Customer Reviews

Piano Wizards

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This is a bit of a disappointment, first because it contains only 18 tracks, and secondly because the net could have been cast wider to bring in more obscure but no less meritorious pieces. Since one of the stated goals of Memphis Archives is "to preserve our rich American musical heritage" one is entitled to assume that this would have been the basis of the compilation. But it's the case that many of these recordings have been reissued in both LP and CD format many times, "In A Mist" in particular. Be warned also that Jess Stacy's performance of "Flashes/In the Dark", which is a single performance, has been incremented on the CD, thereby throwing out every subsequent track, and misleading Amazon into showing 19 tracks.

Nothing wrong here, but it just doesn't add up to much. Lots of famous pianists who apparently had some off days, and a few minor figures I've not heard before. And including some unknown pieces here which deserve to remain unknown. Old recordings, with lots of surface noise; they just amble along until they're done. Not much fire, not much tension, not much pungency. Pleasant background music, but not really listenable. I was hoping to find some buried treasures, but mostly found sand. And if Track 11 (rather than 12) is St. Louis Blues, it is the most personal interpretation I've ever heard.