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Description: Pianist Erwin Helfer has been rattling floorboards in the Windy City for decades, playing a tangy mix of blues, boogie-woogie, big-band-era standards, and originals inspired by friends and pet dogs. True to form, I'm Not Hungry but I Like to Eat--Blues! finds Helfer attacking the keys with all the barroom bluster of a Chicago legend, covering songs by Jelly Roll Morton ("Sweet Substitute"), Percy Mayfield ("Please Send Me Someone to Love"), and Duke Ellington, along with some traditionals and a handful of Helfer originals. Tenor sax man John Brumbach adds ballast to four tracks, but this is Helfer's show. And while the opening salvo of "Swanee River Boogie" might suggest this is strictly an old-timers' set, Helfer's playful interpretations and skilled tinkling are bound to find favor with anyone who digs piano music.Tracks: 1. Swanee River Boogie 2. Please Send Me Someone To Love 3. Dirty Dozens 4. Sweet Substitute 5. The Shiek of Araby 6. Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans 7. Homage to Pete Johnson 8. Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out 9. See See Rider 10. In A Sentimental Mood 11. Stella 12. Pooch Piddle 13. I'm Not Hngry But I Like To Eat - Blues 14. After Hours 15. Day DreamingReviews: Top-notch, historically informed boogie-woogie playing is hard to come by these days, but pianist Helfer eloquently represents the genre on this generally ebullient recording. The unstoppable rhythmic momentum he gathers on Pete Johnson?s ?Swanee River Boogie? and the remarkable clarity he achieves on Rufus Perryman?s ?Dirty Dozens? represents boogie-woogie pianism at its most finely wrought. Even ardent fans of this music, however, need respite from its perpetually charging rhythms, which is why Helfer wisely inserts contrasting fare.Reviewed by: Howard Reich / Chicago Tribune arts critic Erwin Helfer has made it his life?s work (he?s 66 now) to play and preserve blues piano. Along the way he has taught countless pianists, given opportunities to dozens of singers, and provided work and camaraderie for many post-retirement musicians, most notably beloved singer Mama Yancey and oft-bemused brush master S.P. Leary. I?m Not Hungry, the second release from Steve Dolins? Sirens Records (following Heavy Timbre twenty-five years ago), captures pianist Helfer in an intimate solo performance, accompanied on four cuts by saxophonist John Brumbach, a frequent Helfer collaborator. The selections range from the rollicking bread-and-butter boogie of Albert Ammons? Swanee River, Speckled Red?s Dirty Dozens, and Helfer?s own Homage to Pete Johnson, to the wistful, elegant In A Sentimental Mood, Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans and Helfer?s Stella, a beautiful and memorable tribute to the late Estella ?Mama? Yancey. Helfer imprints each track with his warm personality and thoughtful approach to the music. Five of these are Helfer?s original compositions, including the title track, which honors Jimmy Yancey?s trailblazing influence on Chicago blues piano as well as on Helfer?s own style and career. Brumbach?s touches are near perfect as well, contributing swinging passages on Sheik of Araby, deft slides on Nobody Knows You When You Are Down and Out and sublimely restrained breathy melody lines on Sweet Substitute. This is a lovingly and intelligently produced recording the likes of which are rarely seen anymore and a potential back-door contender for some well deserved awards this year.? Outright Delicate, While Still Scintillating... Reviewed by: Justin O? Brien / Living Blues Erwin Helfer has been delivering his own brand of barrelhouse, boogie-woogie, blues piano for more than 40 years. Helfer works in Chicago and that is an appropriate venue to say the least since that city as much as any can lay claim to this unique form of piano jazz/blues. After all, two pioneers, Albert Ammons and Meade "Lux" Lewis were "discovered" by impresario John Hammond while they were driving taxis in the Windy City. Helfer has worked with the best blues artists the city has to offer including Willie Mabon, Cripple Clarence Lofton and Sunnyland Slim. This album also demonstrates that perhaps Helfer was somewhat more sophisticated than some of his fellow blues/boogie-woogie compatriots. On this album, he shows that this music need not be limited to its reputation as the loud stuff heard at rent parties. Helfer's playing is outright delicate, while still scintillating, on such tunes as "In a Sentimental Mood", replete with blooming cadenzas and arpeggios, and on his own "I'm Not Hungry But I Like to Eat - Blues". "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans" is a slowly played sentimental remembrance of all those images associated with the Crescent City. But Helfer also can boogie with the best of them. His "Dirty Dozens" is a toe tapping, shoulder and hip shaking four to the bar fun frolic. Helfer is joined on four tracks by John Brumbach and his sax including a mile a minute version of "The Sheik of Araby Reviewed by: David Nathan / www.allaboutjazz.com The esteemed boogie woogie and blues veteran, who hasn?t been captured on record nearly enough, delivers a glowing collection of solo performances and duets with saxophonist John Brumbach. Ranging far and wide ? the classics include Percy Mayfield?s ?Please Send Me Someone To Love? and Duke Ellington?s ?In A Sentimental Mood?, the Helfer originals ?Homage to Pete Johnson? and the memorably titled ?Pooch Piddle? ? the album luxuriates in tradition without giving an inch to it. Reviewed by: Lloyd Sachs, Entertainment Critic / Chicago Sun-Times For ages I?ve complained bitterly to anyone who would listen about the lack of available recordings by the wonderful Chicago piano legend, Erwin Helfer. Now I want to let you know about the release of a wonderful recording by him. This CD is called ?I?m Not Hungry But I Like To Eat ? Blues!? which is the title of one of Erwin?s five wonderful originals. Whenever I hear Erwin play his delightful composition Pooch Piddle, I think, for some reason, how nifty it would sound played by a Mariachi band. Another original Stella, which is a tribute to Estella ?Mama? Yancey, is a lovely duet with Saxophonist John Brumbach, whose soulful tender playing graces four tracks. Other than that the CD is ALL Mr. Helfer?s delightful piano. In addition to the originals, Erwin covers a variety of tunes. He starts with his take on the rollicking Pete Johnson classic Swanee River Boogie. He makes Percy Mayfield?s Please Send Me Someone to Love sound far more traditional than I could have imagined. Another high point for me is Erwin?s take on Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans. I never thought much about that tune ?till I heard the Helfer version. It?s so wistful. It feels like missing something lovely, lost and far away. I could go on and on. There are no duds here. There are fifteen numbers in all and each one is a gem. The recording quality is really excellent. The piano sound is very real. I know nothing about recording sound but I hear the clarity, warmth and depth and I love the way the empty spots ?sound? like in the tunes like Dirty Dozens and See See Rider which have lots of sonic space. I may not be expressing this real well but listen and you?ll see what I mean. I would highly recommend this CD to anyone who enjoys blues and/or traditional jazz piano, or anyone who doesn?t know they do. Reviewed by: Ann Rabson, Blues pianist and recording artist
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