JIMMY BLYTHE: MESSIN' AROUND BLUES (Delmark DE 792) 58:56 min.
Farm House Blues; Black Gal Make It Thunder; Mama's Got 'Em; The Folks Downstairs; That's My Business; Steppin' on the Gas; Function Blues; When Grandpa Steps Out; Forty Blues; Sugar Dew Blues; Carolina Stomp; Messin' Around; My Baby; Nicaragua Blues; A Good Man is Hard to Find; Ain't Gonna Run You Down; Comin' Home Blues; I Won't Give You None; Underworld Blues

Reviewed by David Reffkin

The Delmark label's keepin' 'em comin'. (I'm just getting into an apostrophic mood as I do when looking at all these blues titles.) As reissues go, this one has a high level of pedigree: originally handled by Ed Sprankle on his Echoes label, Paul Affeldt on Euphonic Sounds, Mike Montgomery in research, Frank Himpsl for restoration, and Bob Koester at Delmark. The only point remaining to note is that Jimmy Blythe isn't a household name, apparently even in some blues households. It is curious that this prolific performer in the role of band pianist and accompanist for many of the greatest names around, in the center of the action -- Chicago -- and one of the first boogie artists, is not prominently found in certain references. For example, he's barely mentioned in Chilton's Who's Who of Jazz (1978) and Feather's Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999). But we've come to expect that artists who did not compose much, sing or have a scandalous episode, no matter how productive and innovative they were in the background, may not ever get their deserved publicity. If ever an era epitomized this observation, it was the band pianists of the 1920s and '30s urban jazz scene. For the serious student, you can look him up in an original source, the obituary in the Chicago Defender, June 27, 1931.

The adjustments in tempo may be a source of interest and perhaps controversy on this CD (when has tempo not been a source of controversy?). The project is a digital revamping of 19 Blythe piano rolls, another medium he conquered, with over 200 issues. According to Koester, "The tempos have been reorganized, generally by recording the rolls at a slower tempo, and we feel have given the world a very accurate idea of the music." So the metric sense of the whole disc is of moderation in tempos, and where one might normally expect variety of speeds among several successive tracks, there is a sense of uniformity. This may be historically informed, but the result may be a less exciting disc, if your idea of excitement is drop dead blues mixed with wake-up boogie. In my metronome survey, all the tracks are at quarter note between 104 and 120. More to the point, 15 of the 19 are at either 108 or 112 (almost the same perceived tempo). This is okay for the slap-it-on-for-background customer, but pretty tedious for attentive listening. Even really boring all-Joplin recordings have more variety than this. It is the metric equivalent of having almost all tunes in the same key, which is generally a no-no when devising playlists. Fortunately, the keys are mostly all over the map.

So, you will get this disc if you are really into Jimmy Blythe, particularly his piano roll performances, or you are one of the increasing numbers of fans who enjoy cleaned up, listening-room quality in any piano rolls. There is an attractive feature in this aspect of digital restoration. Ironic that a disc titled Messin' Around Blues is no longer "messy" in the sense of raw piano roll sound.

Another reason to recommend this CD is to accumulate an ongoing and very interesting series of important original and reissue discs from Delmark. To do that, inquire at www.delmark.com, or 800-684-3480. The disc is $14.99.

LOUIS MAZETIER: TRIBUTES, PORTRAITS AND OTHER STORIES (Arbors Records ARCD 19361) 77:01 min.
You've Got to be Modernistic; Sweet and Lovely; In August at St. Germain des Pres; The Pearls; Tea for Two; Significant Ladies Suite; Walking My Baby Back Home; Anitra's Dance; Simply the Blues; Tango Seville; Just You, Just Me; I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plan; Sneakaway; Portrait of a Portraitist; Can't We Be Friends?; Skylark; Keep Off the Grass; Fran‡ois; Nostalgic Walk

Reviewed by David Reffkin

All the clues in the packaging of this recording point to one concept: several piano styles smoothly connected in choice cuts of standards, originals, and references to past jazz masters. Alyn Shipton notes, "a seamless continuity" and Mazetier's own comment, "(these) allowed me to present various facets of my playing, deeply rooted in classical jazz," support the subtitle "Tributes, Portraits and Other Stories." In fact, the concept proves true in the audio tracks, and it works as a package deal. But even though the billing on the back cover proclaims "stride piano," this is not 77 minutes of heavy-hitting left hand and speed-demon right hand.

Louis Mazetier is better known in his homeland of France, though his albums circulate well. He was part of the Paris jazz scene from the 1980s onward (see the Paris Washboard discs on which he plays). Considering all the music, it is the familiar stride selections that tie the CD to the interests of traditional piano jazz fans. In this collection, some familiar titles are sprinkled throughout. He even admits to the term "warhorses" for a few of them. Incidentally, I wish everyone would lay off "Anitra's Dance" for a while. Not because of its more "classical" roots, but because there are so many hundreds of other classical melodies to pick on. Edvard Grieg died in 1907, missing the stride experience; I wonder what he would have thought about it.

November 2008 issue | © 2008 The Mississippi Rag

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