Dave Bandrowski is a legend among a certain subset of New Orleans music lovers. The tenor banjo player is known as a musician’s musician. Bandrowski’s album, the whimsically titled, French Onion Superman, is a testament to both of those facts.

The record is ostensibly a trad jazz recording with a first-rate cast of first-call musicians. But the songs aren’t part of the venerable New Orleans tradition. Most of them aren’t even close, though each could be argued is a standard in its own genre.

The album opens with Bobby Charles’ classic, “Long Face,” which appeared on Charles’ debut album. The lyrics are dispensed with, as are almost all of the familiar tunes on this record. The album closes with the reggae classic, “Johnny Too Bad.”

Each instrumentalist in the band gets a tune to shine on. The solos from the Tim Fisher on clarinet, Charlie Halloran on trombone, Mark Braud on trumpet and the leader are all stunning. Nobu Ozaki and Doug Belote are as solid as a gold brick while holding down the bottom end.

The Columbian cumbia “Ay Cosita Linda” is one of the standout tracks but saying that is entirely subjective. This album grows on you after each listen.

While I could go on and on about each musician—for instance, Fisher’s lead melody on “Skylark” is haunting—but let’s talk about Bandrowski since it’s his album. First off, he’s generous, allowing everyone a chance to solo. But his individual effort takes the banjo in a direction rarely heard in these parts.

His rhythm work behind each chorus is subtle, but discerning details are there with careful listening. His solos are deft. He is not flashy, nor are any of the other soloists. Every note serves the song. I strongly recommend this album to anyone who loves music regardless of genre.

David Bandrowski French Onion Superman