Cliff Jackson was one of the top stride pianists to emerge in the 1920s so this solo piano disc promises a great deal. But, although
Jackson plays these standards and stride classics well enough, his metronomic left hand gets a bit tiring after awhile. He keeps time so perfectly that
Jackson often fails to let much life and feeling into his improvisations. However, taken in small doses, these 15 performances (which include an unreleased version of "Squeeze Me" and three "new" alternate takes) do showcase his impressive talents during a period when he did not record very often. ~ Scott Yanow