Listeners anticipating a faithful recreation of
the famous Tin Pan Alley tunes of early twentieth-century New York should
be forewarned that the loose, theatrical narrative and recitations which
run through this seventy-seven minute recording frequently detract from
otherwise competent musical performances. Interpretations of music by such
varied and distinguished composers as Scott Joplin, Eubie Blake, Jerome
Kern, and Irving Berlin exist in spite of musical director Uri Caine's
relentless overdubs of bar room conversations and other extraneous sounds
which attempt, much too literally, to evoke the ambiance of a long-gone
era. While it's undeniable that some of the music represented in this collection
evolved in theater, a question reasonably arises as to whether a Music
Hall review format is the best vehicle for presenting a succession of distinct
musical styles. And as to whether Caine considered the degree to which
overdubbed dog barks tend to undercut Blake's wonderfully kinetic "Charleston
Rag" remains to be seen.
Caveat Emptor.
by James D. Armstrong, Jr.
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