Red Bean ’n’ Rice Jazz Band• Once More from the Beginning! Vol. 2

In this second volume of Once More from the Beginning! by the Red Beans ’n’ Rice Jazz Band, Stuart McLean continues his recounting of the band’s story in his liner notes. While Volume One presented performances from 1996, 1998, and 1999, this volume focuses on the period shortly after the band’s forming in 1992, with “some early recordings that have now come to light” from 1993, he informs us. Many of the same personnel from Volume One are to be found on Volume Two, John “Dusso” Winter on trumpet being the only “newcomer” here. He provides a solid lead and on several tracks, a vocal. The tune list over the two CD’s is a varied one, including blues, marches, pop songs, spirituals—something for everyone—and by a variety of composers, including Buddy Bolden, Jelly Roll Morton, King Oliver, W.C. Handy, to mention a few. I should imagine the titles will be familiar to most folks. “Uptown Bumps” is more usually titled “The Bucket’s Got a Hole in It,” perhaps, and there is a bit of confusion over “San Jacinto Stomp.” Some people claim that George Lewis co-opted another tune, “You Can’t Escape from Me,” just giving it the “San Jacinto Stomp” title. And to confuse the issue further, there is the tune titled “I Can’t Escape from You,” which some people claim is simply a refocusing of “You Can’t Escape from Me!” Since “I Can’t Es