Washington Square – THE VILLLAGE STOMPERS***

Washington Square/Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport/If I Had A Hammer/Blue Grass/We Can’t Stop Singin’/ Midnight In Moscow/Walk Right In/Green Green/The Poet & The Prophet/Cold Steel Canyons/Blowin’ In The Wind/Follow The Drinkin’ Gourd

Dixieland styled jazz band The Village Stompers achieved their only US top twenty album success with Washington Square. The title track reached No. 2 in the US singles chart. Album mostly comprises Dixieland instrumental versions of recent folk hits. (US:5)

"Washington Square, with its title and the band's name, evokes images of an earnest strolling coffee house band, and the repertoire here reflects that."

"The inclusion of not one but two Bob Dylan tunes, both done in prime, campy Dixieland style, are some of the most radical re-workings of his tunes ever."

"This is corny, overly sentimental music, but its a lot of fun and expertly played as well as brilliantly arranged."

"The Village Stompers, a group of Dixieland band veterans, perform a jaunty, swinging tune tagged Washington Square."

"Their musicianship and their cover of non-traditional Dixieland numbers is a hot combination that never gets old. This Dixieland jazz is timeless. Its easy to get lost in this music. You'll forget time and space."

"This album is from a time when really great instrumentals were lots of fun to listen to. This still sounds fresh after 40 years. Those were the days when there was real variety, and you could hear ten completely different styles on the radio in the same hour."

"Good music lasts and lasts and this is lively music that's never boring and always fresh and interesting. Its a shame that we just don't have artists producing such good instrumentals these days."