André
Previn –
Previn
Plays The Piano
Vinyl, 10”, 1947
RCA Victor
When I hear this 10” I think of
gin martini's which compared to Vodka martini's, they knock me out.
There's a toxic aspect to composer André Previn's piano playing.
Very intelligent, and I like the combination of Previn's piano with
the guitar work by Al Viola in the song “Hallelujah.” Also the
introduction to “Just One Of Those Things” is very percussive
with the piano keys on one hand and the other he does a speed riff
along with the electric guitar. I suspect this is Previn's first
record and the way he handles these standards is from the viewpoint
of youth. It has the freshness of the new, and it titters between
be-bop and standard jazz. An odd tension between the old and the
new.
What attracted me to this record
is the 10” size as well as the cover. I am a sucker for 1940's
album covers. One thing I notice is that album covers always convey
the 'now' or whatever that decade is. There are of course some made
now (and maybe then?) that is retro – like the Bryan Ferry
Orchestra for instance, but mostly the graphics convey the year or
the era quite honestly.
No comments:
Post a Comment