Composer: William Bolcom
Performer: John Murphy
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Albany
Catalogue: TROY325/26
Release: 2000
Size: 372 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: cover
CD 01
01. Eubie’s Luckey Day
02. The Graceful Ghost Rag
03. The Poltergeist
04. Dream Shadows
05. Raggin’ Rudi
06. The Gardenia
07. Tabby Cat Walk
08. California Porcupine Rag
09. Rag Tango
10. Last Rag
CD 02
01. Knight Hubert
02. Glad Rag
03. Epitaph for Louis Chauvin
04. Incineratorag
05. Seabiscuits
06. Fields of Flowers
07. Old Adam
08. The Eternal Feminine
09. The Serpent’s Kiss
10. Through Eden’s Gates
11. Lost Lady Rag
12. Epithalamium
Few composers have been able to bridge the worlds of jazz and classical music as successfully as William Bolcom. Born in Seattle, Bolcom studied with Darius Milhaud at Mills College and the Paris Conservatoire. He was introduced to the music of the profoundly influential ragtime composer Scott Joplin in 1967. Since then Bolcom has been a tireless advocate for the music both as a composer and performer. This two disc set features Bolcom the ragtime composer with nearly two dozen rags for piano.
Pianist John Murphy first performed a Bolcom rag in recital in 1989, the location was Rustavelli Hall in Tbilisi, Georgia of the former Soviet Union. Murphy must have made quite an impression because he is a pianist of formidable skill. Many of Bolcom’s rags pay homage to the older generation of composer/performers, most notably “Eubie’s Lucky Day,” a tribute to the legendary Eubie Blake. Bolcom’s rags are filled with fiery energy and complex syncopation, a real treat for lovers of virtuoso piano music.