DICK HYMAN - THE JAZZ HERITAGE SOCIETY RECORDINGS
DICK HYMAN: BLUES IN THE NIGHT - DICK HYMAN PLAYS HAROLD ARLEN
DICK HYMAN: BLUES IN THE NIGHT - DICK HYMAN PLAYS HAROLD ARLEN
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Of Dick Hyman and his innovative pianisms there is no end. Of Harold Arlen and his enduring contributions to the Art of Popular Songwriting there is no end. Of pleasures that come steaming out of this Blues in the Night collection there is no end ... and a long beginning. That Dick would have an affinity for Arlen's music is underscored by the simple fact that he grew up tuned in on that wondrous list of "hits." John S. Wilson posed a similar question when Dick recorded 14 Irving Berlin melodies last year: "How can one choose a mere handful of songs from [that prolific catalog]?" Again, "faced with such a wealth of material, Hyman let his instincts make the choices."
This CD is very much a piano recital, as Dick Hyman (on a set of unaccompanied solos) demonstrates his love for Harold Arlen's music. Nine of the fourteen selections that Hyman chose to record are very well-known, three are somewhat obscure and two are somewhere in between. The accent is on Art Tatum's style during some of the songs, along with a few snatches of Teddy Wilson's relaxed stride. Hyman reproduces the ease with which Tatum threw out impossible-to-play virtuosic runs, and (even more impressive) he hints constantly at Art's advanced harmonies without doing strict imitations. He gives a few of the songs unusual twists ("Stormy Weather" becomes a waltz, "Over the Rainbow" has a bossa nova rhythm, the last part of "A Woman's Prerogative" is played in two keys at once, etc.) but the melodies are never far away. Hyman also takes his first real vocal on record, doing a nice job on the lyrics of "In Your Own Quiet Way" with his obviously untrained voice. A fine outing.
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