Throughout an active career approaching sixty years, American roots icon Maria Muldaur has delved back into the time vault of many aspects of her country's rich musical history. Honing in on a desire never to sit still, she is forever intent at chipping away on projects and couldn't resist turning her hand to New Orleans jug band jazz and associated old time blues tunes once hooking up with real deal exponents of that style Tuba Skinny. The result is LET'S GET HAPPY TOGETHER, a golden dozen of rip roaring songs that breathe fresh light on the originals that all surfaced in the twin heyday decades of the twenties and thirties.
The key to enjoying this collection is that there really isn't one. No prior knowledge of the songs chosen or indeed of Maria Muldaur's award hauling past is required, or any particularly embedded fondness for this style of music. Yet the execution is so true, real, engaging and compulsive that the urge to reach out for multiple spins is difficult to resist.
By the time the album hits full momentum, songs like 'He Ain't Got Rhythm', 'Got the South in My Soul' and 'Patience and Fortitude' leave the lasting impression, just ahead of the record as an entity especially when it becomes the car companion for the week. The band are pure glitz and Muldaur's no doubt high milage clock purrs with experience and grandeur.
You can learn more about these songs via research or just accept that music can waft across like that blissful breeze. LET'S GET HAPPY TOGETHER comes without rules or agenda. Just a perfect way of Maria Mudaur and Tuba Skinny sharing their love of New Orleans jug band jazz and associated old time blues tunes.
