After his heyday in the mid-'40s, pianist-singer
Harry "The Hipster" Gibson faded away from the limelight. He continued playing on a part-time basis and this Delmark CD released for the first time a live performance from 1976 and some studio tracks from 1989. Although the backup bands are not overly impressive (the 1976 group is an amateurish blues-rock band),
Gibson proves to still be in his musical prime, taking several fine piano solos. However it is
the Hipster's frequently hilarious storytelling (which deals with tales of the drug life) that are most memorable, particularly "Me & Max," "I Got Framed" and "I Flipped My Wig in San Francisco." It makes one regret that
Gibson did not do more with his career. ~ Scott Yanow