Lipskin, Mike / Willie The Lion Smith
California Here I Come
Rare & Collectible Vinyl Records

Sealed 1971 Gatefold Original. Willie “The Lion” Smith Was A Legend Among The Harlem Stride Pianists. On This LP He Shares A Few Pointers With Protégé Mike Lipskin. The Title Track Is At First Dominated By Their Conversation Over The Music, But Their Romping Duo Rendition Simulates What An Old-Fashioned Cutting Contest Might Have Sounded Like. Their Duets Of "Carolina Shout" And "The Sheik Of Araby" Are Equally Enjoyable. Both Pianists Are Represented On Solo Tracks And Lipskin Fronts A Quartet With Underrated Clarinetist Stan Monteiro, Electric Bassist Chuck Rainey, And The Surprising Inclusion Of Drummer Elvin Jones, Who Plays A Duo On Brushes With Lipskin On "Snowy Mornin' Blues." Unreleased On CD. Recommended.