Search - Fred Kaplan :: Signifyin

Finally... bare-bone blues piano!

T. J. Walker | Bethlehem, PA United States | 04/14/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Wow! This is the real deal! I love blues piano, and have finally found the single source for a variety of styles and moods. Up to this point, I had been listening to a lot of David Maxwell (Maximum Blues Piano - Tone Cool Records). Maxwell is incredible, but you almost get the feeling that he's trying to impress you more with his "chops" than his soul.Fred Kaplan plays the blues with some mighty tasty licks, as well as the heart and soul of a tried and true bluesman. The disc is produced well also, and you can let yourself feel as if you're right there in that smokey blues club rather than a studio.If you're a real fan of the blues, and appreciate the clean sound of a piano wailing away, then you owe it to yourself to pony up the bucks to listen to the keys played as they were meant to be played."

The Old School

Big Muddy | Amherst, MA USA | 07/02/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Fred Kaplan, Larry Taylor, and Richard Innes have captured the essence of pared-down-to-the bone piano stride and boogie in this magnificent recording. Kaplan is one of the best blues players today, devoted to a near-forgotten style best remembered best by those old gems from Jack Dupree and the Memphis Slim/Willie Dixon collaborations. There isn't a person on the planet--musical tastes notwithstanding--who would not find something to like in this CD. And most importantly: while this is a Kaplan recording, it only works because of the first-rate back-up from Taylor and Innes. This a gem--one of the best records of the year."