Jazz Passengers - Plain Old Joe (1993)

The Jazz Passengers (which is comprised of Roy Nathanson on alto, tenor and soprano, trombonist Curtis Fowlkes, violinist Jim Nolet who doubles on guitar, vibraphonist Bill Ware, bassist Brad Jones and drummer E.J. Rodriguez) is an eccentric group with a nutty sense of humor. On this somewhat odd CD the Jazz Passengers use a great deal of bizarre humor along with interesting combinations of instruments, references to earlier eras of jazz, spoken interludes, vocals by would-be crooner Curtis Fowlkes, noisy sound explorations and some swinging solos. Their version of "If I Were a Bell" is quite silly and "Inzane" lives up to its title. Not everything works but Plain Old Joe is certainly not run-of-the-mill music or forgettable.