The finesse which characterizes an outstanding musical combo is a blend of feeling and conception which is rooted in the rapport of talented instrumentalists. Add to these qualities a highly individual, personal sound and you have Will Bradley and His Jazz Octet. In this, Volume Two of the Will Bradley series, each instrumental voice acts as a stimulus on the other and a chain reaction sets in, as the boys never let up, be it Dixie or blues, beguine or bounce. A round robin of instrumental excursions provides the refreshments for a Dixie Party, a jam session in which Will makes the scene with some tailgate breaks. Dust Bowl, which follows, is a migrant blues with a loping rhythm in which Will again scores with the solo lead. The other Octet members weave counter-melodies around the haunting theme in an easy, sweet and melancholy style. A chattering, clattering, never-ending percussion patter sets the foundation for Footprints, a below-the-border beguine with an exotic, mysterious flavor. These jungle tracks lead to some more refreshment and the happy thought that too many cooks don’t spoil the soup, especially when it’s a Tasty Dish in jump time. The next selection is definitely not a tasty dish, for it makes the Octet cry out in unison – Who Cut The Gorgonzola? As the boys put it, this cheese delight has enough power to scare away the skunks. The melody itself is a whoop-up, hijinks novelty affair, complete with many sounds and slam-bang percussion effects for a session of slap-happy listening. The flip side proves that Will and the group are always on the right track… On A Boogie Beat, to be exact. The galloping piano work is surrounded by a racing guitar and some swinging brass. For a change of pace, the next track gives the boys A Little Time To Dream with a castle-in-the-air melody in fox trot rhythms. The beat of the tom-toms shifts the setting back to the jungle again for a bit of mumbo-jumbo within a lilting beguine framework. The rhythm section supplies an easy-going but insistent beat for this mystical Jungle Magic. A La Carte, which follows, gives the individual combo members a chance to display their artistic prowess, instrument by instrument, in a high-flying Jazz Octet bounce opus. The whoop-de-doo attitude is continued in Roly Poly Polka, an entry which displays the group’s versatility, as well as providing some interesting guitar, wood block and reed effects. The Will Bradley Jazz Octet: Billy Butterfield, trumpet; Will Bradley, trombone; Sal Amato and Paul Ricci, reeds; Stan Freeman, piano; Tony Mottola, guitar; Chubby Jackson, bass; Terry Snyder, drums.