The Jazz Butcher

In 1992, Pat Fish resurrected the Jazz Butcher Conspiracy name and completed an extensive tour of North America in support of the wonderful album Condition Blue. As usual, fans were treated to an eclectic show, which combined classic Jazz Butcher songs ("Southern Mark Smith"), show tunes ("Over the Rainbow"), and classic folk songs ("Everybody's Talkin'"). This CD is an excellent representation of that tour. The above songs can be found here in all their glory, as well as a number of songs from Condition Blue. Here the songs have a much more raw, brittle sound. Fish's voice and introductions are in top form, and the band blends well together. The overall sound is bootleg quality, but then one would expect that from the Jazz Butcher Conspiracy, given the production values of the group's first live album released in 1985 (the brilliant Hamburg). Fans should love this CD, and for those lucky enough to catch the band on the 1992 tour, this serves as a great souvenir. ~ Aaron Badgley, All Music Guide