Oh Baby: Solo Piano

• Artist: Ralph Sutton
• Rating:
• Release Date: November 16, 2004
• Type: Compilation (best of)
• Genre: Jazz

Review

Ralph Sutton was one of the greatest stride pianists of all time and arguably the finest stride pianist to emerge after World War II. He loved the music of James P. Johnson, Fats Waller, and Willie "The Lion" Smith, and was able to emulate them while being a powerful force himself. Oh Baby has two of his earliest record dates. The first 15 selections were recorded in November 1949 and they are a bit different than expected. Instead of stride classics, Sutton is mostly heard playing ragtime pieces along with a few Jelly Roll Morton numbers and a touch of swing. At the time he was helping out Rudi Blesh and Harriet Janis with their upcoming book, They All Played Ragtime, by sight-reading some rags that had been largely unheard for decades. Although Sutton never liked to be called a ragtime pianist since he was more of an improviser, he does a very good job on such pieces as "Cataract Rag," "Frog Legs Rag," and "Grace and Beauty," while swinging up a storm. The remainder of Oh Baby is from a British LP (recorded in Switzerland) from 1952. Although the ten selections are pretty concise (none exceed three minutes), they are more in the stride style that was typical of the brilliant Sutton. He romps through such songs as "Three Little Words," "Drop Me Off in Harlem," and "African Ripples" in addition to playing three pieces by Willie "The Lion" Smith. This set is highly recommended both for its historic value and for being so enjoyable. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Down Home Rag	Wilbur Sweatman	Ralph Sutton	(2:54)
Harlem Drag	Benny Waters	Ralph Sutton	(2:45)
Jelly Roll Blues	Jelly Roll Morton	Ralph Sutton	(2:58)
Cannon Ball Blues	Jelly Roll Morton	Ralph Sutton	(2:49)
Black Bottom Stomp	Jelly Roll Morton	Ralph Sutton	(2:59)
Cataract Rag	Rob Hampton	Ralph Sutton	(3:15)
Shoe Shine Boy	Saul Chaplin, Sammy Cahn	Ralph Sutton	(3:18)
Christopher Columbus	Andy Razaf, Chu Berry	Ralph Sutton	(3:36)
Hindustan	Harold Weeks	Ralph Sutton	(3:27)
Villain		Ralph Sutton	(2:37)
Frog Legs Rag	James Scott	Ralph Sutton	(2:55)
Chromatic Rag		Ralph Sutton	(2:52)
Grace and Beauty	James Scott	Ralph Sutton	(3:10)
The Cascades	Scott Joplin	Ralph Sutton	(2:47)
Black and White Rag	George Botsford	Ralph Sutton	(2:49)
Three Little Words	Harry Ruby, Bert Kalmar	Ralph Sutton	(2:34)
No Local Stops		Ralph Sutton	(2:32)
Oh Baby	Walter Donaldson	Ralph Sutton	(2:17)
Concentrating		Ralph Sutton	(1:50)
Drop Me Off in Harlem	Duke Ellington	Ralph Sutton	(2:15)
Morning Air		Ralph Sutton	(2:17)
Blues for Chuck	Ralph Sutton	Ralph Sutton	(3:02)
African Ripples		Ralph Sutton	(2:41)

Credits

Ralph Sutton (Piano), William Van Ree (Digital Transfers), Bill Airey Smith (Formatting), John Norris (Preparation), Bill Airey Smith (Design), Ralph Sutton (Soloist), Alan Bunting (Digital Transfers)