Historical Interest Only
B. D. Tutt | London, UK. | 07/04/2003
(2 out of 5 stars)
"Luckey Roberts was a leading East Coast ragtime piano virtuoso, renowned for his enormous hands and keyboard showmanship. He influenced James P. Johnson and Duke Ellington amongst others, but recorded very little: a couple of obscure vocal accompaniments in the 1920s, a couple of appearances on the 1947 "This is Jazz" radio show (out on a Jazzology CD) and two fine solo piano sessions late in his career, for Circle in 1946 (available on CD on Solo Art), and for Good Time Jazz in 1958 (also on CD).This recording is of his third and final studio session, made c. 1956-58, and featuring Roberts on a doctored "honky tonk" piano, with Garvin Bushell (reeds) and bass & drums, playing a series of ragtime and dixieland standards. This is undistinguished music. Bushell sounds at times as if he would be more at home in a theatre pit orchestra, and Roberts is lively enough but falls into cliches, and is rhythmically rather four square, with a ragtime rather than a jazz feel to his playing.In addition, the presentation of the CD is appalling. Apart from a tracklist, there is no information whatsoever regarding the performers or the recording session. This is unsatisfactory in the extreme - at least the original liner notes could have been reprinted.This CD might be of interest to non - jazz fans, or to those completists who want the entire recorded output of the stride pianists. For non - specialists interested in Roberts, the Solo Art and Good Time Jazz CDs are recommended. Mediocre music, badly packaged."
Track Listings (11) - Disc #1