Erwin Helfer And The Chicago Boogie Ensemble – Celebrate The Journey – The Sirens Records SR-5028 

The Sirens Records, the legendary Chicago blues, boogie woogie, jazz, and gospel music label, has at its core the mission to preserve the above-mentioned vital musical art forms, and its founder, Steven Dolins, is to be highly commended for his unyielding devotion to these genres.

Erwin Helfer remains a revered Chicago boogie woogie and blues piano expert whose personal style seems infused with so many more elements than merely the two just mentioned.  In Helfer, the listener can detect elements of Jimmy Yancey and Albert Ammons, yet those comparisons are extremely too narrow in scope.  Helfer’s influences also include stride music, a piano style that has its origins in jazz, plus New Orleans piano influences, pop standards, swing, and effectively every form of music supposable.

Helfer’s performance and recording history includes times with boogie woogie pianist Cripple Clarence Lofton, Chicago vocalist Estelle Yancey, Chicago blues patriarch Sunnyland Slim, the great blues piano giant and vocalist Blind John Davis, piano titan Speckled Red (he of “The Dirty Dozens” fame), Chicago piano master Jimmy Walker, the original rambling bluesman Big Joe Williams, this reviewer’s departed friend and Chicago blues keyboard master Barrelhouse Chuck, and blues slide guitar artist Homesick James, among others. 

The fascinating aspect about Helfer’s piano genius is that he appears to bring to bear all of his collective influences upon whatever artistic endeavor he is contributing to; simply, his brand of music is incessantly comfortable, excellently polished, and framed in a shameless affection and commitment to whatever style he is recording and performing.  In short, Helfer retains high respect for the legacy of whatever genre is his inspiration, and also for those musicians who came before him that shaped and fostered it. 

And Helfer again brings his muses en masse for the influences behind this superb recording.

Celebrate The Journey is the product of recording dates in February and March, 2020 when The Sirens Records surrounded Helfer with certain of his dearest acquaintances to participate in a jam session.  But these friends were not haphazardly selected for participation; no, each had had forged musical union with Helfer.  Helfer’s blues and jazz jaunts take on an elevated fineness here, as tenor sax men John Brumbach and Skinny Williams, bassist Lou Marini, and percussionist Davide Ilardi display their individual and collective high approbation for not only Helfer’s vast talents, but for Helfer the man.  It comes through on each selection.  It is undeniable.

The blues and jazz junkets fashioned are deeply felt, emotionally stir, bring joy, and relax with their authenticity.  There is no denying that the recording sessions must have been jubilant occasions.  The music here, its elation, its reflectiveness, its amity, its nuance, and its deference are witness to Helfer’s and his associate’s exceptional enthusiasm for the art forms they envision and nobly deliver.

Simply, this is awe-inspiring music from a mater Chicago piano legend and his trusted collaborators.

Often it is asked, “Who is playing genuine Chicago blues and jazz piano anymore?”  86-year-old Erwin Helfer is, that’s who.  When Barrelhouse Chuck passed in 2016, many hearts sank, not only for loss of the great man’s buoyant spirit, but for the fact, too, that along with Helfer, he was one of the last Chicago keyboard geniuses still standing.  Now the burden to carry the music of Chicago blues piano forward is exclusively Helfer’s. 

Helfer still performs, and should you have the opportunity, appeal to your best senses to enjoy time with him and his vast dexterities.  Helfer is an American musical jewel.

Highly-recommended!