American Beauty: A Ragtime Bouquet
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Gary Smart reveals the diverse aspects of this quintessentially American music.

The collection of classic and original rags offered by Gary Smart on this recording celebrates the lyrical side of this quintessentially American music. The ragtime genre is diverse, more so than the casual listener might think. There is the folk rag tradition, the brilliant, aggressive Eastern rag tradition, and the many interesting takes on ragtime composition that span the entire twentieth century from Artie Mathews to Charles Ives to William Albright and beyond. But Scott Joplin's classical musicality remains the source of Smart's inspiration. Joplin's marriage of a singing African-American rhythmic polyphony with the harmonic and textural structures of the European classical tradition is dazzling in its effectiveness and Mozartian in its elegance.
Contents:
Joseph Lamb, composer
Ragtime Nightingale
Gary Smart, piano

Joseph Lamb, composer
American Beauty
Gary Smart, piano

Gary Smart, composer
Laramie Rag
Gary Smart, piano

Gary Smart, composer
Two Flowers Rag
Gary Smart, piano

Gary Smart, composer
Cracker Rag
Gary Smart, piano

Gary Smart, composer
Peanut Butter Rag
Gary Smart, piano

Gary Smart, composer
Soirées de Vienne (Ragtime rondo)
Gary Smart, piano

Gary Smart, composer
Harlequin Rag
Gary Smart, piano

Gary Smart, composer
Bell Rag
Gary Smart, piano

James Scott, composer
Grace and Beauty
Gary Smart, piano

Robert Hampton, composer
Cataract Rag
Gary Smart, piano

Scott Joplin, composer
Solace (A Mexican Serenade)
Gary Smart, piano


Scott Joplin, composer
Gladiolus Rag
Gary Smart, piano

Clarence Woods, composer
Sleepy Hollow Rag
Gary Smart, piano

Review:
"...let me say that Smart plays these rags with close attention to the scores, not least Joplin's own imperative instruction not to play his rags too fast. Hurray for that. ...Worth a listen, for sure." (Scott Morrison)
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