Personnel:  Geoff Cole [tb], Tony Pyke [cl], Pat Hawes [pn], John Rodber [sbs], Colin Miller [dm]

Songs:  Yaaka Hula Hickey Dula, The White Cliffs of Dover, Song of the Wanderer, Savoy Blues, Liza, The Glory of Love, Trombonium, Creole BoBo, Lou-easy-an-I-a, Sugar Blues, Do What Ory Say, It's A Long Way to Tipperary, Tishomingo Blues, Ory's Creole Trombone, Sweethearts on Parade.

Jazzitude.com - Internet Publication

Trombonist Geoff Cole is a native of Exeter, England, and has been playing since the 1950s. After moving to London, Cole landed a position with the famous Ken Colyer Jazzman group, which he held for 10 years. He joined Georgia Jazz, later becoming the band's leader, and toured with Brian White's Magna Jazz Band before forming his own Hot Five. Cole's group has recorded a number of CDs, including tributes to Jelly Roll Morton and Fats Waller, but this set, recorded in 1995 at the Pizza Express in Maidstone, England, is a particularly hot session by the band.
Cole has listened to Ory inside and out, and he is an interpreter, not an impersonator. Rather than attempt to merely sound like Ory (which he certainly does, at times) he tries to think like him, to offer interpretations that evoke Ory without slavishly imitating him. He is quite successful in this, and though some of the arrangements here are all Ory, Cole does not offer note-for-note solos or ensemble passages. The opening salvo, "Yaaka Hula Hickey Dula," of which Ory's version is definitive, lets you know right away that you are in the company of some wonderful musicians and will be having an enjoyable time in their company.
Most of the tracks included here are either Ory compositions or were recorded and widely performed by Ory, but there are a few interesting exceptions. "White Cliffs of Dover" is included because, as Big Bill Bissonnette recounts in his liner notes, all of England was celebrating the 50th anniversary of VE day on the very date of this recording session. The performance is exceptional, embracing the New Orleans spirit as well as evoking the melancholy tinge of the song. Cole and clarinetist Tony Pyke, who played together for many years in the Colyer band, play with something bordering on telepathy, echoing the ability possessed by many early New Orleans musicians to improvise incredible ensemble passages together that are beyond the ability of many of today's formally trained jazzmen.
Pianist Pat Hawes, who has also played with Brian White's bands, is also in fine form here, as evidenced by his fine work on "Song of the Wanderer." For those who don't think that traditional jazz can be subtle or evoke a variety of moods besides the raucous "party-mode" overplayed by less skillful outfits, the range of dynamics and emotions here will be a revelation. This is a band that can offer more introspective playing to go right alongside the jubilation. Cole is clearly a musician with a great deal of intelligence and maturity who has studied his instrument and the music of the great early jazz players and is capable of putting his own spin on the music while still treating it with respect.
Do What Ory Say is highly recommended to anyone who enjoys jazz, and outstanding trombone playing in particular. You don't even have to be much of a trad jazz fan to enjoy this one-the quality of this performance is obvious to anyone with ears.
- Marshall Bowden

IAJRC JOURNAL - U.S.A.

Geoff Cole's Hot Five is a hot quintet, no doubt about that, and each of the musicians, outstanding on his instrument, plays with feeling, dynamics and splendid technique. They produce a wonderful blending of sounds. There is outstanding counterpoint between Geoff Cole's trombone - frequently emitting a very gutsy, robust sound - and Tony Pyke's clarinet with its wonderful tone. The choice of tunes is exceptional and there is no attempt to sound like a New Orleans street band in a funeral parade. Cole plays plays a gutsy trombone and there are nice solos from Pyke's clarinet and pianist Pat Hawes on, The White Cliff of Dover." There is some very active counterpoint between Hawes piano, the clarinet and trombone on the swinging "Savoy Blues." The two best renditions are those of "Savoy Blues" and Clarence William's "Sugar Blues" which, with its "wah-wah" trumpet has always been associated with Clyde McCoy, of course. Cole's muted trombone takes the place of McCoys trumpet, with very good effect. The clarinet takes the melody for awhile and Hawes piano takes a great blusey chorus. The ensemble work on Carmen Lombardo's "Sweethearts On Parade" is first class. Geoff Cole's Hot Five has produced an excellent recording.
- George Borgman

AMERICAN RAG - U.S.A.

Geoff Cole's Hot Five comes up with a 66 minute session that demonstrates the right way to pay tribute to a great vintage jazzman. Cole's trombone, plus the fifteen tune program, are both out of the Kid Ory bag, but the quintet itself has its own personality, a delightful blend of relaxation, loose-limbed flexibility and straight-ahead swing.
Clarinetist Tony Pyke, easy-going and assured, and pianist Pat Hawes, rhythmic and bluesy, hold up their ends pleasingly and idiomatically. Bassist John Rodber and drummer Colin Miller stick to business, pushing the team relentlessly toward the goal line. Cole usually takes the lead, passing it to Pyke occasionally, while the combo digs in to build its performances most effectively. There is no attempt here to be daringly
original, but everything clicks for a session of downtown style New Orleans jazz that is mighty easy on the ears. Four stars.
- TexWyndham

Rob Bamberger - Hot Jazz Radio U. S. A.

