[.ca] The Great Jazz Piano of Phineas Newborn Jr.

This CD reissue is the great Phineas Newborn Jr at his best:
This 1961/62 date is extraordinary form start to finish. Phineas experiments with several tempos and styles throughout this recording and each one shines in its own respect. Highlights include "This Here" and a version of Monk's "Well, You Needn't". The only faultering moments appear in "Celia" and Ellington's "Prelude to a Kiss" but these faults are very minor. If you like jazz piano then this album is quite simply a must buy.

Technical brilliance; soulless grandstanding:
Great musicians who are unusually gifted, who do not use their talents with restraint and taste, come off as arrogant. When technique overwhelms, the music is compromised. This is the problem with Phineas Newborn (and Oscar Peterson). Not content to play the right notes beautifully, they must play a hundred notes to show you that they can. While Newborn's fingers are Tatumesque in their "virtuosity", the same can't be said for his taste. Compare his treatment of "Celia" to Bud Powell's original Verve recording. Newborn guts the delicate, almost lacy song and plays breakneck. Powell, who possessed the greatest piano skills of anyone after (and some say, including) Tatum, never obscured the music he played with displays of technique. Newborn botches "This Here" as well. Bobby Timmons' tune, sanctified and groove-infused, is rendered soulless by Phineas. Newborn is a piano player extraordinaire. But there is a difference between a piano player and a musician.

Phineas cuts Oscar, Tatum, and even Bud Powell.:
He is a monster. At first, I was just thrilled by Oscar Peterson's playing (and I still am) but then I heard Phineas Newborn Jr. You can even hear in his playing some things that Oscar has borrowed from him. Listen to Phineas for some of the greatest work in parallel lines. From start to finish, you will need to wear a seat belt for this cd. He is great!!!!!

Awesome!!:
Probably one of the most underappreciated jazz musician of all time--this a amazing. Listen to Phineas' version of Bud Powell's "Celia" and Benny Golson's"Domingo"

• Theme for Basie
• New Blues
• Way Out West
• Four
• Celia
• This Here
• Domingo
• Prelude to a Kiss
• Well, You Needn't