A stalwart of the overlooked Cincinnati blues scene, boogie pianist Big Joe Duskin is one of the last of the old time piano men who unfortunately has recorded only sporadically. "Big Joe Jumps Again!" is a most welcome release capturing the 80 year old Duskin in vigorous form on a well crafted set of timeless blues.

Although he honored a promise to his preacher father that he would not play the "Devil's Music" until the old man died he probably didn't expect him to live to 105. It wasn’t until the early 1970s, when Steve Tracy, a young Cincinnati blues enthusiast (author of the excellent "Going to Cincinnati: A History of the Blues in the Queen City") showed up at his front door, that Duskin started playing again. With Tracy’s encouragement Duskin re-learned his old repertoire and became a popular draw at blues festivals and clubs. Duskin cut the stellar "Cincinnati Stomp" for Arhoolie in 1977 following that up with "Don't Mess With the Boogie Man" in 1988 and the live "Down the Road a Piece" in 1998. While Duskin may not rock the boogie quite like he used to, "Big Joe Jumps Again!" finds the blues elder statesmen in relaxed and commanding form as he reinterprets a number of blues classics.

"Big Joe Jumps Again!" is a thoughtful and well produced outing featuring a dream rhythm section. Drummer Phillip Paul was the the main session drummer at the Cincinnati based King label and whose discography includes Wynonie Harris’ "Good Rocking Tonight," Little Willie John’s "Fever," Hank Ballard’s "The Twist," Bill Doggett’s "Honky Tonk," Freddie King’s "Hide Away" and many others. Bassist Ed Conley was on many of the same King sessions. Also on board are guest guitarist Peter Frampton on two numbers plus guitarist and co-producer William Lee Ellis, who plays National steel guitar and issued a strong album himself on Yellow Dog last year. Still, this is Duskin's record all the way and his rich, expressive vocals are filled with shade and color while his sparse and his gently swinging piano playing conjures up the ghosts of Jimmy Yancey and Albert Ammons. The forceful opener "You're Gonna Miss Me" sounds like it starts in mid-song, rocking along propulsively before ending too abruptly although we do get a longer part 2. After that teaser Duskin digs into a vintage set list including a pair of Roosevelt Sykes tunes, the no-nonsense "Get Out Of My Way" ("When I catch up with you this time darling/They gonna throw grave dirt in your face") and "Miss Ida B", the poignant but tough original "Mean & Strange" and breathes fresh life into chestnuts like "Everyday I Have The Blues" and "Key To The Highway." Duskin provides fine accompaniment to big voiced singer Shawna Snyder who lays down a fine version of Bessie Smith's exceedingly tough "Black Mountain Blues."

Duskin says in the liner notes that back in the early days "they had a piano in every house, every beer garden here. You could hear music all over Cincinnati back then." On "Big Joe Jumps Again!" Duskin gloriously evokes those early days of barrelhouse piano when men like Roosevelt Sykes, Peetie Wheatstraw and countless others kept the juke joints and taverns rocking.