For this solo piano set, the great veteran Art Hodes pays tribute to Bessie Smith and (to a lesser extent) Ma Rainey by performing music that they recorded in the 1920s. Although the emphasis is on slower blues, he also romps on "Alexander's Ragtime Band," "At a Georgia Camp Meeting" and a memorable version of "Cakewalkin' Babies From Home." Virtually every Art Hodes album is well worth picking up by collectors of pre-bop and blues; this increasingly hard-to-find LP is no exception. ~ Scott Yanow
