My favourite style of music is traditional New Orleans jazz, I have been playing in New Orleans bands since I was aged 18. The question I started asking myself when making this CD is “what is jazz”. When bands get together for a jam session or as a pick up band they inevitably play in a mainstream style. I think the reason is that it contains no particular style and doesn’t require rehearsing, whereas it is hard to get a group of like minded musicians together to play in a certain style. I consider New Orleans jazz and the Blues as the basis of all modern music today. Since the last century jazz has come in all forms which has made it harder to define, Swing Bands, Gypsy Jazz, Bebop, Cool Jazz, Free Jazz, Hard Bop, Modal Jazz, Jazz Rock, Jazz Fusion, Smooth Jazz, Ska Jazz, Indo Jazz, Jazz Funk, Latin Jazz, Soul Jazz and so on. I hope you enjoy the variety of these tunes and some time in the future I will make a CD in the New Orleans jazz style. Paul Finnerty.