The Lou Stein Trio: House Hop/The Lou Stein 3, 4, and 5

Before Dave Matthews was even born, guys like Lou Stein were all the rage on the college campuses. The equivalent of the modern day cover band, the Lou Stein Trio played lightly swinging music for dancing and recorded a few albums along the way, two of which are collected here. At first, Stein’s approach seems like little more than cocktail music, so much so that one expects to hear glasses clinking in the background. However, Stein is actually a gifted interpreter of standards, the equivalent of Tatum dressed up in tweed, and his piano stylings are quite enjoyable, echoing West Coast pianists like Pete Jolly and Jimmy Rowles. House Hop showcases Stein in a trio setting and displays Stein’s gift of breathing new life into standards that by this time were already a bit long in the tooth. 3, 4, and 5 is more varied, what with the three horns added in various combinations and a more obscure selection of tunes, but is no less entertaining; Stein even contributes a few originals that sit well with classics like “Gone With the Wind”. Those who are looking for great art or musicianship should undoubtedly turn their attention elsewhere, but Stein probably never had such aspirations in the first place. A welcome reissue of an obscure pianist’s work.