Following on the success of their previous Early Hours recording, drummer Hal Smith’s New Orleans Night Owls have released Messin’ Around. As with their earlier set, the septet sounds very much like a Chicago jazz combo of 1927-29. This time around the lineup of musicians consists of cornetist TJ Muller, trombonist Dave Bock, clarinetist Ryan Calloway, pianist Andrew Oliver, banjoist Bill Reinhart, bassist Michael Gamble, and the drummer-leader.
To the musicians’ credit, although there are hints of Freddie Keppard (purposely on Keppard’s “Stockyard Strut”) by Muller and Oliver emulates Jelly Roll Morton in spots, the members of the New Orleans Night Owls mostly sound as if they were unrecorded greats of the late 1920s. Rather than copying the past, they are creative within the boundaries of the vintage style.
