Until I heard this cd, I never made the association of the similarities of playing and tone between Pete Fountain and Benny Goodman. I suppose this impression is further enhanced by some of the selections ("Oh, Lady Be Good", "Avalon", "Shine" and "Rosetta" for example) and the small group consisting of unidentified xylophone (reminding me of Red Norvo), guitar, bass and drums.

Except for two obvious selections , there is nothing to identify this with New Orleans but this is still a very enjoyable small group swing set.

A showcase for Fountain's clarinet, this album should appeal more to fans of Pete than of New Orleans' music. Pete's claim that his primary influence was BG, especially the Goodman of the trios and quartets, is fully demonstated on this session. The accompaniment is swinging, crisp, and rather lean, thanks in some measure to the absence of a piano, but none of the supporting musicians measures up to the capabilities of the leader during the solos. Wonder if Pete planned it that way.