Emma Barrett & Her Dixieland Boys - Sweet Emma The Bell Gal

krimmelgerman

Review by German Krimmel

Sweet Emma the Bell Gal: A Timeless Slice of New Orleans Jazz Magic If you’re a fan of that raw, unfiltered Dixieland jazz sound, then Sweet Emma the Bell Gal by Emma Barrett & Her Dixieland Boys is an album you gotta hear. Released back in 1961 on Preservation Hall’s label, this record feels like stepping into a smoky New Orleans club where everyone’s there to have a good time. It’s not perfect—heck, it doesn’t even try to be—but that’s what makes it so special. Emma Barrett herself is the heart and soul here. She sings and tickles the ivories with a charm that’s hard to ignore. Backed by her tight-knit crew of New Orleans legends—guys like Willie Humphrey on clarinet, Percy Humphrey on trumpet, and Josiah Frasier keeping things steady on drums—it’s clear these folks weren’t just playing music; they were living it. Let me tell ya about two tracks that stuck with me. First up is “When The Saints Go Marching In.” Yeah, yeah, it’s one of those tunes everyone knows, but Emma and the gang take it somewhere else entirely. There’s this raw energy in the horns, like they’re shouting out joy instead of playing notes. And Emma’s voice? She doesn’t belt it out or anything fancy—she just lets it flow, warm and inviting, like she’s sharing a secret only you get to hear. Then there’s “The Bell Gal’s Careless Blues,” which feels like sitting on a porch watching the world go by. The piano work here is understated but sneaky-good, and Jim Robinson’s trombone adds this gruff, almost conversational edge. You can practically feel the humid Louisiana air while listening. It’s not flashy, but man, does it stick with you. One thing I love about this album is how real it feels. Nobody’s trying too hard to impress. They’re just doing their thing, letting the music breathe. Even little imperfections—like when someone’s timing wobbles ever so slightly—add character. It’s like hearing a group of old friends jamming late into the night. So, if you’re looking for polished studio perfection, this ain’t it. But if you want something authentic, full of life and history, then Sweet Emma the Bell Gal should be on your playlist. Honestly, after spinning this record a few times, I started wondering why more modern jazz artists don’t let loose like this anymore. Maybe we could all use a little less polish and a lot more heart. Oh, and here’s a random thought: Listening to this album made me crave beignets. Weird, right? Guess that’s the power of New Orleans music for ya!

Download Emma Barrett & Her Dixieland Boys - Sweet Emma The Bell Gal
Artist: Emma Barrett & Her Dixieland Boys
Album: Sweet Emma The Bell Gal
Rating: 4.4

Table of Contents

Download

Filename: emma-barrett-her-dixieland-boys-sweet-emma-the-bell-gal.zip
  • MP3 size: 24 mb
  • FLAC size: 312 mb

Tracks

TrackDurationPreview
I Ain't Gonna Give Nobody None Of This Jelly Roll5:32
Down In Honky Tonk Town4:50
Chinatown3:54
Bill Bailey4:26
Tishomingo Blues3:53
The Bell Gal's Careless Blues5:35
Just A Little While To Stay Here4:00
When The Saints Go Marching In6:38

Video

Sweet Emma Barrett - The Bell Gal and her Dixieland Boys

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Catalog Numbers

5001

Labels

Preservation Hall

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Formats

  • Vinyl
  • LP
  • Album
  • Mono

Credits

RoleCredit
Acoustic GuitarEmanuel Sayles
BanjoEmanuel Sayles
BassMcNeal Breaux
ClarinetWillie Humphrey
DrumsJosiah Frasier
Lead VocalsEmma Barrett
PianoEmma Barrett
TromboneJim Robinson
TrumpetPercy Humphrey

Notes

Picture of four of the Dixieland Boys and Emma on rear of Cover. Recorded in New Orleans January 25, 1961. Much discription on rear of Emma's career and discription of musical styles of players. Preservation Hall, 726 St. Peter, New Orleans.

About Emma Barrett & Her Dixieland Boys

Name Vars

  • Emma Barrett & Her Dixieland Boys

Members

  • Emma Barrett

Interesting fact about Album

Did you know? The album *Sweet Emma The Bell Gal* by Emma Barrett & Her Dixieland Boys is a gem from the early 1960s jazz scene. Released in 1961, it came out under the Preservation Hall label, which played a huge role in keeping traditional New Orleans jazz alive. Emma Barrett, known as "Sweet Emma," wasn’t just the lead vocalist—she also tickled the ivories on piano. Fun fact: the same musician, Emanuel Sayles, handled both acoustic guitar and banjo duties. And if you’re curious about the tracks, they’re packed with Dixieland classics like “When The Saints Go Marching In” and “Tishomingo Blues.” It’s like a time capsule of pure New Orleans energy.

