This is a collection of extremely rare 78s recorded by the
New York Recording Laboratories
for release on its
Broadway
and
Paramount
labels in the late '20s and centers around banjo player
Bill Haid
and his various groups, who recorded under a number of monikers including
the Black Pirates
, the
Manhattan Entertainers
Castle Farm Serenaders
, and
's
Cubs
. There are some wonderful pieces here, like the half-paced version of
"Slue Foot,"
but much of it is fairly generic dance music of the time. The sound quality is also a problem, ranging from passable to awful depending on the track, making this archival release of interest to only collectors and historians. ~ Steve Leggett