Edinburgh’s Tenement Jazz Band – Fringe stalwarts and a five-piece slice of pure joy – are that big, hot, comforting pot that reminds you why music is meant to be shared in the first place. No gimmicks, no ironic detachment, just unapologetic New Orleans 1920s/30s jazz filter.

They take it seriously: four of their instruments date from the 1920s, the sousaphone from 2004 – and, naturally, it’s the youngster that needs the constant repairs.

They open with the standard Royal Garden Blues, setting the tone perfectly in the warm, close-packed Jazz Bar – the ideal spot for this early-afternoon walk back in time. Snake Rag follows, upbeat and tight, with MC and frontman John Youngs grinning his way through it, making it look easy (it’s not). The 1923 King Oliver piece is a tricky Dixieland classic, and they nail it.

From there, highlights tumble one after another. If I Had You (1928) sees Youngs’ impeccable vocals sparring playfully with Paddy Darley’s trombone and Stephen Feast’s clarinet – a genuine delight. King Rag (1928) comes with Youngs’ aside that, according to the original sheet music, it should only be attempted by the highest calibre of band. Fair to say, they qualify – and Chuck Pearness on cornet is on blistering form.

At a Georgia Campside Meet swings gloriously; San – a 1920s gem by Lindsay McPhail and Walter Michels – skips along with a playful rhythm meant to evoke a camel crossing the desert (and somehow, it works perfectly). Copenhagen (1924) by bandleader Charlie Davis keeps the energy rolling, before Petite Fleur and Stockyard Strut lead us into their “jazz à la carte” – a showcase for their other Fringe show – complete with tunes like Charlie Hone’s Hot Bones and Rice and Chocolate Avenue, all buoyed by Rory Clark’s sousaphone.

The emotional peak comes with I’m Confessing That I Love You, melting straight into the barnstorming closer Get Out of Here and Go Home.

Let’s not forget the hidden sixth member of the band – sound wizard Alastair Kampff – who deserves five stars of his own for the flawless mixing that keeps every note, pluck, and blast in perfect balance.

If the Fringe is a sprawling buffet of cultural chaos, The Tenement Jazz Band’s Red Hot Roots of Jazz is exactly what it promises – toe-tapping, soul-lifting, joy-soaked jazz brain sorbet that feels like it’s being invented on the spot. Absolutely delightful

 *****

Reviewed by Steve H

The Jazz Bar

13.00 to 14.00

Only, 10th, 16th, 17th August