Customer Reviews

This Is the One...Dig!

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

 

 

This CD gives you a varied sampling of stride piano by a truly fine performer. Wellstood plays with authority, especially his left hand, as he effortlessly walks through the James P. Johnson numbers "Carolina Shout" and "Snowy Morning Blues". For players who want to really hear the nuance, the recording style (concert hall - far mike) is a constant annoyance. Would love to hear these pieces in a close mike recording to marvel even more at the talents of the performer.

Another great performance by the legendary Dick Wellstood.
As an intro: to Ragtime/Stride Piano at its total best I cannot think of a better exponent of the art.
Sadly, Dick Wellstood is no longer with us, BUT this CD is!!

I share the other reviewers' enthusiasm for this one. Note that the acoustic is unusual for a jazz record - a concert hall recording with lots of room ambience, not the "close-up" style of most solo piano disks. Dick Wellstood was above all a smart player, who held firm to his roots in traditional jazz piano while listening to and absorbing everything that came after. This is a definitive statement from a player who died too young and was recorded too infrequently.

This is a tremendous disc. Wellstood was a superb stride piano player, and is in top form throughout. He plays James P. Johnson numbers like "Carolina Shout" and "Mule Walk Stomp" with wonderful authority, but the standout track is "When Dreams Come True", given a driving fierce performance reminiscent of Donald Lambert at full speed. Ballards such as "Sugar" and "You Go To My Head" are given swinging astringent readings.

This is an irresistable dics. No lover of jazz piano should be without it.

This CD gives you a varied sampling of stride piano by a truly fine performer. Wellstood plays with authority, especially his left hand, as he effortlessly walks through the James P. Johnson numbers "Carolina Shout" and "Snowy Morning Blues". For players who want to really hear the nuance, the recording style (concert hall - far mike) is a constant annoyance. Would love to hear these pieces in a close mike recording to marvel even more at the talents of the performer.

According to the liner notes, this was Dick Wellstood's favorite of his recordings and his playing is brilliant throughout. His style, which might be described as eclectic stride, is shown off very well here. His versions of Stevie Wonder's "You are the Sunshine of my Life." and John Coltrane's "Giant Steps" are two standouts, but every tune is great. Other songs include "Snowy Morning Blues," "If Dreams Come True," "Rosetta" and "Paganini's Thing". If you enjoy jazz piano, you can't go wrong with this CD.