Lawrence Sieberth, New New Orleans (Musikbloc)

sept 09 reviews sieberth nnoLarry Sieberth has been an ace sideman on the local modern jazz scene for decades, rarely drawing attention to himself despite consistently tasty work. In recent years he’s been plumbing traditional jazz waters, most notably with banjoist Don Vappie, and now we have this album of traditional solo piano. All cuts here are from the trad jazz canon save the James Booker-affiliated “Keep on Gwine” and Professor Longhair’s “Bald Head.” Booker is the main stylistic influence, with more modern touches appearing only here and there on the intros. All in all, this is a very suave affair, and whets the appetite for more Sieberth piano work. In the meantime, check out his playing on the Booker tribute on STR from a few years ago, Patchworks—a pair of rambunctious duets with Leigh Harris that are among the finest tracks she ever recorded.