Joseph Robichaux And His New Orleans Rhythm Boys – Complete Recorded Works (1933)

It has been said of Joe Robichaux (by Herbert Friedwald) that, “He was a participant in most of the interesting musical developments in New Orleans throughout a fruitful career which spanned almost a half-century.” What he is principally remembered for, though, is for having led the only band based in New Orleans to make a substantial body of recordings during the 1930s.

Jan Evensmo has written, “I can understand why some record producers almost kill each other about Robichaux reissues.. .The soloists are all great… and Gene Porter.. is really one of the most exciting tenor sax: personalities of the early thirties.” Nothing else is quite like these performances. Herbert Friedwald has commented that they are a lot closer to the New Orleans jump bands of the forties than to traditional jazz as generally understood. They show how New Orleans musicians adapted to the swing era, and give a distinctive take on how swing evolved into jump and rhythm-and-blues. First and foremost though, they are great creative music.