Best of Jimmy Yancey

AMG Review of Best of Jimmy Yancey

Steve Leggett
All Music Guide

Although he is not as well known as many of his contemporaries, several of which he actually influenced, Chicago oogie-woogie pianist Jimmy Yancey had a kind of refreshingly gentle tone in his playing that set him apart from most players who depended on speed and attack to win over audiences. Yancey worked most of his adult life as a groundskeeper at the Chicago White Sox's Comiskey Park, and never depended on his piano abilities to earn a living, which may account for his generally soothing sound, even on his more robust numbers, since he played more for joy than for rent money. This set features his wife, lues singer Estelle "Mama" Yancey, singing on a few tracks, and while Yancey's late-'30s and early-'40s material is probably the place to start, this makes a suitable second choice. Highlights include his signature tune, "Yancey Special," and a pair of Chicago-centric oogies, "South Side Stuff" and "White Sox Stomp."