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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
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