Continued: CD Reviews

By her own admission, Sue Keller's favorite ragtime composer has always been Charles L. Johnson (1876-1950). A Kansas City man, Johnson was one of the most prolific, versatile, and successful composers of his time. His rags are folksy, inventive, and fun to play and listen to. He is credited with 30 rags, but his other compositions run into the hundreds. His output grew to such an extent that he resorted to writing under pseudonyms occasionally lest he be perceived as cornering the market. Hence the title of the CD, a/k/a Charles Johnson, which includes nine pieces written under pen-names: seven as Raymond Birch, and one each as Ethel Ernest and Fannie B. Woods. In addition to these, Ms. Keller has programmed a representative sampling of Johnson's vast output, which included cakewalks, rags, waltzes, ballads, and novelties. Her interesting liner notes contribute anecdotal information about the composer and his career.

Although it was not his first published piece, it was "Doc Brown's Cakewalk" (1899) that drew widespread attention to Johnson when the renowned John Philip Sousa heard it, liked it, and added it to his band's repertoire. The 1902 rag, "A Black Smoke," is intriguingly eccentric and catchy. "Iola" (1904) was one of the most popular of the "Indian intermezzos." The 1940 popular song, "Playmates," was a blatant steal from it, and Johnson successfully sued the plagiarizer. For examples of Johnson's waltzes, listen to "Belle of Havana," "Tobasco," or "Wedding of the Fairies." "Melody Rag" (1911) is a reworking of Anton Rubenstein's "Melody in F." "Monkey Biznez" (1928) is an example of Johnson at work in the novelty piano era.

My Reindeer Don't Like To Fly is a curious assortment of non-traditional Yuletide songs. Although there are no liner notes for this CD, composer credits and dates are listed on the back, and the individuals involved in the recording sessions are identified on an acknowledgment page. Sue Keller is involved variously on piano, lead vocals, organ, marimba, steel drums, sleigh bells, harp, and musical arrangements. She is assisted by Pete Devine (he of Bo Grumpus fame) on drums, percussion, and background vocals, Gino Agnello on acoustic guitar, and Judy Leschewski on background vocals.

Sue Keller gets composer credits for "My Reindeer Don't Like To Fly," "I Wanna Spend Christmas on Maui," and "Where Is the Boy?" "Here Comes Santa Claus" is by Gene Autry. "Cool Yule" is one of the 4,000 songs Steve Allen is said to have composed. "Little Bar in Bethlehem" is by ragtimer Robert R. Darch. Most of the songs in this CD are jolly and swingy, but the World War II song, "I'll Be Home for Christmas," brings a tug to the heart and a lump to the throat. One of my favorite cuts, "Snowbound," is an anomaly in this collection. It is a serene piano solo composed by Dave McKenna, lovingly played by Ms. Keller. It is reminiscent of Debussy. Its hushed beauty evokes a mood of peace.

Wild Women Don't Have the Blues showcases Ms. Keller's versatility in handling blues material. Her vocals are intense and impassioned. In the words of her husband, Howard Vigorita (who contributed the enlightening liner notes), "This talented lady reaches back to the earliest days of the blues with one of the widest variety of treatments you are likely to find in any one place, ranging from ragtime, boogie, stride, and red-hot mama blues to early jazz, swing boogie, western swing, country blues, and even a little Zydeco."

The opener, "Am I Blue," is actually a standard ballad rather than a blues, but certainly is infused with blues feeling. It is the most pensive item on the menu. This is followed up with a sassy "Wild Women," originally sung by its composer, Ida Cox, in 1924. Ms. Keller contributes three numbers of her own provenance: "Yo' Mama Blues," "Long-Time Man," and "My Baby's Hot For Me." Bessie Smith's "Backwater Blues" is presented as a piano solo that pays homage to James P. Johnson, who accompanied Bessie on the original 1927 recording. "Cow Cow Boogie" was a jukebox favorite in 1941, recorded by Ella Mae Morse. Like "Cow Cow Boogie," "Booglie Wooglie Piggy" capitalized on the boogie woogie craze of the late 1930s and early 1940s. It was recorded by Tex Beneke and the Modernaires. W. C. Handy's "Ole Miss Blues" is all piano, and makes reference to Scott Joplin's piano roll of this tune. Jelly Roll Morton's "Wolverine Blues" is replete with Mortonisms, and is an admirable rendition of this Dixieland favorite.

To order these CDs, contact Sue Keller and HV Recording, P.O. Box 630, Oak Forest IL 60452, or Ragtime Press: http://www.rtpresss.com

July 2008 issue | © 2008 The Mississippi Rag

P.O. Box 19068, Minneapolis, MN 55419.