New Orleans barrelhouse piano master Champion Jack Dupree (1909-1992) was one of the bona-fide champion of the blues, blessed with a full life, living and playing his music. This three disc one dvd box set from Storyville Records finds him in various concert settings during his tours of Europe in the 60s and 70s. Each disc is filled with thrilling and earthy sounds that can only be delivered by someone with dirt under his nails and who walks with a limp.
The first disc is a collection of Dupree by himself at the piano from recordings from 1959-62, and the intimacy is palpable. His catcher’s glove leathery hands caress the piano keys on pieces like “Gravier Street Rag” and “Midnight Hour Blues” with his fingers dancing on the keys like Bojangles. His voice is street corner street wise and can be down and homespun as on “In The Evening” or moaning like a field worker on “I Just Want To Be Free.” The second disc has him in various small group settings with the likes of Arne Bue’s band Papa Bue for some Crescent City sounds on “Careless Love” and “See See Rider” which has Dupree having fun with Finn Otto Hansen/tp and Arne Bue Jensen/tb.
A larger 1979 ensemble has him in a bluesy mood for “Unborn Child,” while a 1960 quartet with Hansen on the horn produces some casual and rich pices like “I Lost A Good Woman” and the storytelling “When I Left Home.” Even more stripped down is some tunes from 1962 featuring just Dupree with drummer Ole Christiansen/b and Alex Riel/dr for late night reflections on “Have You Ever Been Alone” and “Self Pity.”
A final cd has Dupree with the back porch guitar of Stuff lange for duets from 1961 for rural roads on “Automobile Blues” and “Cryin’ Woman Blues” and a trio collection with Mogens Seidelin/b and Ib Indschouw in the early 60s include a rollicking “Calcutta Blues.” The dvd includes moments from Dupree’s home in Germany, a Copenhagens studio and a Copenhagen bar, all making you feel like your sitting in on a relaxed, no frills evening of personal and blues to the marrow. Needless to say, no one plays or lives like this anymore. Essential echoes of an era and attitude.