Although Hancock studied City Planning and Law at Cornell and Columbia Universities, he was active as a musician and bandleader throughout his college years. He was the founder of the Original Cornell Syncopators, a band that still exists today. After graduating, he was nominated for Grammy awards for his historical research and liner notes on two Archeophone releases, The Missing Link (Gus Haenschen) and The Moaniest Moan of Them All (Loren McMurray). He also helped curate the fourth disc (Joe's Jazz Kingdom) of the current Archeophone release, King Oliver's Jazz Band: Centennial.

Relocated to his hometown of Austin, Texas, he performed with a group of similar-minded musicians which eventually became known as The Joymakers. DOWN WHERE THE BLUEBONNETS GROW is the band's first recording. The band plays all kinds of traditional jazz, but they specialize in music played in the late 1920s and early 1930s by "territory bands" based in San Antonio, Kansas City, and New Orleans. The most famous of these bands were the Kansas City groups led by Walter Page, Bennie Moten, and Count Basie. The album features Hancock's new arrangements of songs favored by the territory bands, and despite a dearth of recordings by these groups, Hancock has discovered certain performance practices that were unique to these groups. Specifically, the pieces associated with Moten’s bands of 1923-1928 do not swing in the modern sense, but rather stomp, in Moten’s characteristic hot jazz style.

The opening track, "Papa's Gone," demonstrates this style with an energetic and bouncy rhythm. Hancock leads and solos on cornet at the beginning and end of the track, but also surprises us with a spirited vocal and a solo on baritone sax! (Over the course of the album, Hancock is also heard on trombone and alto sax.) Next, LAURYN GOULD offers a sultry vocal on the slow drag, "I'm a Good Gal," and later plays a finely-constructed solo on tenor sax. DAVID JELLEMA supports both vocal choruses with clarinet obbligati. The quick-paced "Crazy Quilt" starts with Hancock's ripping cornet lead and moves into a complex ensemble chorus. SHANE DICKENS plays his piano solo unaccompanied, and after another ensemble chorus, Jellema plays choruses on C-melody sax and clarinet, followed by a short interlude by DYLAN BLACKTHORN on accordion. Hancock plays stunning first and last choruses on "That's a Serious Thing," which also features Jellema preaching the vocal.

"Everybody Stomp" is a fun romp lifted by the fine rhythm section of Dickens, WESTEN BORGHESI (banjo), RYAN GOULD (bass) and RYAN NEUBAUER (drums). Clearly, the soloists were inspired by this well-integrated team. The Dickens solo piano turns on "Goofy Dust" show the direct influence of ragtime and stride piano on this early form of orchestrated jazz. The title track ambles along with a lazy swing accented by Neubauer's accents on the offbeats. Hancock's cornet lead is deeply melodic, Blackthorn gets authentic swing from his instrument, and Jellema's clarinet introduces a warm vocal (with whistling) by Hancock. "Tia Juana"—as it was spelled on the original Gennett label—is another Beiderbecke/ Wolverines classic with Hancock emulating the great master in tone and temperament. "Wolverine Blues" is given new spirit through a powerfully swinging arrangement with Hancock on alto and baritone saxes featured over the surging rhythm section.  

Lauryn Gould returns to the vocal mic in a multi-tempoed arrangement of "I Ain't Thinkin' About You," which is followed by "Hot Air," a superb hot number with an irresistible dancing beat from Neubauer's snare. Hancock (cornet), Lauryn Gould (alto sax), Jellema (clarinet), and Borghesi (banjo) play full-length solos, while Ryan Gould adds effective breaks on his string bass. Hancock sings "Kiss Me Sweet" with both verse and chorus with Lauryn Gould offering backup on tenor sax. A little later in the track, Gould offers a Bechet-styled improvisation on soprano sax before a contrapuntal ensemble chorus by the three saxophones. The immortal "Tiger Rag" brings the album to an exciting conclusion with most of the soloists stepping up for a final curtain call. While this album is great fun to hear, it is also a living recreation of a great music genre that was under-recorded in its prime years, and nearly forgotten by modern scholars. Colin Hancock and the Joymakers have added immeasurably to the legacy of the great southwestern musicians.

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DOWN WHERE THE BLUEBONNETS GROW was released on September 20, 2024, on Turtle Bay Records and is available at Turtlebayrecords.com and on all platforms.

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