nFrom Rob Adams in The Herald
[17 February 2005]

“When Ken Mathieson began putting together his Classic Jazz Orchestra, he chose the most versatile musicians in his contacts book. With good reason because, for Mathieson, classic jazz begins with the music’s earliest stirrings and continues up to the point where jazz musicians began to experiment with rock rhythms. So the band has some 60 years of musical development to cover. And after previewing it at last year’s Edinburgh Jazz Festival the orchestra continues its celebration of Jelly Roll Morton, a larger-than-life figure whose music bristled with character. Morton’s records may now crackle with misty age, but Mathieson’s reinterpretations promise to clear the fog and make the music swing anew.”

 

nFrom Charlie Napier's review of the Edinburgh Guide.com
[03 August 2005]

“Thanks to the imaginative arrangements of the leader, Ken Mathieson, they bring a fresh sound to the classical traditional jazz music of the 1920s and 1930s, in particular the music of Jelly Roll Morton.”
“A word has to be said about Ken's very informative, and usually humorous introductions to each number, which added greatly to the enjoyment of the music.”