Old American Rag
M. Watkins | 12/01/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I don't own this disk but I have had an opportunity
to listen to it several times and I really like it.
For the most part I was unfamiliar with the artists
performing on here, but every track is enjoyable.
Its really a collection of rag, barrelhouse and blues
piano. It sounds classic and 'old' - several tracks
have an ample amount of pops and scratches; however,
as one who greatly likes old blues music, I'm plenty
used to that. There are also some fairly clean sounding
tracks, like Flapper's Stomp (Ezra Howlett Shelton) and
"What's the Matter Now" (Charlie Nickerson).
There's one track by Leroy Carr (which is fair as Leroy
has a substantial catalogue of his music that is well
preserved and represented overall). One thing that
I find rather quaint is that a lot of the vocals come
off as rather unpolished, almost casual. There are also
several solo piano tracks (ie, no vocals) by Jimmy Yancy
and Cripple Clarance Lofton who also convey, again, a
kind of playful or causual elegance.
Most people who were alive at the time of these recordings
have long passed on. Yet I find a liveliness and spirit
to be found here (I absolutely love "Everybody's Rag" by
Alonzo Yancy) that conveys a wonderful slice of spirit
and energy from an America that is fast fading from our
collective memory.
I give this collection five stars for what it is: a
document of ancient recordings that immediately recall
the sounds and sensibilities of a bygone era.
"