Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Bob Mamet: London House Blues

Bob Mamet: London House Blues

By Dan Bilawsky
July 11, 2014
View read count

Chicago's now defunct London House was one of the great jazz clubs from a bygone era. Stellar talents like pianist

Oscar Peterson

piano
1925 - 2007

" data-original-title="" title="">Oscar Peterson and vocalist

Sarah Vaughan

vocals
1924 - 1990

" data-original-title="" title="">Sarah Vaughan recorded live albums there, and most of jazz's legendary figures, from

Dave Brubeck

piano
1920 - 2012

" data-original-title="" title="">Dave Brubeck to

Bill Evans

piano
1929 - 1980

" data-original-title="" title="">Bill Evans to

Cannonball Adderley

saxophone
1928 - 1975

" data-original-title="" title="">Cannonball Adderley, passed through at one time or another. On his first release for the Blujazz imprint, Chicago-based pianist

" data-original-title="" title="">Bob Mamet tips his cap to this venue and the other clubs (i.e. Mr. Kelly's, Rick's Cafe Americain, etc.) that kept Chicago's jazz scene jumping in the mid-to-late(r) twentieth century.

London House Blues finds Mamet in fine form, working the trio format with some help from two of the Windy City's most dependable rhythm men—bassist

Larry Gray

bass, acoustic

" data-original-title="" title="">Larry Gray and drummer

Paul Wertico

drums
b.1953

" data-original-title="" title="">Paul Wertico. Together they dole out a program centered on classics that speaks with individuality yet doesn't try to reinvent the wheel. No too clever by half twists; no radically altered rewrites on standards; and no labyrinthine, unnecessary metric tricks to be found here. Mamet and his men just play the songs, shading the performances with a dose of their collective perspective. "Take The A Train," for one, retains its core principles but doesn't coast atop a plain old swing beat. "Over The Rainbow" serves as another good example; it's loyal unto itself without being weighed down by the played-out use of sentimentality that often comes hand-in-hand with the song.

The leader's belief in melodic clarity is clear at every turn, but he also sprinkles in reminders that he's not some cocktail pianist running through the oldies. A brief

Roger Kellaway

piano
b.1939

" data-original-title="" title="">Roger Kellaway-esque pianistic fill on "Someday My Prince Will Come" is but one example of his quickly passing powers of invention. His partners on this journey are equally impressive. Gray proves to be a strong support player, though it's his sawing arco work on "Take The A Train" and his show-stealing spot on Mamet's "Solstice" that prove to be his greatest contributions. And Wertico simply oozes musicality. He helps the group to slightly ratchet up the tempo after the head on the title track, expertly trades solos with Mamet, sets up some songs with classy and fitting drum introductions, and keeps things moving on a steady path.

In a mere forty minutes, London House Blues accomplishes what it sets out to do: it pays proper tribute to another time and place, highlighting the individual and collective skills of these three men in the process.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

London House Blues; Someday My Prince Will Come; Take The A Train; Over The Rainbow; Nardis; How My Heart Sings; Blue Bossa; Solstice.

Personnel

Bob Mamet

piano

Bob Mamet: piano; Larry Gray: bass; Paul Wertico.

Album information

Title: London House Blues | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: Blujazz Productions

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Jon Cowherd: Mercy
< Previous

The Rehumanization EP
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.