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Mike Jones: Live at Steinway Hall

By DAVE NATHAN
October 1, 2000
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slideshow

Buffalo native Mike Jones clearly has listened to and learned from them all, Erroll Garner, Willy "The Lion" Smith, Oscar Peterson, Bud Powell, Teddy Wilson, and Art Tatum, especially Art Tatum. The arpeggios and the emphasis on the melody-driven right hand reminds one of the master pianist. Not only is a pianist known by those who influenced him, but also by the songs he plays. On this album, all but one of the tunes are classic entries in the Great American Songbook. The one exception, Oscar Peterson's "Kelly's Blues" doesn't seem out of place at all. "Listened" and "learned" are the operative words, not copied. A worn phrase, perhaps, but Jones is "carrying on the tradition" of these giants of the keyboard, perhaps on the way to becoming one himself.

On this album Mr. Jones playing before a small group, takes on all tempos without fear or trepidation. He swings, he strides, he dazzles with speed and sentimentalizes with romantic playing as he runs through this play list of eleven tunes taking almost 80 minutes to do it. Taking advantage of this generous amount of time made available by Chiaroscuro, each tune gets a thorough vetting. Jones can change tempos in a wink of the eye as he shows on "I'm Through with Love". Making sure that he doesn't fall into that trap of predictability, he takes a tune and completely changes the way one normally hears it played, like a bouncy, close to funky "It Happened in Monterey". On other tracks, while he doesn't sing, you can almost hear the lyrics as on his interpretation of "The Things We Did Last Summer", which features more than one tempo change.

Jones belongs to the old-fashioned school of piano players. No minimalist style for him, he uses the entire keyboard giving the listener full value for his time and money. This album is easy to recommend.

Track Listing: This Can't Be Love; These Foolish Things; I Want to Be Happy; I'm Through with Love; It Happened in Monterrey; Once in Awhile; Kelly's Blues; Lullaby of the Leaves; The Things We Did Last Summer; Medley: I'm Crazy

Personnel: Mike Jones - Piano

Title: Live at Steinway Hall | Year Released: 2000 | Record Label: Chiaroscuro Records

Music & Tickets

About Mike Jones

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CD/LP/Track Review

The Show Before The Show by Dan Bilawsky
Roaring by Dan Bilawsky
Plays Well with Others by Jack Bowers
Plays Well With Others by C. Michael Bailey
Mike Jones Stretches Out (in Las Vegas) by AAJ Staff
Mike Jones Stretches Out (in Las Vegas) by AAJ Staff
Stretches Out by C. Michael Bailey

Date	Event	Time
Apr21Sat	Penn & Teller Penn & Teller Theater At Rio Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV	9:00 pm $78.09
Apr22Sun	Penn & Teller Penn & Teller Theater At Rio Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV	9:00 pm $78.09
Apr23Mon	Penn & Teller Penn & Teller Theater At Rio Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV	9:00 pm $78.09
Apr28Sat	Penn & Teller Penn & Teller Theater At Rio Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV	9:00 pm $78.09
Apr29Sun	Penn & Teller Penn & Teller Theater At Rio Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV	9:00 pm $78.09
Apr30Mon	Penn & Teller Penn & Teller Theater At Rio Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV	9:00 pm $78.09
May5Sat	Penn & Teller Penn & Teller Theater At Rio Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV	9:00 pm $74.59

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I love jazz because it's helped me to escape to new worlds and new experiences. I was first exposed to jazz while I was very young. I was born in 1964 and I remember jazz being the background music for so many TV programs I used to watch
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I love jazz because it's helped me to escape to new worlds and new experiences. I was first exposed to jazz while I was very young. I was born in 1964 and I remember jazz being the background music for so many TV programs I used to watch. Sesame Street, The Pink Panther, Peanuts and many others. I've loved jazz for as long as I can remember. I met the bassist, Jennifer Leightham, recently at a performance at The Merc, in Temecula, California. It was a wonderful experience. The first jazz record I bought was Miles Davis' “Kind of Blue” (1959). My advice to new listeners is don't let anyone discourage you from exploring jazz and don't limit yourself to one type of jazz. Be bold! Experiment! Expand your musical horizon. You will never regret it.
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Member since: 2017