Clarinetist Tim Laughlin has had a handsome career in New Orleans for over 35 years. He started as a Pete Fountain acolyte, later diversifying to Irving Fazola, Bob Wilber and Kenny Davern and the cornetist Connie Jones. These are all very melodic players, and Tim has applied this study to creating his own repertoire of originals.
The Isle of Orleans, from 2003, was an album of all-Laughlin material whose Latinate title track garnered enough attention to make OffBeat’s New Orleans music history book, “300 Songs for 300 Years.” This disc, New Standards, is his second gathering of originals. The back-up cast is sturdy as can be. With the passing of Connie Jones, Duke Heitger might be considered the most lyrical of our city’s trumpet players. Charlie Halloran adds rhythmic punch, tailgating or otherwise, on trombone. Pianist Kris Tokarski smoothly continues the daunting task of mastering every style from ragtime to bebop and is joined on this album by Steve Pistorius, a more traditional, purely Morton-esque player. Hal Smith has been a first-call drummer for 40 years, and Jim Singleton the same on bass. The wonderful Nahum Zdybel plays guitar on three tracks.
Laughlin knows how to write a melody, how to create a nice opening phrase, extend it, vary it, and throw in surprise chords here and there for seasoning. “Happy Again,” starts simply but quickly adds harmonic delight before soaring to a satisfying conclusion. The Waller-esque “Dream Room,” has Heitger flirting with some Ruby Braff-isms, not an easy feat. Tim’s homage to Mr. Fountain, “For Pete’s Sake,” captures Pete’s jolly wit with its chromatic side-stepping.
“Nola Pot-hola” is the most formally interesting piece, sprawling over 64 bars. But my favorite is the terrific “Gert Town Blues,” co-arranged with horn-man Dan Barrett. Though not a strict blues (only the solos are in blues form); Tim really shows a knack for blues wailing here. In fact, his playing is rock-solid with a luscious tone throughout. Nifty tunes won’t get you far if you don’t know what to do with them.
