Customer Reviews

Some Blues

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
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Normally I just read reviews (as youfll soon surmise), but when I noticed gSome Bluesh had no stars by the title, I thought Ifd better get the word out. I got this title because of an Amazon jazz section editorfs recommendation. It soon became my favorite CD and Jay McShann has become my favorite piano player. There isnft one weak track. Put on the headphones and groove or make it your living room background music. Great starter for your Jay McShann collection. Last track, gJazzspeakh is a gem. Even though itfs just the personable McShann rambling on, it can be listened to over and over. Foot tappinf, head bobbinf music that will make you anything but blue.

This remarkable album is really something special, extremely expressive, swinging hard and mighty...

Putting aside the fact that the Jay McShann, the leader with whom Charlie Parker recorded his early tracks, was still capable of first class performance in the beginning of the 90s, this is simply a brilliant jazz album, with plenty of good spirited (and often brilliant) vocals to complete the playing...

The players vary a bit, since this was recorded in several sessions (and, sadly, not every participant lived long enough to finish recording) but the album sounds not only uplifting and swinging, but also logical...

Slowly, the line-up grows as Al Grey on trombone joins in, and after him Clark Terry, making the music more and more impressive, bordering on completely zany and "Some Blues" goes towards the exuberant climax. And just as you think you've heard all, there's McShann's lovely monologue on the last track, recounting the memories of Earl "Fatha" Hines, Joe Turner who would say "Roll' em Pete" to his buddy Pete Johnson...

Highly recommended to all classic jazz fans and jazz history buffs: this is an example of history being very much alive at the moment where for some would gladly see it dead and forgotten.

p.s.

The owl on the cover plays the piano because Jay McShann's nickname is Hootie..

p.p.s.

The title is not misleading; there's "some" blues here as well as some swing and ballads