Search - Al Stricklin :: Brother Al Stricklin Now

Nice introduction

Erich V. Overhultz | Plantation, Florida | 10/13/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Al Stricklin was a true trailblazer in the world of country and western swing piano, and would later become a huge influence on players like Floyd Domino of Asleep at the Wheel. As a member of Bob Wills' Texas Playboys, he showed the world that a piano could fit in quite well and be a strong presence within the genre. He had a let-it-rip feel to his playing that meshed perfectly with the swinging raucous sounds of the band; when one listens to Al it is easy to picture a bunch of musicians in a southwestern bar cutting loose amongst the beer, whoops and yells of an enthusiastic audience. Rarely using sustain, at times he sounded like Earl "Fatha" Hines, especially when he started plinking away with octave phrasing. This is an excellent opportunity for pianists to understand Al's playing; while always a wild soloist, he played a primarily supportive role in the Playboys, where players like fiddler Wills, steel guitarist Leon McAuliffe, and vocalist Tommy Duncan got more of the limelight. The spare instrumentation and improvements in recording technology since Wills' hayday allows one to better hear the finer nuances of Stricklin's playing (even if this recording was done decades after the Wills era).His playing on "South" is worth the price of the CD alone."