Memphis Slim and Jean-Paul Amouroux - Boogie Woogie Duets

Two pianos, a lot of the best boogie woogie and blues. Memphis Slim & Jean-Paul Amoroux play a wonderful disc, for all jazz and blues lovers.

An amazingly prolific artist who brought a brisk air of urban sophistication to his frequently stunning presentation, John "Peter" Chatman -better known as Memphis Slim- assuredly ranks with the greatest blues pianists of all time.

Jean-Paul Amoroux has been playing the piano professionally since 1973 after an earlier career in advertising. He possesses a sound musical background having won first prize in a major national piano competition at the age of ten. He is both an original performer of boogie woogie as well as being a serious student of its styles and history.


Tracklist:
1.Salute to Albert and Pete
2.176 Train Blues
3.New H.C.F. Boogie
4.Cafe Society Blues
5.Trois Mailletz Boogie
6.Low Down Harpsichord
7.Crazy Boogie
8.Specially for Anne
9.Cambridge Boogie
10.Blues in the Afternoon
11.Boogie for 2 Pianos
12.Mead Lux Special
13.Money, Honey (Live)
14.Woogie (Live)

Personnel:
Piano 1 (right channel): Memphis Slim
Piano 2 (left channel): Jean-Paul Amouroux
Bass: Gilles Chevaucherie
Drums: Michel Denis

Arrangements: Memphis Slim/ Jean-Paul Amouroux
Compositions: Jean- Paul Amouroux (except #13: J. Stone)

Recorded in Paris (Studio Aquarium) on November 7, 1981, except 13 & 14: Lille, June 12, 1981

From the cover notes of the CD:

“

Piano duets are always a big event in jazz. What a fine idea to have brought together, on 2 full concert Stainways, 2 real specialists of blues and boogie woogie, Memphis Slim and Jean-Paul Amouroux! Thanks to the perfect understanding between the 2 partners, their congenial complicity and to the high professional standard of recording, this album is a total success. The dynamics of boogie woogie lends itself especially well to such jousting on the piano, and Slim & Amouroux, both full of zest, start up a dialogue in the very first bars. With obvious pleasure, the mesh perfectly together, making the pianos "rock and roll" with unusual power (beautifully brought out by the Steinway's rumbling bass notes). We have here a mixture of strength, mastery, but also sensivity and subtle contrast. The deep feeling in the slow blues, the sizzling swing in the medium or fasta pieces, will literally send all you blues lovers! Slim and Amouroux play with inspiration from beginning to end, talking to each other and jiving to the utmost.

”