Search - Eubie Blake, Teddy Wilson, C Hoplins :: Jazz Piano Masters

Top Class Jazz Piano

B. D. Tutt | London, UK. | 08/26/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD is drawn from live recordings of a jazz piano concert given at the New School in New York in 1972. It was originally recorded by students, but the sound quality is of less than professional standards only for Hammond's introductions and for Eubie Blake. The music is excellent throughout. A number of additional tracks have been added to augment the original LP release.Teddy Wilson and Dill Jones are in fine form, but the standouts are Claude Hopkins and Eubie Blake. Hopkins, better known as the leader of a swing orchestra in the 1930s, reveals himself to be a fine stride pianist, tearing into "Three Little Words" in particular with great vigour, and giving his old theme song "I'd Do Anything for You" a fine workout. Chiaroscuro recorded a solo LP of Hopkins around the same time which deserves CD re-issue on the basis of this performance.Eubie Blake, 89 years old at the time, plays magnificently, and demonstrates his vaudeville skills in wooing the audience. "Tricky Fingers", aptly named, is the standout track, but listen too to the concert style arrangements of his big 1930s hit "Memories of You" and Cole Porter's "You Do Something to Me".All lovers of ragtime / stride / mainstream piano should consider this a required purchase."