Review #4 - The Gramercy Six

Live At The Firehouse - 8.0
Of all the LPs I own, this one has absolutely got to be the rarest. I've got a pretty hard to find Velvet Underground double album that will make its way to this space eventually, but I don't think it can top the Gramercy Six. Scouring the Internet for The Gramercy Six and especially this album yields little to no results. The only information I could gather is that they have and continue to play at the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee. There are also several listings of an album called Great Swinging Sound that was originally pressed in 1959.
Suffice to say, I am probably the only person on the entire Internet that will have ever reviewed this album. When I got my first record player I picked this album up at the local record store, Boo Boo Records, because I had been in my high school's jazz band and wanted a few jazz albums in my collection. It cost $1.
As someone who grew up in the Northern California area, I have been to my fair share of Sacramento Jazz Jubilees, and Live at the Firehouse is very reminiscent of the classic ragtime, swing and dixieland sounds that you hear at the festival. Recorded in 1983, its very possible that this was recorded at the Jazz Jubilee itself, although that is doubtful, given that it isn't mentioned in the liner notes.
As a classic swing and dixieland album, Live at the Firehouse is quite strong. The musicianship is smooth and the band is tight. I can imagine sitting under one of the tents in Sacramento listening to Gramercy while I eat my garlic fries.
None of the songs here particularly stand out, aside from album closer "It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)." The Duke Ellington standard is a good reference point and really shows the skill of the band. This album takes you back to classic Sacramento jazz and they do it very, very well. Excellent for a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.