In a new series of recordings, Bill Bissonnette is indulging himself and others in the unbridled sort of jazz that was always the Jazz Crusade stock-in-trade. In the series, now numbering six releases, called "The Best of the Brits" Big Bill has has been assembling some of the English musicians active on the traditional and revival jazz landscape. While some of the players are newcomers and were brought to Bissonnette's attention by others, a number of the ensembles in the series feature musicians who have a long and, by no means obscure, history in the music. Trombonist Geoff Cole's Hot Five is an example of the later. Cole attributes his career in the music to Ken Colyer, in whose band he worked alongside clarinetist Tony Pyke. The two constitute the front line on this CD. Geoff Cole set out on this date to evoke the feel of Kid Ory without being overly slavish about it. The question at hand wasn't, "How did Ory play this?" The question posed, in the instance of tunes Ory did play, was, "How else might Ory have played this." And in the case of tunes Ory did not record, "How might Ory have tackled this?"
It all makes sense because, truth be told, Geoff Cole's Hot Five is not as persistently raucus an ensemble as others that have appeared on Jazz Crusade. But, then, neither was Ory all of the time. So, while Geoff Cole and his Hot Five play some of the major Ory tunes and warhorses, this is all music played "to the people" as Kid might have done it.
The more you play this disc, the more it grows on you. Kid Ory would approve. In all likelihood, so will you.

Joe Leheny - Jazz Critic - U.S.A.

This reviewer's enthusiasm for Kid Ory has al­ways been somewhat restrained. I considered him to be a rather limited musician in hip later years, coasting along on his reputation from those great recordings with Armstrong in the Twenties. VVj^h this sort of predisposition in
musical taste, therefore, I approached this re­cording with some scepticism. I needn't have worried. I think, in fact Cole does much more "than Ory Say;" he is smoother, more melodic and a better improvisor. In one sense he has to do more than Ory did, since this quintet lacks a trumpet and Cole takes what would normally be the trumpet solo as well as the trombone chorus in almost every number. He accomplishes this double duty so well that at times his muted trombone sounds so much like a "wa-wa" trumpet that I found myself glancing at the notes to see if there was a guest hom on this track or that. In his rendition of "Savoy Blues" he holds a sustained note for a full 22 seconds. Shades of Louis and "Mahogany Hall Stomp!" Cole is no slavish imitator of Ory by anymeans.
The rest of the group is also fine. Tony Pyke's clarinet is marvelously fluid and inventive on its own, as well as in its interaction with the trom­bone. He also plays a major role in my not miss­ing the trumpet, hard for a somewhat mouldy fyge. Pat Hawes' piano alternates between mar­velously raggy and barrelhouse modes and con­tributes enormously to the overall effect. Rod­ber & Miller constitute an extremely effective rhythm section. This is one to getand play again and again.
- Joe Leheny

Mississippi Rag [U.S.A.]

Geoff Cole's Hot Five differs from most other trombone-clarinet bands in that the leader's trombone generally takes the melody line with clarinetist Tony Pyke providing harmonies rath­er than the other way around. The many years that Cole & Pyke played together with Ken Coi-yer's band have resulted in close musical com­munication and the two often seem to think as one. There are are many delightful ensembles to be heard on these 15 selections, the majority of which are from the Kid Ory songbook. Cole is excellent on Savoy Blues, Pyke is fine during his feature on Liza, Hawes also proves to be an ex­cellent stride soloist during his occasional spots. The inclusion of a trumpet might very well have hurt the strong chemistry between Geoff Cole and Tony Pyke.
- Scott Yanow

AMG **** Review - U. S. Jazz Guide

Geoff Cole is a fine British trombonist whose style is heavily influenced by Kid Ory. For this Jazz Crusade CD, he is teamed with clarinetist Tony Pyke (both horns had played together for years with Ken Colyer) in a trumpet-less quintet. Unlike most similar groups, in this case the trombonist rather than the clarinetist usually plays the melodies and leads the ensembles. With pianist Pat Hawes, bassist John Rodber and drummer Colin Miller completing the group, Cole and Pyke sound in particularly exuberant form on such songs as "Yaaka Hula Hickey Dula," "The White Cliffs Oof Dover," a charming version of "The Glory of Love," the rag "Trombonium," "Lou-Easy-An-I-A" and several Kid Ory songs including "Savoy Blues" and "Ory's Creole Trombone." An enjoyable set of hot New Orleans jazz.
- Scott Yanow

Jazz Journal International - British Jazz Magazine

This is Vol. Five of Bill Bisson-nette's Best Of The Brits Series, which focuses on UK musicians who play in the native New Orleans style. Cole, a very capa­ble and experienced trombonist, was confronted by some chal­lenging circumstances in fulfilling Bissonette's invitation to record an album tribute to Kid Ory. For reasons which (unless simply financial) elude my comprehen­sion, Bissonette insisted on a trumpetless five-piece, a format Ory did not use on his recordings. Geoff had therefore to incorpo­rate some of the trumpet's role in defining the melody line, as well as evoking Ory-style ensemble accompaniment to a non-existent trumpet lead! Furthermore, the session had to be completed in one short afternoon.
In the circumstances this release is a praiseworthy achieve­ment. Cole infuses his playing with some familiar Ory trade­marks-the rhythmic jabbing, gutbucket slurs and growling tail­gate phrases-but wisely absorbs this into his own crisp and melodic style, with well balanced phrases built on a good ear for chord structure and harmony. Nor does he strictly copy Ory. White Cliffs Of Dover and Tipperary acknowledge the VE celebrations taking place on the day of the recording, and Trombonium (an antique ragtime piece) and Liza are scarcely Ory specials. Pyke's angular New Orleans clarinet offers loyal sup­port throughout, peaking on Lou-Easy-An-l-A and Do What Ory Say, both tracks swinging nicely. Rodber and Miller lay down appropriate and unobtrusive backing, while Pat Hawes is an excellent Buster Wilson to Coles's Ory, with some tasteful bluesy solo contributions on Sugar Blues and Tishomingo. An enjoy­able album which captures some­thing of the essence of Dry's music without pointless straight copying of the original record­ings.
- Hugh Rainey

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