Dick Hyman & John Sheridan - Forgotten Dreams: Archives of Novelty Piano (1920's-1930's) (2001)

Nostalgia is a key ingredient in this twin piano session pairing Dick Hyman and John Sheridan, performing popular novelty tunes of the 1920s and 1930s. This genre of music was so named because of the little flourishes added by their composers to bring attention to them, which of course they did. The best known works on this CD are by Willie "the Lion" Smith ("Echo of Spring" and "Morning Air") or Bix Beiderbecke ("In the Dark"), along with works by Rube Bloom, Zez Confrey (with his huge hit "Nickel in the Slot"), and Bob Zurke (known for his work with Bob Crosby) Relatively few (if any) pianists have tackled these tricky pieces in a duo setting, though Hyman and his protégé Sheridan complement one another's playing extremely well throughout the date. They add their own personal touches to these tunes, while keeping them from wandering too far from their roots. Primarily of interest to fans of stride, classic jazz, and early swing, this memorable release should still appeal to all fans of jazz piano.