Search - Teddy Wilson :: With Billie in Mind

Masterclass in solo jazz piano

Jamie Thom | Toronto,ON | 09/03/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD is a must if you are a jazz pianist and a gem if you are a jazz enthusiast or if you just like good music. This is one of the very rare recordings that Wilson did towards the end of his career where he sat down at the piano and recorded an album consisting entirely of solos. Here, Teddy selects songs that he recorded with Billie Holiday back in the 1940's and treats them with some of the creative improv lines and elegant swinging that secured his reputation as the greatest swing pianist of the 1930's and 40's.



This recording is a masterclass in solo jazz piano. While Wilson's right hand tastefully dances up and down the keyboard, his left hand is playing tenths, providing a rich harmonic foundation and a steady rhythmic pulse throughout the recording. At times, he swings so much that think your listening to a trio....your toes will be tapping to every song on this album. Sometimes the most common of cliches are true.....certainly in this case you'd be hard pressed to find a pianist nowadays who can sit down at a piano bench and play with as much taste and elegance as Teddy Wilson."