The mere announcement of a new Fat Babies album should inspire most readers of The Syncopated Times to run out and buy it. They are by any measure one of the best jazz bands in the world and have been for some time now. Their latest album captures yet another high point for the band, extended here to eight members with the addition of reedman Jonathan Doyle.
All the players are consummate musicians who have long moved beyond Chicago to national and international prominence in the hot jazz and swing scenes. The core members are cornetist Andy Schumm, Pianist Paul Asaro, Dave Bock on trombone, Alex Hall on drums, Beau Sample on bass, and Johnny Donatowicz on banjo and guitar.
You'll spot many of these musicians in other Chicago groups like the Cellar Boys and on their own at international festivals and projects like Whitley Bay and the Hot Jazz Alliance. The Fat Babies though are almost unique in having now had four albums released on the famous Delmark Label. With all due respect to Rivermont, who released a Cellar Boys album last year, and other house labels of the trad jazz world the reach and credibility brought by Delmark is a great thing for our music. If we are to chose one band to represent what traditional jazz is to the wider world we could do no better than The Fat Babies.
I spend so much time talking up the merits of records I find above average and perfectly enjo
