The name of this album seems a little odd. I originally read it to refer to railroads or something like that, but it is what it says, all eight titles are originals, some are rags, others tracks are not. They might be struts, or just plain ol’ jazz. All however are well worth your time. The Rufus Temple Orchestra is one of the most impressive outfits from a large German jazz scene that while frequently playing for swing dancers primarily takes its inspiration from pre-swing styles. On first glance you might see another group of hipsters in period dress reviving speakeasy culture for an urban night club scene but the Rufus Temple Orchestra offers so much more than that.
When a group goes about the glorious business of adding new compositions to the jazz idiom I usually pass those albums on to other musicians for review, or even, imagine it, to cover. That is how this whole business of standards came about anyway. I am not capable of picking apart the compositional subtleties of an original rag arranged for a full band. Were I able the correspondingly suited readers would be of a vanishing number. I do however know a good thing when I hear it, and listening to this album without much mind before picking apart the name I had assumed these were rare rather than original rags. They pass the test.
This is the third album from the group. Their last, from 2020, was an exciting collection
