Customer Reviews

Hitting His Stride

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Chuck Folds is one of the best of the living stride pianists. Like Dick Wellstod he was strongly influenced by the great but obscure Donald Lambert (whose few recordings are long overdue for CD release), and played for years with Doc Cheatham.

Folds' great strength on this disc is his ballad playing. He has a good touch and an interesting repertoire drawn from his enormous experience as a band pianist. His playing of the fast stride showpieces is a little more problematic. Like virtually all living striders with the exception of the superb Ralph Sutton, Folds is a little stiff rhythmically, and so doesn't always get the tension between the left and right hands that is one of the key characteristics of the style. Contrast Folds' "Vipers Drag" wih Ralph Sutton, "Rose of the Rio Grande" with Donald Lambert, or "When Dreams Come True" with James P. Johnson or Dick Wellstood, and the difference is obvious. Coupled with this, his fingers don't always get round the more intricate figures of pieces such as "Keep Off the Grass". Having said that, his bass lines are good, and on a piece like "Cinderella, Stay In My Arms" he produces quite a good approximation of Lambert's style.

Having said all this, this is an enjoyable disc with much to offer.

All I have to say is that Chuck Folds is one of the greatest piano players of all time. Not only is this cd great but I have seen this man play in person and he is amazing. There are few like him.

I enjoy this CD a lot. Chuck plays at the Park Avenue public space next to Mason's Tennis shop on 53rd Street in NYC. He is an amazing talent! Keep in mind this CD is just for fans of old time piano (stride).