Customer Reviews

Essential Blues Piano

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

A fabulous sampling of various blues styles paints a vivid picture of how blues laid the foundation for 50's and 60's rock and roll. The piano instrumentals and vocals in this collection bring to life the raw excitement and passion of the various blues styles, many of which have made their way into pop music. To hear these in their more pristine blues form is exciting.

This album is exactly what the title says it is - the best of the best of blues piano. "Essential Blues Piano" spans generations, styles, and record labels. A masterful sampler and a great listen, this is must-own music for the blues piano fan, and a great starting place for the newbie.

This is one of the best compilations of piano blues I've ever had the pleasure of coming across. It is a cornucopia of delights; there isn't a bad piece in either of these two disks. If you really like piano blues, with an emphasis on Chicago and especially New Orleans styles, you are going to love what you're hearing. The compiler has all the names most blues lovers will recognize immediately- Otis Spann, James Booker, Fats Domino, Professor Longhair and Dr. John, for example - but there are other less-familiar treats here as well. I was delighted to see Hadda Brooks included. The lady is inventive, supple, more professional and certainly more vigorous in her pianistic style than most of the men are; she's a real find. (You can follow her work on a disk called I've Got News for You) Some represented here excel in strictly solo music without any vocals, others are a great blend of voice and piano together in a harmonious whole. Persons who play and sing with a fine backup are equally well-represented. The boogie-woogie selections are very well-chosen, as well. This is an altogether satisfactory album, believe me!

This is surprisingly a great two CD set. Often the Blues compilations I've bought in the past have been a big let down. These 2 CD's had GREAT musicians on them and the songs were pretty good. The sound is crystal clear. Highly recommended for Lovers of the4 Blues.

This sounds outdated and the quality of the recordings isn't very good. If you want a 5 star piano CD, buy Blues 88's on EasyDisc.