This five-LP box set, issued by the Longines Symphonette Society in 1967, consisted in large part of recordings that Al Hirt made for the Audio Fidelity label in the late 1950s. The trumpeter was appearing at a New Orleans club called Dan's Pier 600 at the time and hadn't yet achieved much fame beyond his home base. That would change in the following decade when Hirt signed with RCA Victor and recorded hits like Cotton Candy and Java.
The Audio Fidelity recordings were made by a sextet that included Harold Cooper on clarinet, Bob Havens on trombone, pianist Ronnie DuPont, Bob Coquille on bass and Paul Edwards, drums. Unlike most Dixieland sessions, the emphasis wasn't on the ensemble but on the featured soloist, in this case Hirt. Here's a sample track.
Up a Lazy River
Almost all of Hirt's Audio Fidelity recordings are available digitally. The British-based Jasmine label has recently released Swinging Dixie, a two-CD set that combines three of the Audio Fidelity LPs. It's widely available and can be had via download as well.
If you're keen on vinyl, The Heart and Soul of Dixieland Jazz turns up frequently online, with many copies selling at a reasonable price. Thrift stores and garage sales are other sources for this excellent box set.
The following version of Up a Lazy River is by another New Orleans veteran, Pete Fountain. The track comes from a 1975 LP on Monument called Super Jazz, which featured both Fountain and Hirt separately as well as three selections that they perform together. Lazy River is by Fountain alone, despite the credit on the YouTube video.
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