Turner in Wales Wilton

This CD combines together two unrelated solo piano sets. The nine performances by Thelonious Monk are a bit familiar since these renditions (which are highlighted by "'Round Midnight," "Well You Needn't," "We See" and "Hackensack") had been previously reissued by GNP/Crescendo and Mosaic. However the 13 selections (including three alternate takes) by Joe Turner (no relation to singer Big Joe Turner) are much rarer. Turner, a talented American stride pianist who spent most of his life living in France, had only recorded ten songs as a leader prior to this 1952 session and is in top form for such numbers as "Hallelujah," "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea," "Wedding Boogie" and three versions of "Tea for Two." This CD is easily recommended to jazz piano collectors who do not already have the Monk selections.

Big Joe Turner went through record companies like some people go through cigarettes, one after another, cutting sides for anybody who waved a dollar in his face. This installment of the Big Joe story focuses on an eight-month period that found him recording for National, Savoy, EmArcy, RPM, and Downbeat, usually in the company of longtime piano-playing partner Pete Johnson. A mixture of live and studio tracks, it's the usual blend of blues and boogie, with Big Joe hammering the notes flat by the sheer strength of his voice alone. Another excellent entry in this series.