Ed Polcer is a name every lover of traditional jazz should be familiar with, especially in New Orleans. He is 85 years old and has a vast resume playing cornet and wearing virtually every other hat as a veteran musician, including club owner and festival booking agent. He got his start in vaudeville as a child and played at the wedding of Princess Grace and Prince Rainier in Monaco, while still in college!

Since 2010 he has been playing with members of the Secret Six Jazz Band in the clubs and on the streets of New Orleans. He has a superb, well-developed tone as befits a musician who played in the famed clubs of New York City in the 1950s.

It makes sense that the band of younger musicians he has been mentoring and playing with for more than a decade would get him in the studio for the first time since 2008. They have created an album that allows Polcer to shine on his horn and on vocals.

Part of the band’s style on their previous recordings is to list the composers of each song and the band’s favorite version. The featured songs included classic chestnuts like “When You’re Smiling” and “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love,” as well as less known gems (at least to these ears) like “Because of You” and “Relaxin’ at the Touro,” made famous by Tony Bennett and Mugsy Spanier, respectively.

The album has a laid-back feel, reflecting the “relaxing” in both the title cut and the Spanier tune with bassist John Joyce holding down the bottom end along with Robin Rapuzzi of Tuba Skinny on washboard and drums. Banjo player Hunter Burgamy also contributes to the overall sound with a percussive edge to his strumming.

The Secret Six has been one of the most prolific bands during the pandemic. This is their third release in two years, and the album is a welcome addition to an expanding discography.