Bill Dillard with Michael Boving's Rhythmakers

With Michael Boving's Rhythmakers.
Personnel: Bill Dillard (vocals, trumpet); Michael Boving (banjo); John Defferary (tenor saxophone, clarinet); Hans Knudsen (piano); Jens Bjerborg (guitar); Didier Geers (drums).
Recorded at Focus Studio, Copenhagen, Denmark on June 1, 1991. Includes liner notes by Michael Boving and Steve Schein.
Personnel: Bill Dillard (vocals, trumpet); Leif Bjerborg (guitar); Michael Böving (banjo); John Defferary (clarinet); Hans Leonardo Pedersen (alto saxophone); Ole "Fessor" Lindgreen (trombone); Hans Knudsen (piano); Didier Geers (drums).
Liner Note Author: Steve Schein.
Recording information: Focus Studio, Copenhagen, Denmark (06/01/1991).
Bill Dillard recorded relatively few solos throughout his long career. He recorded with Jelly Roll Morton (1929), Spike Hughes (1933), Teddy Hill (1937), and in many different settings through the years, but usually as a lead trumpeter. It was only late in his life that he had a few opportunities to be featured as an improviser. This date, recorded when Dillard was 79 and four years before his death, finds him in surprisingly fine form. Dillard is showcased in Copenhagen with banjoist Michael Boving's Rhythmakers, an excellent combo also featuring trombonist Ole "Fessor" Lindgreen, altoist Hans Pedersen, and John Defferary on tenor and clarinet. Dillard, who also takes some vocals, is the main star, performing a dozen trad standards (including "Indiana," "Who's Sorry Now," and "Undecided") plus Lindgreen's "Boiled Dog." Because of his few chances to stretch out on record, this CD is Bill Dillard's best all-around showcase available. ~ Scott Yanow