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Jay McShann,jazz piano great

JEAN-MARIE JUIF | BESANCON France | 11/06/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Jay McShann,born 1907,may be the oldest jazz musician alive and still performing,with Benny Carter.He his a friend of Clint Eastwood,great jazz lover.This cd was recorded in 1991,and McShann plays blues,boogies and standards in a great way.Keep your ahnads off her,Cherry Red,My chile,Vine Street boogie,Stardust,Evenin'(popularized by Little Jimmy Rushing),All of me,Body and soul,Yardbird waltz(remembering a guy who was a member of his orchestra in Kansas City,Charlie Parker),all these tunes are a delight.The last of the whorehouses piano players plays great,as ever,and I remember seeing him the same year in Paris,France,on a crazy night;this was a tribute to Charlie Parker,and the first band included Dizzy,Stan Getz,Milt Jackson,Billy Eckstine,Jackie McLean,Hank Jones,the second one,McShann's orchestra,Shahib Shihab,Jimmy Woode,Al Grey,Clark Terry,Mel Lewis,Carmell Jones,and many others;for a couple of hours,we thought we were in Tom Pendergast's city during the thirties,and I had the privilege to end this night with some of the musicians (thanks to JImmy Woode) in a parisian jazz club named "Le Petit Opportun".Listen to Jay McShann,he's the history of jazz piano playing.And find his album on "Black & Blue" with T.Bone Walker."