The first ten selections of this 13-cut 1992 CD were previously put out on an LP by the
77
label.
Don Ewell
was one of the great
stride
pianists to emerge during the 1950s, and by the early '70s, he only had a few close competitors.
Ewell
at various times could sound like
Jelly Roll Morton
,
Fats Waller
, or
Joe Sullivan
, frequently mixing together elements of all three pianists in his own style. This set of piano solos finds
in prime form, stretching out on such numbers as
"If Dreams Come True,"
"Handful of Keys,"
"Aunt Hagar's Blues,"
and
"Old Fashioned Love."
is a player that all
piano fans should be well acquainted with, and this CD is an excellent place to start. ~ Scott Yanow