Merlin Roxby (piano)
Because of my appreciation of the musical assessment skills of Russell, one of BSH’s expert and indefatigable reviewers, I know that when he says there is a musician or band worth checking out then that’s a sure fire tip. He particularly has the ability to sniff out quality new and young musicians whether they are busking on the street, taking a back seat role in a jam session or playing to ‘select audiences’ (sic) in a small bar. So when he started to mention a young piano player who has a residency at the Prohibition Bar in Pink Lane and that he specialised in ragtime and stride piano styles (some of my long time favourite piano music) then I knew I had to go and have a listen.
I got into stride
and boogie woogie piano playing as a teenager because there was a local pianist
who was a great fan of Meade Lux Lewis and Albert Ammons as well as James P
Johnson and Fats Waller. I managed to persuade a schoolmate whose father had some
of the original 78s to lend them to me. I must admit I was slow giving them
back and happened to leave school with them.
Around Central Station and its environs is not an area I frequent a great deal, particularly at night, so I hadn’t actually been in the Prohibition Bar since it became itself after taking over from the Jazz Café. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I entered the Bar - a louche 1920s' vibe maybe?
To my eyes the
inside hadn’t changed very much
from Jazz Café days except the large wooden bar counter which always seemed to
me to take up far too much of the room has been replaced by a much smaller
version tucked away at one side. But as there is now a stage at the back there seems to be no
more space for customers than there was before. However, space for customers
was not a particular problem on this night and a few of those that were there
might possibly have qualified as louche but in a 2020s rather than 1920s way.
I don’t know what the opposite of louche is but looking at the piano player he might have been getting pretty close to it. ‘A nice, serious young man’ my mother would have said as Mr Roxby was completely focused on the piano and the tune he was playing. The film ‘The Sting’ had introduced me to Scott Joplin’s music via the playing of Joshua Rifkin and that encouraged me to go to the musical source. Here was someone playing Maple Leaf Rag, The Entertainer and maybe a few more Joplin tunes expertly and authentically. Then some stride pieces and others that I couldn’t place stylistically but were of the appropriate genre (although I did recognise the theme from ‘Top Cat’). Also it sounded to me as if a fine boogie woogie piece slipped into the second set.
Roxby’s performance style is rather unusual in that he plays tune after tune without introductions or comment. He quickly flicks through a voluminous file of music sheets in front of him picking out his next piece and begins playing without further ado. I have to say I like this. It makes a change from numerous performers (of all kinds) at Sage Gateshead who ramble on and inevitably say at some point "It’s great to be in Newcastle".
To my ears Roxby is a fine piano player who has dedicated himself to playing the music of the 1920s and 30s as authentically as possible and is doing it very well (without confining himself to that). Where else could one hear this music on a regular basis? And it is worth hearing.
A name to conjure
with, maybe, but certainly a piano player to check out and listen to.
Also a tip of my fedora to Prohibition Bar for giving him the opportunity to play on a regular basis. JC
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