Search - Richard Pryor :: Black Ben the Blacksmith

Everybody has an off night, even a maestro like Richard Pryor. Or it could be sloppy editing; Black Ben the Blacksmith jumps from bit to bit, which can be distracting and makes one wish they included the entire routine to keep Pryor's narrative flow intact. Still, there are occasional flashes of his irreverent, gritty brilliance--a more ambitious or influential comic has never mounted the stage. For example, Pryor starts off the title story, a tale of interracial romance in the Old South, with the hilarious conceit that it is being performed for a group of prisoners. Pryor's amazing ability to people a stage all by himself (check out "Black Nationalist") is truly awesome. Despite Black Ben's faults, Pryor's unique comic sensibility and occasional bravura turns make this CD worth listening to. --Michael Gerber