Customer Reviews

I'm Not Hungry But I Like To Eat - Blues

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

 

 

For ages I've complained bitterly to anyone who would listen about the lack of available recordings by the wonderful Chicago piano legend, Erwin Helfer. Now I want to let you know about the release of a wonderful new recording by him.

This CD is called "I'm Not Hungry But I Like to Eat Blues" which is the title of one of Erwin's five wonderful originals. Whenever I hear Erwin play his delightful composition "Pooch Piddle", I think,for some reason, how nifty it would sound played by a Mariachi band. Another original Stella, which is a tribute to Estella "Ma" Yancy, is a lovely duet with Saxophonist John Brumbach, whose soulful tender playing graces four tracks. Other than that the CD is ALL Mr. Helfer's delightful piano.

In addition to the originals, Erwin covers a variety of tunes. He starts with his take on the rollicking Pete Johnson classic Swanee River Boogie. He makes Percy Mayfield's "Please Send Me Someone to Love" sound far more traditional then I could have imagined. Another high point for me is Erwin's take on "Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans". I never thought much about that tune 'till I heard the Helfer version. It's so wistful. It feels like missing something lovely, lost and far away.

I could go one and on. There are no duds here. There are fifteen numbers in all and each one is a gem. The recording quality is really excellent. The piano sound is very real. I know nothing about recording sound but I hear the clarity, warmth and depth and I love the way the empty spots "sound" like in the tunes Dirty Dozens and See See Rider which have lots of sonic space. I may not be expressing this real well but listen and you'll see what I mean.

I would highly recommend this CD to anyone who enjoys blues and/or traditional jazz piano, or anyone who doesn't know they do.

this disk is a treat to the ears. i bought 5 copies for christmas presents. i listen to it everyday. it's a piano, with some saxaphone instramental. both are top notch,they compliment each other well. it's the perfect piano lover's disc. i only wish it was longer!

Erwin Helfer is a 66 year old pianist from Chicago with a sizeable following. On this all instrumental disc, Helfer plays a somewhat mellow and restrained Boogie Woogie style blues. Hefler mainly plays solo on the disc although he is accompanied by able saxophonist John Brumbach on the tunes "Sweet Substitute", "The Sheik of Araby", "Nobody Knows When You're Down and Out" and "Stella". There is nothing new on the CD although, Helfer's performance is pretty good and his mastery of the ivory cannot be denied. This CD is mainly good for those quite times, when relaxing or having a late night meal with that special someone. Jazz has it's "smooth" jazz, so why not a little "smooth" blues.

This is one of Chicago's finest! A great CD! A gem. You will not stop playing it. I play it every day in both my car and home. If you want to know what is happening in the music world, this is it!!

Erwin Helfer, Chicago's master boogie and jazz pianist and his longtime-friend Skinny Williams on his tenor sax sit together to invite you to an outstanding club date that features blues, jazz and standards. Williams, rooted in the styles of Ben Webster and Coleman Hawkins works the miracle of blending this jazzy approach to music with the bluesy wails and grooves he refined while working with Jr. Wells, B.B. King and Buddy Guy, spicing his riffs with reminiscences of Earl Bostic and Gene Ammons. Helfer, who is famous for his refined and elegant, fluid and careless style still beats the blues and boogie out of his piano thus paying respect to his teachers Jimmy Yancey, Albert Ammons and Cripple Clarence Lofton. While mastering the melodic and rhythmic subtleties of black folk piano his classical training enables him to add a very special swinging grace to give the piano his unmistakable distinctive sound. Blues and Jazz were never strictly separated as some purists want us to believe, and the songs on this cd prove how creative and productive this liaison can be.
"St. James Infirmary," "Trouble in Mind," "Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out" are soulfully bluesy, proud of their origin yet polished and refined with some splendid riffs and syncopations. The old and forever young standards "Please Send Me Someone To Love," "It's Only A Paper Moon,""When You Whish Upon A Star," "Stormy Weather" blend the artistry of Jazz with a bluesy touch, while "Ain't Misbehaving" and "Honeysuckle Rose" pay respect to the great Fats Waller. "Five Foot Two", "Pooch Piddle (a Helfer composition)" and "Back At The Chicken Shack" invite you to tap your foot, taking part in the fun and pleasure these two cats enjoy while playing their special music.
This cd is a must for anyone who loves the blues and still knows how to swing in style.
It makes a beautiful present for someone who wants to sit back, relax and enjoy jazz and blues at its best

a disappointing CD---rather dull compared to some of his other work