F1 Sutton Images

Ralph Sutton was one of the few living masters of stride piano by the time this night club engagement was recorded in St. Louis. This is the second volume of music recorded during his March, 1999, gig at the Backstage Bistro, but it is by no means inferior to the earlier Gaslight CD. Accompanied by two seasoned veterans, bassist Jack Lesberg and drummer Frank Capp, Sutton is in top form. One doesn't normally think of "Moonglow" as part of a stride pianist's repertoire, but Sutton's jaunty interpretation should prompt other practitioners to include it in their books. "Basin Street Blues" features a delightful call-and-response between the artist and Lesberg in its introduction before the leader takes over to work his magic with this jazz standard. The pianist also is featured on several delightful solos, including an alternate take of "Love Me" (a tune all but forgotten by most jazz musicians), a tantalizing performance of "Love Lies," a jubilant "Tea for Two," plus the added bonus of a private recording made in 1950, in a fan's home, of Sutton's romp through the boogie woogie classic "Honky Tonk Train Blues." Highly recommended!

The king of post-1945 stride pianists, Ralph Sutton is so consistently brilliant that it is difficult to come up with a recording of his that isn't highly recommended. This CD, a set of piano solos recorded in England and originally released by the J&M label, finds Sutton digging into well-known and obscure material alike. Three pieces are medleys, including a 12-and-a-half-minute, four-song tribute to composer Willard Robison. Other highlights include Fats Waller's "Viper's Drag," "I've Found a New Baby," "When I Grow Too Old to Dream," and "Honeysuckle Rose." Yet another highly recommended Ralph Sutton CD.

The album Happy Birthday bears little resemblance to the cute and bubbly new wave pop of the title track, for which they're best remembered. Instead of capitalizing on the brightness of the obvious hit single, producer Steven Severin (of Siouxsie & the Banshees) pushed the band into moodier post-punk territory with minimalist arrangements and simple, driving rhythms. Clair Grogan's little-girl voice was probably better suited to pop, but the combination of the two extremes is certainly interesting, if not as fun and engaging as "Happy Birthday".

I Could Be Happy: The Best of Altered Images is an excellent, thorough collection covering all of the highlights from the band's three albums, adding several non-LP singles for good measure. All of the group's hits – "Happy Birthday," "I Could Be Happy," "See Those Eyes," "Love and Kisses" – are presented, usually in their single versions, plus many fine album tracks, making I Could Be Happy a definitive retrospective.

After a thirty eight year hiatus, the rejuvenated band have just completed putting the finishing touches to the first Altered Images music since the album Bite was released in 1983. It’s an upbeat and contemporary sounding album which sounds like a natural progression of the Altered Images journey and sound, all topped with the instantly recognisable vocals of Clare Grogan. The album is produced by former Altered Images band member and acclaimed producer Stephen Lironi and features 12 songs that Clare Grogan has co-written with Stephen, Bernard Butler and Bobby Bluebell.