Jazz Piano Masters - The Second Jazz Ramble Live At the New School

Album Review

The excerpts from this concert at the New School were a happy accident; the four pianists were hired to give engineering students a chance to practice recording live performances. Long out of print, this CD reissue adds MC John Hammond's insightful (if poorly recorded) introductions and a number of bonus tracks. Teddy Wilson's opening set is marvelous, though the producers overlooked that his performance of "Body and Soul" is actually a medley which also includes "Moonglow." Claude Hopkins, who was not well-known as a solo pianist, nearly steals the show with his romps through "Indiana" and "Three Little Words." Dill Jones, a Welsh pianist who was likely the least well-known musician heard during the concert, delivers an impressive take of "Just Squeeze Me" and a show stopping rendition of "Little Rock Getaway." But then 89 years old, Eubie Blake takes top solo honors with his enthusiastic set, which now includes his first work "Charleston Rag" (composed in 1899 at age 16!) and his most popular composition "Memories of You," in addition to a lively take of Cole Porter's "You Do Something to Me" and the still-mislabeled "Troublesome Ivories" (caused by Blake's apparent memory lapse during the concert, as he introduces it before and after its performance as "Tricky Fingers"). This is an essential acquisition for fans of solo jazz piano.