Search - Donald Lambert :: 1959-1961 Recorded

Jazz Piano Re-issue of 2003!

B. D. Tutt | London, UK. | 11/09/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Donald Lambert (1904-1962) is one of the lost generation of pianists from the Harlem stride stable, men like Stephen "The Beetle" Henderson and Willie Gant whose names are repeatedly mentioned but who barely recorded, if at all. Lambert only had two official recording sessions, a 1941 solo date for Bluebird (scandalously still not released on CD), and a 1961 piano and drums date for Jazzology. Most of his life was spent playing solo piano in New Jersey bars, with occasional forays into New York and the rent party circuit.Fortunately however, Lambert inspired a group of dedicated fans, a number of whom made private recordings of him. This wonderful CD provides 69 minutes of this material, magnificent stride from late in Lambert's career (all previously issued on two obscure LPs on the defunct collectors label Pumpkin). Lambert was not a great ballad player, although "Sweet Lorraine" is given a beautiful reading here, as is "As Time Goes By". His forte was high speed stride, and this CD contains wonderful examples of Lambert at full cry. "Liza", "When Dreams Come True", "Hold Your Temper" and most of all, "Russian Lullaby" are superb - stride at its exhilarating finest. One of his party pieces was to play popular classical pieces, first straight and then in full blooded stride, as the sensational "Anitra's Dance" demonstrates. What a wonderful left hand! He was also a master of the traditional James P. Johnson stride showpieces, as "Harlem Strut", "Keep Off The Grass" and his rather individual paraphrase of "Daintiness Rag" (with parts of "Caprice Rag" and "Steeplechase Rag" prominent) demonstrate. Other strong tracks include his showpiece arrangement of "Tea for Two" (with the melody in the left hand & counter-melodies in the right), two delicate but delightfully offbeat choruses of "Save Your Sorrow", and the five and a half minute tour de force rendition of "Hallelujah", where Lambert reels off chorus after chorus of apparently effortless stride.Despite being little known to the public, Lambert has been enormously influential both in person and through the circulation of private tapes: both older striders Dick Wellstood ("When Dreams Come True"), Chuck Folds ("Rose of the Rio Grande") & Neville Dickie ("Bells of St. Mary's"), & in the next generation outstanding young European striders Louis Mazetier ("Overnight") and Bernd Lhotzky ("It's All Right With Me") have all played and recorded performances based on Lambert arrangements.This is a superb CD by an outstanding stride pianist. It also features erudite and informative (if poorly proof-read) sleeve-notes by Dick Wellstood taken from the original Pumpkin releases. Sound quality is a little variable, but is perfectly acceptable. Storyville have done a wonderful job in making this material available again. It omits a number of tracks from the original two LPs: some are no great loss, but "It's Alright With Me", "Old Fashioned Love" and "Rose of the Rio Grande" deserve to be made available. Perhaps Storyville will issue a second Lambert CD - a lot more unreleased Lambert material is still out there. There is a 1970s LP by IAJRC to be re-issued as well as considerable material never made publically available. Let's hope this fantastic CD is just the first of a number that will restore Lambert to his rightful place in the stride pantheon."

Long lost treasure

T. Bekken | Austmarka Norway | 02/28/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As a professional musician, and as a person who has nurtured a deep interest in jazz piano since childhood, I thought I had heard about every important pianist in the history of jazz. The fact that I did not have a clue about the existence of Donald Lambert until now has forced me to think again.

Judging from this record, Lambert was one of the all-time greatest stride players, right up there with Fats Waller, Wille 'The Lion' Smith, James P Johnson, Luckey Roberts, Eubie Blake...well, you name them...

Lambert didn't make many commercial recordings, due to illiteracy, poverty and alcoholism, and that is probably one of the biggest disgraces in jazz history. The music on this disc is technically dazzling, emotionally profound, rhythmically challenging, harmonically complex and extremely well crafted. His repertoire is a mix of ragtime classics, standards and revved-up versions of classical pieces like 'Anitra's Dance', and it is a wonder to hear how he comes across as an absolute master of his game. To listeners who thought they had heard it all, this record is nothing short of a revelation."

Wow tear up those keys man!!!

boyce slaguar | 04/18/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"sometime on the cd it sound two people are playing but really it only on man named donald lambert. get this cd before its gone."