April 1997

Aaron Moore
Hello World
Delmark Records

By Bill Milkowski

Rowdy barrelhouse pianist Aaron Moore is carrying on in the effervescent style of such pioneering piano pounders as Roosevelt Sykes and Memphis Slim. On his debut as a leader, Hello World (Delmark DE-695; 69:52), the longtime sideman to such Chicago blues heavyweights as Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter and Hound Dog Taylor offers up infectious shuffles, slow blues and boogie woogies in a straightforward, no-frills manner. Guitarist James Wheeler provides some crisp, tasty accompaniment throughout and is backed by the bare-bones rhythm section of drummer Robert 'Huckleberry Hound' Wright and bassist Willie Black. There's a sameness to the program here but blues fans who appreciate authentic Chicago-by-way-of-Mississippi piano playing would be well advised to pick up on this rootsy disc.