Search - Herb Hall :: Old Tyme Modern

Great old time jazz by underrated masters

JEAN-MARIE JUIF | BESANCON France | 07/17/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Recorded January 13,1969,this selection of old tunes,played by two old masters,and two younger guys, is a real delight.Buzzy Drootin is on drums;he played with many musicians,among them Nat Pierce;the well known Arvell Shaw plays bass;he's been for many years a member of Louis Armstrong's All Stars,and is still playing,even if he became blind.Claude Hopkins plays piano.Born in Washington DC,1903,he was one of Harlem's favorite musicians in the thirties,and was still active in music in the seventies.His style,even if it doesn't have the madness and terrific velocity of Earl Hines',is sometimes reminiscent of Fatha's playing.Finally,Herb Hall,born in New Orleans at the beginning of the century,played in the fifties in Sammy Price's band.He's got that specific "wood" sound that is so characteristic of the New Orleans' players (Bechet,Baquet,Bigard,Cottrell,Lewis...).Oh,and he is the young brother of the great Edmond Hall,who played with so many musicians (Armstrong,the DeParis brothers,...).This very beautiful record includes great classic tunes of the N.O.songbook:"Beale Street blues","Buddy Bolden's blues","How come you do me like you do";great standards,like "All of me","Willow weep for me","Sweet Georgia Brown";an absolute masterpiece by James P.Johnson,"old fashioned love";a song Armstrong used to play in the late fourties,"do you know what it means...";and a magnificent tune written by Claude Hopkins,"crying my heart out for you",which is very reminiscent of the last great compositions of Jelly Roll Morton,"sweet substitute" or "why".It is fascinating to observe the difference between Herbie Hall's playing and his brother's;their sounds are radically different ones.Edmond's is more aggressive,and rougher;Herbie's is very close to Bigard's or Cottrell's,the real New Orleans woodstick.Both are great;both ranks among the most talented clarinet players in the jazz history;but this is a rare opportunity to discover the majesty of Herb Hall's playing;and also an opportunity to discover Claude Hopkins' hard swinging piano,deeply influenced by Eubie Blake and James P.Johnson.By the way,did you ever listened to James P.,one of the most talented jazz pianists ever ?"