The great stride pianist
Dick Wellstood, who died in 1987, was best heard as a soloist in a live setting, which this CD is. This performance, taped during a 1977 appearance in a Dublin, Ireland, bar called the Merrion Inn, was discovered in 2000 by clarinetist
Kenny Davern in the home of an Irish fan, who had recorded it with
Wellstood's permission. Like the earlier
Wellstood CD
Live at the Sticky Wicket (which is also available on Arbors Jazz), this nightclub set preserves
Wellstood's witty and sometimes sarcastic introductions to the songs. His foot tapping is frequently audible, adding an extra touch of rhythm and never distracting from the music. He first plays a series of rags, explaining to his audience how stride evolved from ragtime, including the well-known ("Maple Leaf Rag" and "Pork and Beans"), the forgotten (
Joplin's "Fig Leaf Rag"), and novelty rags such as
Zez Confrey's "Kitten on the Keys" and
George Cobb's "Russian Rag" (which was derived from a
Rachmaninoff work).
Wellstood's chops are in top form throughout the cream of the stride compositions that he plays: "Carolina Shout," "Viper's Drag," "Handful of Keys," plus a medley of four more
Fats Waller tunes. But he is at his most amazing when adapting non-jazz works into ragtime or stride. "Paganini's Thing" was adapted from a piece by the 19th century classical violinist
Nicholo Paganini by
Wellstood himself. As on his earlier Arbors Jazz CD,
Wellstood plays his very amusing stride take of
John Coltrane's landmark modal work "Giant Steps," a rapid-fire ragtime version of
Cole Porter's "I Concentrate on You," and a rag version of the normally extremely lame
Andrew Lloyd Webber hit "Superstar" ("made famous by such jazz artists as
Bette Midler and
the Carpenters,"
Wellstood deadpans). Of course, a medley of works from the
Duke Ellington songbook is naturally suited for stride, since
Ellington's own playing was firmly rooted in ragtime and stride; his up-tempo rendition of "Caravan" wraps this exciting medley. He signs off with a quick chorus of his original "Just the Blues." Even though this nightclub performance has the usual clinking glasses, occasional cash register noise, and talking from the audience, the sound is very pleasing and is worthy of comparison to many professionally recorded CDs and LPs in similar venues. This CD serves as an excellent introduction to the playing of
Dick Wellstood and should be an essential acquisition for any fan of ragtime and/or stride piano.