TWO PAIRS OF LOCKED HANDS

André Persiany - Milt Buckner

Requiem Pour Un Chat

LP LIFDIS / Le Chant Du Monde ‎– A.J 1010 - France, 1973

The locked hands technique developed by Milt Buckner might not be everyone's idea of jazz piano. Some people - starting with my good friend Paul D. - do not like it.  I do and I have always considered this album a must for fans of « old style » piano : stride, blues, swing and boogie woogie.  The first track “Requiem pour un Chat” is a terrific piano blues duet. I just love hearing Milt's grunts as he gets deep in the groove.  The whole album is pretty good and has been a favorite for over thirty years.

Milton Brent "Milt" Buckner (10 July 1915 – 27 July 1977) was an American jazz pianist and organist, originally from St. Louis, Missouri. He was orphaned as a child, but an uncle in Detroit (trombone player John Tobias) taught him to play. Buckner pioneered the parallel chords style which influenced Red Garland, George Shearing, Bill Evans, and Oscar Peterson.

He first played in Detroit with the McKinney Cotton Pickers and then with Cab Calloway. In 1941 he joined Lionel Hampton's big band, and for the next seven years served as its pianist and staff arranger. He led a short-lived big band of his own for two years, but then returned to Hampton's in 1950. In 1952 he formed his own trio, concentrating on the Hammond organ. He often played in Europe in the late 60's and recorded prolifically for European labels such as Saba, MPS and Black & Blue.

Buckner pioneered the use of the electric organ. He died in Chicago, Illinois, at the age of sixty-two.

Buckner's brother, Ted Buckner, was a noted jazz saxophonist.

André Persiany was born André Paul Stephane Persiani in Paris on November 19, 1927.  He was a versatile bebop accompanist who led his own groups from 1946 on. Influenced by Milt Buckner, Persiany played in the pianist/organist's familiar locked-hands style. He recorded in Paris with American expatriates like Sidney Bechet, Buck Clayton, Lionel Hampton, Bill Coleman and Mezz Mezzrow until 1956, when he came to America. Persiany spent most of the 1960s working in trumpeter Jonah Jones' quartet.

Persiany's career hit a peak in the 1970s after he returned to France. His expat collaborations continued with Buckner, Cat Anderson, Arnett Cobb, Buckner, Charlie Shavers and Budd Johnson. Among Persiany's own recordings were Swinging Here and There (1958, Pathé), The Real Me (1970, Black & Blue) and Every Night at Furstemburg (1977, Open).

This LP was recorded on March 21,1973 at the Steinway Studio in Paris.

Tracklist

A1       Requiem Pour Un Chat           6:59

A2       Stinky                                     7:09

A3       La Très Jolie Gwendoline       6:37

B1       What A Mess For A Bass        7:15

B2       Tophie's Dream                       5:05

B3       Boogie-Woogie For Edith        4:15

B4       Slide, Jimmy Slide, Flash        1:30

Credits

Piano – André Persiany, Milt Buckner

Bass – Roland Lobligeois

Drums – Roger Paraboschi

Cover by Pierre Mas

With special thanks to Paul D. for the rip, especially considering that he is no fan of block chords / lock hands style.  Merci Paul pour ta patience.