The Oxblood Melodians

Pulled at random from a bag of new releases, The Oxblood Melodians is the second disc I’ve reviewed recently which is bookended by two versions of the same song. It’s nothing more than a curious coincidence, but I took it as a good omen when that other, similar album (The Schwings Band’s Good Thing) was such a solid gold stonker. (That's British for “good.”) It’s a bold move, dishing up one tune twice—only a supremely confident band would dare do it. Jonathan Doyle (no relation) wears such confidence well. Over a three-decade career the Chicagoan saxophonist has graced the stage with the Asylum Street Spankers, Fat Babies, Tuba Skinny, and many more bands besides—as well as managing his own successful Swingtet. Here he teams up with veteran cornetist/clarinetist David Jellema: the librarian-turned-jazzman is Doyle’s Swingtet stablemate, as well making regular appearances with The Jazz Pharaohs, Brooks Prumo Orchestra, and others. Together, they deliver a delightful collection of lesser-heard jazz and blues classics, backed by seven of their most talented friends. All recorded back in 2014, these tracks have been “simmering and gestating, waiting for just the right moment to be released into the world,” the album’s blurb explains. “That time is finally upon us!” it triumphantly declares—and what a pick-me-up it is. The disc’s main distinction is argua