Marcus Roberts - The Joy of Joplin ( AUDIO CD 11-03-1998 )

On this recording, the tradition-conscious pianist Marcus Roberts delivers a satisfying and surprisingly modern take on ragtime composer Scott Joplin's music. Instead of performing like a human piano roll, Roberts--who has already recorded tributes to piano greats Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, and Jelly Roll Morton--interweaves ragtime with a number of musical genres. With an agile right hand that never sacrifices form for the sake of fluff, and a strong left hand that emulates the low-frequency tuba-bass beats central to the ragtime style, Roberts brings out the best of Joplin's compositions, including the stride/boogie-woogie interpolations on "The Entertainer," the strolling rhythms of "Bethena's Waltz," and the habanera-Spanish tinges of "The Magnetic Rag." Roberts's own compositions in the ragtime idiom reveal his rare gift for emulation and innovation, as evidenced by his Chopinesque and impressionistic "Hidden Hues"; the cascading,Teddy Wilson-ish runs on "Play What's Written"; the supersonic, swinging pace of "From Rags to Rhythm"; and the stop-and-start melody of "After the Party Is Over."

CONDITION: NEW Drilled Case

TRACK LISTING

1 The Entertainer (Instrumental) 3:43
2 Maple Leaf Rag (Instrumental) 3:04
3 Everything's Cool (Instrumental) 3:11
4 Hidden Hues 2:28
5 From Rags to Riches (Instrumental) 3:15
6 The Easy Winners (Instrumental) 2:49
7 Bethena's Waltz (Instrumental) 4:36
8 Play What You Hear (Instrumental) 5:22
9 Play What's Written (Instrumental) 5:08
10 The Joy of Joplin (Instrumental) 2:56
11 The Magnetic Rag (Instrumental) 2:55
12 Elite Syncopation (Instrumental) 2:37
13 Before the Party Begins (Instrumental) 4:33
14 After the Party is Over (Instrumental) 3:46
15 Gladiolus Rag (Instrumental) 3:57
16 A Real Slow Drag (from Treemonisha) (Instrumental) 3:11