Jerry Lee Lewis doing a whole lotta shakin'

11/29/2006 5:28 AM, Reuters
Darryl Morden

Moseying out onstage Wednesday at Downtown Disney's House of Blues in Anaheim, Jerry Lee Lewis looked like, well, a slow-moving senior citizen. Then he took a seat behind the piano, his fingertips ran over the keys and he took charge with a singing voice that sounded at least a couple decades younger. The Killer had arrived.

The 71-year-old rock 'n' roll legend is enjoying a higher profile again thanks to his first album in more than a decade. On "Last Man Standing" (Artists First), he duets with such younger folks as Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Bruce Springsteen and John Fogerty, as well as peers including B.B. King, Willie Nelson and George Jones.

After a warm-up run of oldies in old-fashioned showbiz style from his backing group -- which included his longtime bandleader, singer-guitarist Ken Lovelace, and the co-producer of "Last Man Standing," guitarist Jimmy Ripp -- Lewis made his entrance and launched into a rousing version of Chuck Berry's "Roll Over Beethoven."

Appearing less frail and more robust than a few years back, his voice resonated with full-bodied swagger, and his hands were all over those 88s. Dressed in black, the jovial Lewis halted the proceedings when there was a sound problem and even joked about it, along with the foibles of age.

The 50-minute show touched on the new album just a bit, including the waltzing weary wisdom of "Couple More Years," the saloon blues of "Trouble in Mind" and another Berry tune, "Sweet Little Sixteen."

Several Killer classics such as "Breathless" and "High School Confidential" were missing in action as he instead took some country and slow-blues routes. But he also banged out swinging boogie-woogie in numbers like "Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee."

The final one-two punch of "Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On" and "Great Balls of Fire" found Lewis and the band cutting loose, and he even kicked over the piano bench at the end of the set, just like the old days. Earlier in the show, he had rolled out a lively rendition of Chuck Willis' "(I Don't Want To) Hang Up My Rock 'n' Roll Shoes," and one couldn't help but hope he doesn't even consider it, even in these sunset years.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter