“Waldron’s compositions have memorable melodies, unpredictable turns, and multiple strains. This is the equivalent of finding a folio of new Jelly Roll Morton or Tiny Parham songs.” – Michael Steinman, JAZZ LIVES
In 1924, Seattle jazz pioneer, Frank D. Waldron, self-published “Syncopated Classic” - a saxophone tutorial book which showcased his original compositions as etudes. 90 years later, Greg Ruby recorded these compositions for the first time after tracking down the lone extant copy of the book – a tattered photo-copy. Inspired by the brilliance of Waldron’s writing, Ruby assembled members of the vanguard of young musicians dedicated to contemporizing traditional jazz with his group the Rhythm Runners.
The Rhythm Runners:
Greg Ruby – guitar & 6 string banjo
Dennis Lichtman – clarinet & mandolin
Gordon Au – trumpet
Charlie Halloran – trombone
Cassidy Holden – bass
Julian MacDonough – drums
Special Guest: Mike Marshall – mandolin on Valse Queen Ann & Valse Hawthorne
This book & music collection reaches back to the earliest days of jazz in Seattle and introduces a new generation to the music of Frank D. Waldron — as exciting and enjoyable today as in the Jackson Street “Golden Age”. – Dick Stein, Jazz host, KNKX 88.5 FM
One would need to be a specialist/archivist to properly annotate this 11-song LP, but suffice to say, put it on in the middle of a house party, and watch the smiles broaden, the drinks flow more liberally, and the inhibitions dissipate.
– Fred Mills, Blurt Magazine
What is the appeal of a collection like this to contemporary jazz fans? For Seattle-based jazz fans, it’s an uncovered revelation; for Dixieland revivalists, it’s forgotten repertoire refreshed; for everyone else, a release like this is a reminder that early jazz history is not the single narrative so well documented on early recordings. Every city, no doubt, has their own version of a Frank Waldron. Does it change the arc of jazz history? No; Louis Armstrong is in no danger of having his position usurped. It does however, broaden the conversation, and illuminate the way jazz moved through American pop culture in the 1920s. In a way, Waldron’s music, given new life by Greg Ruby and The Rhythm Runners, was on the front line of the jazz revolution. He stands in for all the local musicians across the country who heard the great innovators as they passed through their city, absorbing those new sounds into their own styles. In doing so, they helped create a national audience for “hot jazz,” one that was hungry for new dance music for a new era.
—Eric Hofbauer, Burning Ambulance
