Al Hirt & Pete Fountain • Super Jazz

JAZZ CLASSIC OF THE MONTH The music at the Super Bowl halftime shows are famous for being pretty forgettable (some would say horrendous) except for those viewers who enjoy overblown spectacles, performers who lip synch to their recordings, inane lyrics, tasteless costumes, and drum machines. But there was one Super Bowl show that was on a different level. In 1975 for Super Bowl IX which was held in New Orleans, clarinetist Pete Fountain and trumpeter Al Hirt teamed up during halftime, putting on a show that was much more entertaining than that year’s game. During the same week at the Fairmont Hotel, they performed with their individual bands and on three songs together, resulting in the double album Super Jazz. Hirt and Fountain had teamed up on several exciting recordings during 1955-57 but, other than having minor roles on Dr. John’s 1992 album Goin’ Back To New Orleans, Super Jazz was their only other joint recording despite them being good friends and rival club owners. Al Hirt, who spent part of the 1960s displaying his virtuosity in pop-oriented recordings, could always play Dixieland quite well. His sextet with clarinetist Pee Wee Spitelara and trombonist George Prejean performs a four-song “Salute To Satchmo,” a rousing “South Rampart Street Parade,” and their depiction of a jazz funeral. Pete Fountain, who retained his popularity for decades while sticking t