The big heart and warm smile of Ethel Waters makes this a classic TV segment, departing from the Route 66 format to bring to life a very familiar story: namely "let's bring the band back together".
It's a fine showcase for her acting (plus a bit of singing, of course), heavy on nostalgia but well worth it. The greatness of her "The Member of the Wedding" performance is echoed here.
The traveling around to round up the old gentlemen, plus Bill Gunn as the son of the late banjo player, is a bit much, but both jazz buff Maharis and eager to please Milner get a chance to share in old-fashioned sentiment, without the usual "in your face" dramatics of Silliphant and a local milieu. The authenticity of the dixieland jazz and ethnic extras is there to see.