Flip flop and fly (Big Joe Turner) (LP 4745)

Big Joe Turner Roll 'Em Pete (CD, MCPS Records, 2007) ****  

Genre: Pop 

Places I remember: The Warehouse

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Roll 'Em Pete

Gear costume: Flip Flop and Fly

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7; Part 8

Active compensatory factors: Roll 'Em Pete is an amazing piece of music. Pete Johnson is an incredibly gifted boogie woogie piano player and when that is joined with Big Joe Turner's blues shouter delivery, it makes for a spine-tingling moment.

According to Paul Oliver, Roll 'Em Pete "features spectacular piano playing by Johnson and a forceful vocal by Turner in the style he made famous - half-shouted and with repetitive phrases building up tension at the close." Bravo!

Roll 'Em Pete is the first of 14 songs on this compilation. There are stacks of budget compilations out there with varying degrees of quality. Given that these songs appeared originally on 78s that's not surprising, I guess. This album is a cut above others I've had over the years.

Where do they all belong? There is only one Big Joe Turner and every home should have one album by him. I'd warmly recommend this one.