Plays Fats Waller

Dick Hyman is the rarest of repertory artists, combining exceptional technique and musical taste with a keen sensitivity to the nuances of the music he's playing. Rather than simply try to re-create the music, Hyman immerses himself in it to such a degree that it becomes his own. That involvement is apparent here, in this highly personal homage to Fats Waller, who was both a superb songwriter and a great jazz pianist. Hyman provides warmly lyrical versions of the best-known songs, like "Ain't Misbehavin'" and "Honeysuckle Rose," and virtuosic treatments of the pieces on which Waller developed the art of stride, imbuing them all with his own distinct personality. Like all of Hyman's Reference recordings, this is superbly recorded, with brilliant fidelity and presence. --Stuart Broomer