In the brief notes to this collection, Bill Mays explains that over decades of working with many of our prominent singers, he himself has occasionally taken to vocalizing. Anyone who knows anything about jazz pianists is aware that Bill Mays is one of the most versatile and constantly brilliant pianists over a long period of time. Here he accompanies himself on a gathering of songs he has sung at various concerts. From Dave Frishberg's clever “Do You Miss New York” to Irving Berlin's “I Love A Piano”, Mays has a ball with both original lyrics and some additional ones that he contributed. Other tunes include a reimagining of “Have You Met Miss Jones” which becomes “Have You Heard Hank Jones”, “I'm Always Drunk In San Francisco” (check out the last line), the very funny “April In Fairbanks”, plus much loved standards like “Get Out Of Town”, “'Tis Autumn”, and “Let's Call The Whole Thing Off” among others. It was finally time for Bill Mays to do this album and he has done it with charm, humor, and Mays-like creativity.
No Blooze Music Productions; 2024; times not indicated