On the Track
Once cited byBob Dylanas the first performer he'd want to sign to his own label, Leon Redbone instead made his 1976 recording debut with Warner Brothers.On the Trackcarries a "very special thanks" toJelly Roll MortonandJimmie Rodgers, and indeed sounds like the offspring of the pioneering jazzman and the early hillbilly blues singer, with perhaps a bit ofBing Crosbytossed in. Aided by a small horn section (including a prominent tuba) and violinistJoe Venuti, among others, the disc is a gorgeous, affectionate tribute to pre-World War II vernacular music. Redbone croons and growls his way through a repertoire that includes Rodgers,Fats Waller,Irving Berlin, and "Polly Wolly Doodle," the last of which inspired album-cover artistChuck Jonesto include "a grasshopper sittin' on the railroad track... pickin' his teeth with a carpet tack." Redbone and crew rise to peak after peak (hear Venuti's finessed high-wire act on "Some of These Days"), resulting in a record that makes for perfect Saturday nightandSunday morning listening.--Rickey Wright