Phineas Newborn, Jr - World of Piano! CD

 KILLER STUFF!!!!
I remember when I heard this AMAZING record for the 1st time....it's really groundbreaking STUFF! Phineas with 2 great rhythm teams,it's HEAVY STUFF guys! SAM JONES!!!! PHILLY JOE JONES!!!! LOUIS HAYES!!!! Mr.P.C.!!!! PHINEAS NEWBORN jr.!!!! 5 million stars is not enough for this BEAUTIFUL record!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Submitted by najponk (prague)
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 "Phineas Newborn, Jr. is the greatest living jazz pianist."
that's what leonard feather wrote in the early 60s after phineas's album, "the Great Jazz Piano of Phineas Newborn, Jr" came out. Phineas died in 1989 in Memphis TN. We called him as he called himself: "Finas" pronounced "Fine-us." There are two Phineas's on record. The change comes after 1969 when he recorded "Please Send Me Someone To Love" for Contemporary. So from 1956 to 1969, the recorded Phineas is the monster chops man, technique and speed to equal Art Tatum. Then after that his touch changes significantly. Gone are the facile chops, the glib fast as lightning phrases and dashing passages. He slows down. Digs deeper. Playing is rougher. Yet the feeling is greater. The metronome is no longer clicking now. He plays by the metronome of his heart and soul. And is often profound. His most profound piece is "The Midnight Sun Will Never Set" on his 1975 solo piano album. I will say one other thing I would say only to other musicians and experienced listeners of jazz. And that is this. There is more to Phineas's playing than to Oscar Peterson's or Art Tatum's. That are both great geniuses of the keyboard. Oscar has recorded too much. Of the same cloth. Tatum is superb. But whatever he plays, he rounds up the usual argeggios and off he goes. Not so with Phineas. He told me once that behind each album there is a different concept. In general, he has more concepts and more interesting ones than Oscar or Art. And in a deeper sense, he can outplay both of them. Often ripping off a complex figure in contrary motion seemingly off the top of his head. He was a short man with average length fingers but he was the little giant at the piano bench. And as Harold Mabern said, "Finas did more with 10 fingers than most of us could with 40." May his grand soul rest in piece. He was a genius. And he was also a compassionate and humble man. Thank God I had the opportunity to know him and his family well. After his death I wrote a piece, "Finas His Highness" which Calvin Newborn his brother and jazz guitarist recorded. Mark Cianciolo
Submitted by cianma (Nashville, TN)
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