Search - Dave McKenna :: Celebration of Hoagy Carmichael

McKenna does Carmichael

Bomojaz | South Central PA, USA | 10/06/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"In some ways Dave McKenna is a schizophrenic piano player: his right hand is like a bird in flight, soaring toward light and freedom; but his left hand is like a massive tree deeply rooted, solid, holding everything in place. It's the balancing of these two divergent forces that makes McKenna great. Sometimes he can go whole albums and not show that pulsating left hand (the two Concord disks he made just before this one reveal little of his left-hand majesty), but on this one it's front and center. Best is when he starts off very relaxed, just cruising along, and gradually you can hear that left hand getting more forcefull and driving, pushing the song to a mighty conclusion. COME EASY, GO EASY LOVE demonstrates this marvelously. Generally the entire album mellows out as it goes along, with snappy, up-tempo songs giving way to a long string of slower tunes toward the end. It's a live album so rearranging tunes wouldn't have worked, but Dave should have planned better. RIVERBOAT SHUFFLE is the highlight of the CD: it really cooks. Not the best of Dave's CDs, but right up there."

A talent.

P. Jirousek | midwest | 05/01/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It was quite by accident that I came to own this recording, but some the best things in life are found this way, aren't they?

Having taken in this album several times now, I've come away feeling that Mr. McKenna knows his stuff. While some choices in tempi and the the seemingly inevitable build-up each tune receives are a bit "eclectic", it is what he does with voicings that hold my attention. There are some surprises for all in his use of the extreme low notes (hey, they're on the keyboard, so why not use them mentality).

I'd recommend this recording for those that want to fill a room during a party. Boisterous, lilting playing. Not for the wine and cheese set...maybe more for the scotch and cigarette affair.

Enjoy!"