O-10, re Mary Lou Williams:
Not much room for a "professional critique" in those two cuts, really; especially "Mary Lou’s Blues". What I mean is that I am reminded of the movie "Ratatouille" in which the restaurant critic "critiques" a plate of ratatouille; one of the most basic of comfort foods. Twelve bar blues is as basic and comfortable as you can get and Williams plays with a great sense and feel of the blues. As with a plate of great ratatouille the way she plays the blues feels just right; and with her own unique sense of rhythm, just like grandma’s ratatouille would be just right but still identifiable as grandma’s. I like the way she "floats" around the rhythm while still having a good sense of forward motion. I wouldn’t call "ML’s Blues" a "tune" at all since it is really just the piano player riffing on a blues chord progression and there is no identifiable nor repeated melody that would qualify it to be a "tune". Both "ML’s Blues" and "Blues" are twelve bar blues in the key of G with "ML Blues" being in 3/4 time (think blues waltz) and "Blues" is in the more common 4/4 time.
Stereophile and "Moanin":
While I don’t have any great love for the mag, I don’t share you disdain for it and, personally, have found quite a bit of useful info and even good music reviews in it; especially during the JGH days. I just listened to "Moanin" from that session and I think you may be misinterpreting what the reviewer means when he says that Timmons is "playing a less than stellar piano". He’s right! But, I believe he is referring to the piano itself (instrument) not Timmons’ playing. The piano sounds like a "less than stellar" upright piano and is obviously out of tune; especially the left hand portion of the keyboard. Believe it or not it happens; session is scheduled and the piano tuner doesn’t show up or is simply not a good technician, or it’s simply not a good piano. This can also have an effect on the player’s performance; although Timmons plays just fine on it. I would, however, agree that Morgan and especially Golson sound amazing on that cut.
Not much room for a "professional critique" in those two cuts, really; especially "Mary Lou’s Blues". What I mean is that I am reminded of the movie "Ratatouille" in which the restaurant critic "critiques" a plate of ratatouille; one of the most basic of comfort foods. Twelve bar blues is as basic and comfortable as you can get and Williams plays with a great sense and feel of the blues. As with a plate of great ratatouille the way she plays the blues feels just right; and with her own unique sense of rhythm, just like grandma’s ratatouille would be just right but still identifiable as grandma’s. I like the way she "floats" around the rhythm while still having a good sense of forward motion. I wouldn’t call "ML’s Blues" a "tune" at all since it is really just the piano player riffing on a blues chord progression and there is no identifiable nor repeated melody that would qualify it to be a "tune". Both "ML’s Blues" and "Blues" are twelve bar blues in the key of G with "ML Blues" being in 3/4 time (think blues waltz) and "Blues" is in the more common 4/4 time.
Stereophile and "Moanin":
While I don’t have any great love for the mag, I don’t share you disdain for it and, personally, have found quite a bit of useful info and even good music reviews in it; especially during the JGH days. I just listened to "Moanin" from that session and I think you may be misinterpreting what the reviewer means when he says that Timmons is "playing a less than stellar piano". He’s right! But, I believe he is referring to the piano itself (instrument) not Timmons’ playing. The piano sounds like a "less than stellar" upright piano and is obviously out of tune; especially the left hand portion of the keyboard. Believe it or not it happens; session is scheduled and the piano tuner doesn’t show up or is simply not a good technician, or it’s simply not a good piano. This can also have an effect on the player’s performance; although Timmons plays just fine on it. I would, however, agree that Morgan and especially Golson sound amazing on that cut.