Halfway House Orchestra - Barataria (1925)
THE HALFWAY HOUSE ORCHESTRA
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NOTES. Recorded in New Orleans on 22 January 1925 by the Okeh Company's mobile recording unit, "Barataria" is a fine example of the Halfway House Orchestra's wonderfully relaxed playing style.
Okeh made a number of "field trips" to New Orleans and recorded many tunes by several bands but "Barataria" remains one of the best and most important examples of early New Orleans jazzmusic.
In discographies, articles and liner notes of LP's and CD's, the superb clarinet solo has always been ascribed to the legendary Leon Roppolo but, although he is indeed present, it is definitely him on alto saxophone throughout the ensembles and, from this fresh restoration of a mint copy of the extremely rare OKeh 40318, it can clearly be heard that there is not enough time before and after the clarinet solo for Roppolo to switch instruments. The clarinet solo is therefore by Charlie Cordilla, and comparison with his work on later Columbia recordings by the same band indeed reveals many similarities in style. Also Cordilla is not known to have played alto, and in this picture of the entire band he can be seen playing tenor sax, with his clarinet on a stand in front of him.