This was obviously
a fun evening at the Purcell Room back
in November 2002. It celebrated the
centenary of the birth of Billy Mayerl,
whose voice welcomes us to the disc
via a speech recorded in anticipation
of a Swedish tour. And our guide throughout
is Mayerl specialist and master of the
droll, Philip Dyson. The two CD set
ranges amiably over a cross-section
of Greatest Hits and lesser knowns and
includes the work of his contemporaries,
such as Gershwin and those two mighty
ones, Zez Confrey (you know which one,
no need to ask) and Morton Gould’s Boogie
Woogie Etude, so beloved of the impish
and daemonic Shura Cherkassky.
Elsewhere we get some
background and chat from Dyson before
and after he launches into his repertoire.
And it’s good stuff, of course; the
doubling tempo to end Jazzaristrix,
a lyrical and very attractive Song
of the Fir Tree and the choruses
of the Gershwin selection. He plays
the Rhapsody in Blue as well – a different
version from Jack Gibbons’ as is I Got
Rhythm – which Gibbons arranged from
the two piano version. Dyson is more
equable than Gibbons here and in the
Rhapsody as well, though he sweeps to
a fine conclusion.
Dyson plays a big-boned
Ace of Hearts – well, it’s big-boned
next to Eric Parkin’s recording at least
– and his Jazz Master is buoyant
and a bucket-load of fun. In Shallow
Waters he mines a more romantic
parlour song side of Mayerl’s and throughout
he’s full of entertaining sidelights
on the composer’s musical direction.
He does tend to be rather more laid-back
and less peppy than, say, Gibbons in
his Gershwin.
I ought to say that
there is quite a bit of chat, applause
masking opening bars (and gags about
applause and coughing), boot squeaks
across the floor and all the impedimenta
of a live and warts and all recording.
It’s not for those who want the editing
suite to have been on full time active
service; this is an as-it-was recording,
even though it seems that the running
order has been slightly readjusted.
For those who like Dyson’s laid-back
style there’s much to enjoy.
Jonathan Woolf