Mitch Woods has long been acknowledged as one of the preeminent boogie-woogie pianists working today, as well as a master of pre-rock R&B. Most of his recordings over a three-decade career have been tributes to such influences as Louis Jordan and Cab Calloway, but his affinities go beyond swing and jump blues. Woods worships at the altar of New Orleans piano blues and R&B, and two of his last three albums have been finely detailed encomiums to two of the professors of New Orleans piano history.
On the CD/DVD project Big Easy Boogie (2006), Woods assembled an all-star lineup of New Orleans R&B legends associated with Fats Domino, including Earl Palmer, Dave Bartholomew and Herb Hardesty. The record was an important document of a dying institution, inspiring Woods to make a follow up New Orleans tribute record, Gumbo Blues.
This time, Woods pays tribute to Smiley Lewis, a great choice because the Lewis catalog is a treasure trove of timeless material. Hardestyreturns, joining Amadee Castanell and Brian “Breeze” Cayolle on the tough-as-nails triple saxophone front line. John Fohl drives the unit on guitar while the rhythm section of bassist Cornell Williams and drummer Eric Bolivar lay down a solid groove for Woods’ rollicking piano work. But these are not just Smiley Lewis covers. Woods brings his personality to the material, playing some of the best articulated piano rolls and trills of his career and delivering what is hands down his best vocal performance.
The real tribute here is to Dave Bartholomew, who wrote all but three of the album’s 12 songs, including the title track, the sultry “Ooh La La,” the glorious triplet-based “Caledonia’s Party” and the slow blues “Too Many Drivers.” “I Hear You Knockin’” is the only song that sounds like it was included for familiarity’s sake. The three non-Bartholomew tunes—”Big Mamou,” “Lil’ Liza Jane” and “Shame, Shame, Shame”—need no explication. Not a note is wasted on the sprightly set, which dispatches a dozen chestnuts in under 33 minutes, the perfect pace for this material.
