you love Dixieland and perhaps if you never did previously, you will probably love them too. And if you haven't done so already, give a listen to their 60's British comtemporaries, Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen. They are similar in many ways to the Stompers only it's as if they have had a WHOLE LOT of strong coffee to drink before their sessions!

I orginally purchased the album in the 60's, lost it & have searched for it for years. There is nothing else out there that has the dixieland sound this does. It makes you want be with friends, have a cold beer & live life to it's fullest. It is listenning pleasure.

My parents use to play this for me when I was four years old. Our album got a bit scratched-up over the years by playing it on cheep record players. I still try to play that vinyl disc every now and then. My music tastes have changed with the times, listening more to electronic music and world beat now. I use to listen to progressive rock, new wave, punk, jazz, new age, funkadelic, soul, MPB, and alternative rock. This dixieland jazz is timeless. It's easy to get lost in this music. You'll forget time and space. These guys aren't well known, but I can guarentee you that they can jam with the best from any music genere. If you'd really like to hear a tight band, a musical band... ...What can I say, these guy's are phat! Typically, they'd use a few intruments to start with a short, simple melody from a popular song and add bit by bit, picking up the beat, to create a cresendo and then taper off. (sounds progessive!) It may sound like a simple style, but wait till you hear them jam. Every instrument does it's own thing but they blend so well together. Very few musicians could keep up with these guys. I'm always whistling that "Haunted House Blues". Like they use to say back then, dig it!

Great CD! It's a cross between Dixieland and Folk. The mellow banjo mixed with the brass provides an interesting combination. The track mix brings back memories from the '60s and makes you want to sing along. This is a CD you can play over and over.

This cd, which contains two different LPs (Washington Square/More Sounds of Washington Square) from the Village Stompers is just great. The unique sound of the banjo and the dizzie rythm (even transforming the classic Dylans Blowin' in the wind) makes it a must for classic jazz and dizzie lovers. Of course it contains his first big hit Washington Square and Midnight In Moscow, along with classics as The saints and Melodie d'amour. Great sound, great stuff.

What a treat after all these years. I had purchased the album of Washington Square almost 40 years ago. It was my favorite and I decided to see if I could find it again on CD. I am so thrilled to have it. It is the best sound and great music. I was not disappointed.

Twenty-six songs, scarcely a clunker in the lot. Sweeps you up and dances with you. Makes you want to stomp down the street to it.

Two albums on one CD worth its price. A superb jazz orchestra dealing with a bunch of diverse songs all in their unique and identifying musical style.

For all Village Stompers fans, this is a great cd with all of their finest. If you love Jazz, you'll love this.