Josh Duffee & His Orchestra • In My Merry Oldsmobile, Volume III

“My merry Oldsmobile!” As rare as it is to hear that phrase nowadays, is to find an authentic 21st century jazz orchestra, unitedly perfecting the ethereal sensation of dance band music of the late 1920s and early 30s. It’s not exactly about grasping the mere sound of a ’20s dance orchestra, but a specific dreamy, empyrean touch, though untainted by the manipulation of excess reverb. And if there’s an album that attains this phenomenon, it is Mr. Josh Duffee & His Orchestra’s In My Merry Oldsmobile. Though I might be eighteen years late in writing these thoughts of audio from 2007 and 2008, a renewed recognition is needed to impart upon the recordings of Mr. Josh Duffee & His Orchestra. I am grateful to have discovered the CD at a festival months ago, and to have pleasantly conversed with Mr. Duffee, who brought his ten-piece Graystone Monarchs then. It’s always special to personally meet individuals who contributed to an album, as anecdotal discussions later bring life into the music. Despite its date of production, the recordings of In My Merry Oldsmobile still capture a refreshing sentiment of recency, as well as its premium audio quality! The sixteen tracks are a fine choice, decorated with a handful of stunning Coon-Sanders Nighthawks, Jean Goldkette, and Fletcher Henderson numbers along with two Boyd Senter compositions, “Tough Break” and “What a Br