JAZZ LTD. Volume One

(1994/Delmark) 14 tracks,
Starting in 1947 and continuing throughout the 1950s, Bill Reinhardt and his wife Ruth ran Jazz Ltd, a Chicago club that served as a haven for Dixieland. Reinhardt (a fine clarinetist) led the house band, a unit that invaribly left a spot open for guest artists. This Delmark CD features The Jazz Ltd. group on 13 selections with such all-stars as soprano great Sidney Bechet, cornetist Muggsy Spanier, trumpeter Doc Evans, trombonist Miff Mole and pianist Don Ewell; the disc is rounded off by an informative five-minute interview with the Reinhardt's from the 1960s. The freewheeling music is quite enjoyable; Dixieland fans are advised to pick up this exciting disc. (AllMusic)