Memories of You Eubie Blake Artist

A link to 19th-century {|ragtime|} who was still at the keys 75 years after the composition of his {|Charleston Rag|} (1899), {|Eubie Blake|} lived on yet longer thanks to his piano-roll recordings, including the 15 heard here. Most date from the 191... Read more

A link to 19th-century {|ragtime|} who was still at the keys 75 years after the composition of his {|Charleston Rag|} (1899), {|Eubie Blake|} lived on yet longer thanks to his piano-roll recordings, including the 15 heard here. Most date from the 1910s -- though they've often been replayed for subsequently updated masterings -- and reflect one of the most buoyant piano styles of any in recorded {|jazz|}. Opening with {|The Charleston Rag,|} {|Memories of You|} consists mostly of {|blues|}, though there's an ebullience and character in effect here that has little to do with the variety of {|blues|} heard during the late '20s, whether from {|acoustic|} {|Delta|} guitarists or {|Tin Pan Alley|} pianists. {|Blake|}'s rendition of {|W.C. Handy|}'s {|The Memphis Blues|} has a rollicking, syncopated charm, while {|Boll Weevil Blues|} is perhaps his best recording. One of the chestnuts, {|I'm Just Wild About Harry,|} was actually recorded by {|Blake|} in 1973, more than 50 years after its first brush with popularity. ~ John Bush Less