Mark Naftalin
@ The Cedar Cultural Centre, December 19, 1997
The Cedar 12/19/97 Photo © 1997 by Steve Felling All rights reserved |
Naftalin takes a low key approach to his playing and has a delicate touch on the keyboards. He plays piano with a precision that is not real flashy but very expressive and articulate. His show was also well suited to the Cedar Cultural Centre which has an intimate smoke free atmosphere. The audience is real close to the performer, there is a very good sound system, and his performance was more like a concert than a bar room show. Although Mark's performance was not strictly blues he did draw upon a wealth of blues background and delivered two long sets that just flew by. In fact the entire evening went by very fast as we sat enthralled at many of his extended solos. As he introduced one of his songs he commented, with good nature, on a local article that said his playing tended to get a little "spacey" at times. He said "this next songs has parts that do get out there on the fringes a little." But that was all right. The audience didn't mind. It fit in well with the laid back spirit of his entire performance.
He played a variety of songs ranging from the blues, to country, to a little classical, to Cole Porter, to some faster paced boogie woogie. He talked about Jim Yancy, the father of Chicago boogie woogie piano during the 1930's and 40's, and how Yancy was the grounds keeper at the old Cominsky baseball park by day and the master of boogie woogie piano by night.
Photo © 1997 by Steve Felling All rights reserved |
During the second set Mark brought out local folk-blues legend Dave "Snaker" Ray . They have been friends since the 1960's and exchanged some good natured banter while on stage. One song they did together that was an especially appealing Solomon Burke R&B classic "Cry To Me." Their playing together was pretty much unrehearsed but was like two old friends who knew what the other was up to, and when the song called for it, were in good harmony. Mark closed out this enjoyable evening with the Floyd Cramer instrumental "Last Date" which is always a pleasure to listen to.
E-mail Ray Stiles at: mnblues@aol.com
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