Maryland Jazz Band of Cologne featuring Lillian Boutte, Let’s All Go Down To New Orleans – Live At the Palm Court Jazz Café (GHB)

Singer Lillian Boutté is well known for her work bringing New Orleans jazz to an international audience, so it’s fitting that her newest record finds her accompanied by the Maryland Jazz Band of Cologne, Germany. The ensemble serves up a classy set of standards in various instrumental combinations.

Boutté is, of course, a versatile musician. She sounds right at home gliding breathily between registers in a low-key, sultry rendition of “When It’s Sleepy Time Down South,” but no less so in the fired up “I Still Get Jealous,” in which she whips out a convincing bluesy growl.

This is a live recording (recorded at the Palm Court Jazz Café), and unfortunately, many musicians get lost in the mix at one point or another. On most tracks, though, the sound is clear and there’s little to gripe about (so long as you don’t mind the syrupy between-song banter). The Maryland Jazz Band has an excellent command of this style. When three or four of them start soloing on top of one another (something many traditional bands are unfortunately reluctant to allow), it’s something to hear.