The pandemic has made some bands even more prolific than they were prior to the current state of affairs. It has also allowed musicians to branch off into side projects that may never have happened in the earlier times. The Secret Six Jazz Band fits into both categories.

In April of last year, I reviewed the band’s debut album. The Secret Six formed as a side project of the Smoking Time Jazz Club in the early days of COVID-19. Now they are back with a new recording that focuses on some of the most challenging music of the early years of jazz.

There’s Something In My Eye And It’s You focuses on Louis Armstrong’s work with his mentor, Joe “King” Oliver. In order to play some of those classic songs like “Cornet Chop Suey” and “Wildman Blues,” the Secret Six needed two cornet players. Though no one would compare their work on the album to Armstrong and Oliver, Satoru Ohashi and Reid Poole are up to the task and pull it off with admirable aplomb.

One of the first things I noticed about the album is the songs are considerably longer than the originals. Back in the days of 78 RPM records, the recording process limited tunes to around three minutes. These new versions give listeners a little something extra which, in addition to the much higher fidelity of modern recordings, help make a strong case for hearing this album.

The extra time also allows the band to engage in more collective improvisation than space allowed on the originals. I imagine I am hearing the Fletcher Henderson Band when I hear the Secret Six’s version of his original “Smackin’ the Sax” with its frenetic, danceable rhythm. 

But more importantly, the other band members, two woodwinds, upright bass, washboard, drums, and trombone, bring their own feeling to the tunes. Special mention has to go to vocalist Heidi Evelyn Arnott who absolutely crushes “Creole Love Call” with operatic flourishes.

If you love those ancient records, but dislike the scratches and low fidelity, this is the album for you.