It's a damned shame that this is the only solo album that Barker released. This is an excellent showcase of his masterful jazz rhythm playing in a very relaxed setting. Almost every song begins with Barker's spoken intro, telling the story of the song in his inimitable style. It is something that is said again and again, but it is nevertheless true: Danny Barker was a great raconteur. He had a wealth of knowledge of the history of jazz in New Orleans, and conveyed it with a sly, occasionally bawdy wit.He sings every song here, and while he will never be counted as one of the great technical voices of traditional jazz, his delivery and old-time Creole drawl are infectiously appealing. His vocal style also makes great use of spoken asides, giving a new richness to well-worn classics such as "St. James Infirmary" and "Bill Bailey," as well as on his own "Save the Bones for Henry Jones." His guitar playing is as unique as his voice, if perhaps a bit more polished. He was never a grand fretboard virtuoso, sticking mostly to rich, on the beat chords. His chording here has a lovely,loose fluency that manages to feel very full on songs that are rarely thought of as pieces for solo performance.This is a unique record, something like a VH1 Storytellers episode for one of the last witnesses of the birth of jazz. Danny loved to hear himself talk, and there must exist somewhere more recordings like this. Until the discovery of more recordings, however, this is what we have. It's something to treasure.