Personnel: Brian Carrick [reeds/vocal] Malcolm Hurrell [banjo] Bill Cole [string bass] Malc Murphy [drums]

Songs: Wait Till the Sun Shines Nellie, Careless Love, Golden Leaf Strut, Lover, Maggie, My Josephine, Sweet Fields, Alexander’s Ragtime Band, Collegiate, When I Grow Too Old to Dream, Should I?, In the Upper Garden, I Wonder Who’s Kissing Her Now, My Life Will Be Sweeter Someday, The Eyes of Texas

JazzReview.com - Internet Jazz magazine

Brian Carrick is one of the most dedicated clarinetists on the New Orleans revival scene today. The reedman travels internationally to perform in concert and on records with traditional jazz groups around the world. It’s Carrick’s unwavering admiration of the late George Lewis that endears him to his legion of fans in Britain, North America and Europe. His mission is not to blindly copy the notes played by his idol, but to interpret and preserve the energy and the spirit that made Lewis the influence that he was.
This new album is comprised of the clarinetist’s most requested tunes and all are delivered without the benefit of his usual septet format within his Algiers Stompers. Carrick responds perfectly to the additional demands placed upon him in the quartet atmosphere. It’s great to hear Jelly Roll Morton’s 1925 Golden Leaf Strut played by a clarinet and rhythm. The old favorite later went on to become Milneburg Joys and was performed by Bunk Johnson and George Lewis in 1945.
Switching seamlessly back and forth between clarinet and tenor sax, Brian Carrick and his fine rhythm section have put together a fine selection of material to please any New Orleans fan. This writer especially enjoyed the old hymn, In The Upper Garden with a neat solo by bassist Bill Cole. Nice stuff!
- Richard Bourcier

Boxell’s Jazz Website - Internet Publication

Whilst I like a reed led quartet, I normally find that after three tracks I have to switch to another CD and come back to the quartet later on as it all gets a bit much. Not with this CD – it is brilliant and has stood my playing back to back for the past four days of traveling to and from work without me getting either bored or suffering from reed overload.
Whilst much of the credit must go to Brian Carrick’s innovative, imaginative and inventive playing, his partners, Malcolm Hurrell on banjo, Bill Cole on double bass and Malc Murphy on drums are, I feel, the reason the album is so playable. Brian, mainly on clarinet and sometimes on tenor sax, gives his mates plenty of breaks to strut their stuff and that they do in fine style. Mind you, I have always admired Bill Cole, not just for his skill in playing but for his courage in taking on an instrument that dwarfs him, and there is always delight in the marvellous mad musical mayhem that is Malc Murphy, a fellow Colyer sidesman and a drummer who at times both sounds and looks like Animal in the Muppet’s band. But, even when backing Brian, as opposed to enjoying the freedom of a break of their own, they are no ‘chink, chink, chug, chug’ players and constantly compliment and musically comment on Brian’s playing. No, there is no such thing as boredom or fatigue when listening to this wonderful grouping of Brit jazzmen. This CD is highly recommended.
- Geoff Boxell

Jazz Gazette - Internet Publication

The Heritage Jazz Quartet is just as good with Brian Carrick in excellent shape. He is supported by a fine rhythm section. The combination of Hurrell’s tasteful and dry-sounding banjo, Bill Cole’s sonorous bass and Malc Murphy’s dynamic, Baby Dodds inspired, drums results in a solid foundation on which Brian can build his lyrical improvisations. He plays tenor sax on “Collegiate” (what a swinger!) and “Should I” and both clarinet and sax on “When You And I Were Young Maggie”. He sings on “Lover” (the fine Narvin Kimball ballad) and on “When I Grow Too Old To Dream”. This session is a well-deserved showcase for one of the greatest New Orleans style clarinet players of today. George Lewis used to smile when he heard one of his pupils play a fine chorus. I’m sure, wherever he may be, he’s smiling now. Great stuff Brian!
- Marcel Joly

King’s Jazz Review - British Internet Publication

Besides maintaining a movement of swing, Bill Cole must be among the only (noted advisedly) string bassist whose melody breaks bring a special, augmentation to the status of these quartet recordings.
Recording engineer, Dave Bennett, who produced this Church Alley, Nottingham, England recordings, will have enhanced listener’s pleasure of being able to hear those four traditional jazz artists playing at top performance level, together with all of the Irregulars.
This CD is a precious inscription of traditional jazz music, the heartbeat of a very fine clarinettist in one Brian Carrick, partaking in annals usage of the metal instrument made famous by a past New Orleans clarinettist, both unique in their fields. I believe that in England’s schools’ music classes, girls are now prominent in taking to learn to play the clarinet. I therefore put it to music teachers not to be shy in approaching the establishment, asking it to recommend to all pupils, to listen to this clarinettist leader of The Heritage Jazz Quartet - "Lover" for inspiration.
- Ian King

Jazz Journal International—British jazz magazine

Brian Carrick is a veteran devotee of purist, archaic New Orleans jazz, as championed by the Jazz Crusade label. He plays with obvious sincerity and understanding of the idiom, with a fluent flow of ideas, his style modelled closely on that of George Lewis, without quite matching Lewis's sinewy tonal strength and soaring emotiorial drive. Few disciples have. However, Brian's playing makes enjoyable listening, with In The Upper Garden and My Life Will Be Sweeter among the best tracks. He sings in relaxed, unpretentious fashion on the country-style ballad Lover (not the famous standard, but an old Albert French number, as the notes state). This adds some sorely needed variety.
Male Murphy, similarly experienced in this idiom, holds things together in contained, loose-knit style, with some responsive fills to the clarinet lead, eg in Alexander's. Otherwise the backing is poor, and woefully exposed as such when the clarinet takes a break for a chorus. The banjoist seems devoid of ideas, and limited in technique, settling for strumming only basic chords, and the bass is quite shockingly inaccurate in pitching in places, eg Careless Love and Maggie. I enjoyed Brian's playing, but a full-length album stretches this simple format too far, and he surely needed and deserves a better standard of accompaniment.
- Hugh Rainey

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