Miss Maybell (AKA Lauren Sansaricq) has pursued an old timey musical bug for years but matched with virtuoso pianist Charlie Judkins she has found something truly special. His playing paired with her startling voice and studied articulation of the pre 1920 material they uncover together is truly unique. They are friendly with others in the small cohort of young but very serious researcher/musicians exploring the compositions of the ragtime era, but no one else performs the material with such natural ease or authenticity. Neal Siegal profiled the pair last February, and I encourage you to read that article to explore their backgrounds.
I first heard them on a small release of duo recordings with Miss Maybell accompanying Judkins’ piano with light rhythm on washboard. That piano plus rhythm pairing is perhaps my favorite instrumental combo and the album itself had me excitedly emailing ragtime festivals on their behalf. They held numerous enjoyable YouTube performances during the lockdown season, sometimes more recently adding another musician or two. While I am enamored of the pair as a simple duo they are more likely to appear in public with an accompanying band, in the format you will hear on this album. That fuller jazz band sound is more appropriate for the New York night spots they play where the crowd needs to be overcome and drawn into the performance.
Their new album op