Comments

hefshgd2
2025-03-15
Sweet Emma-The Bell Gal and her Dixieland Boys is an incredible all live music album from about 1961, the year I was born, (no overdubs). The very best authentic New Orleans recording of dixieland musicians with a combined experience, at least, 360 years, of extreme talanted American musicians who should have had greater fame. The music on the album is beyond "dixieland" and combines the best of jazz age 20th Century American Jazz. Really listen to the great rock blues musicians of the 1960's and the music, solos, of these musicians are what you hear in American blues, blues rock, music the best musicians the 1970's and into the 1980's. The instruments and the percussion are different here but the music remains the same and lives today; just played on different instruments, amplified vocals, electric instruments etc; it's the same.

Sweet Emma Barret's role as the leader of this band and her influence of how the band played and performed live live (marching down the aisles playing "The Saints" as the audience followed and danced with them for their encore) is not known by me but listening to this album it's apparent that she was their leader. During the "Saints Go Marching In" on this album, you can hear Emma say "let me take the next one" telling her "boys" that SHE will take the next solo. In my opinion there is no contemporary band that can match them playing dixieland. The only music that can compare to Sweet Emma's band might be the music of Bix Beiderbecke and Loius Armstrong.

The genius of the band is Willie Humpherey, the clarinet player (Percy Humphery, the trumpet players brother). If you listen to his clarinet, especially his solos, they are beautiful to hear, brilliant, and in my opinion as great as Benny Goodman. I play music, contemporary music and I am keenly influenced, my musicianship, style, and goal as a musician by Willie Humphery. His solos are so complex, beyond my understanding of how to play blues music and solos (whether in a rock, jazz, or other present music of today) that I can only listen to him, while the hairs on my arms stand up, and only wonder how he does it?

I said this before but Willie Humpherey is an American treasure and should have been inducted, whether in jazz, New Orleans music, blues or the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as one of America's greatest musicians.

I am honored that I actually got to see Big Jm Robinson, the trumbone player. Again, listen to his "big" brawly sound.
He's the heartbeat of the band. His trumbone is like a rocket blasting off pushing you out of your seat as you watch Preservation Hall (her Dixieland boys). I know, I was there as a ten year old. Robinson liked to perform onstage with the band. Besides blasting his beautiful trumbone he would lightly do a little private dance where he stood as the band jammed (that's was my induction into "jamming), improvise or as my mother told me: "they are playing from their hearts with no written notes." I couldn't beleive it as a ten year old boy! I'm practicing playing my trumpet at home for the school band and these guys were playing their solo's from their hearts, their soul!!

Imagine my peculiar reaction at 11 years old the next time my mom took me to see Presevation Hall and Big Jim was gone and replaced by some guy who did pretty good job playing the trumbone like Jim but also doing Jim's light taps and dancing and Jim's downward waving of his hands? Weird.

Some years later as a high school musician in the jazz band, I was younger than many others in the band and I had learned how to improvise on my horn. It was like havind your first girlfriend. We had the coolest jazz band teacher named John Purcell, a professional jazz saxiphone player and what a delight it was that he was out jazz teacher. He would jam with our band with his soprano sax, how coo was that? And me, one of his younger students learned to improvise (pretty good) at the disgust of other older trumpet players in the band when Mr. Purcell picked me to play the improv solo. Six years of continuous listening to Sweet Emma-The Bell Gal and her Dixieland Boys helped me alot, then.

In college I leaned to play guitar so I could "write" music. To this day, I can not come close to any of these musicians in this band when I play improvisational music but I like to think of myself as a lot better than the other guys because know this album. Every song I can sing, every solo I can hum, all of it perfectly. p wite.
edwardblewett
2025-03-14
I found this album in my home when I was about eight years old. My parents bought the album in the early 60's when vacationing in New Orleans. My mother took me to see Percy, Willie, Big Jim, Emanual, Preservation Hall around 1970 (And I got to meet Percy Humphery!). One of the greatest moments in my life. This album is the some of best dixieland and beyond music ever recorded (all live) period. I know every note, every solo on this album. Thank you very much for putting it here! Now I CAN PLAY IT AGAIN, and again. And....and.....
giarobinson
2025-03-13
yes, we appreciate the sharing of the music of Sweet Emma Barret & Her Dixieland Boys, really beautiful tunes.
mingasimo
2025-03-13
thank you...