Spencer Myer offers the first major recording of Bolcom rags since 1998, which features the first recordings ever of three rags. (Steinway & Sons)
This fantastic new release is pianist Spencer Myer’s debut album on the Steinway label. For this project, he has chosen a terrific collection of Rags by the eminent American composer William Bolcom. Featuring some of the newest Rags as well as classics, this album displays Bolcom’s ingenious approach to a favorite keyboard medium. This carefully selected collection of Rags includes three of Bolcom’s latest compositions: Estela: Rag Latino, Knockout: A Rag, and The Brooklyn Dodge. The Boston Globe lauded Spencer Meyer for “superb playing” and “poised, alert musicianship.” His orchestral, recital, and chamber music performances have been heard across the United States, Canada, Europe, Africa, and Asia.
"(Myer) plays Bolcom's miniature brainstorms with equal doses of sass and sweetness, giving full voice to the drama, poetry and humour that overflow from the page." — Gramophone
"Spencer Myer’s playing is truly outstanding; his dynamics, phrasing, and use of rubato are all well considered, and he’s sensitive to every compositional and structural detail. His tone is gloriously warm and burnished, and the acoustics flatter him with their evenness and clarity; the piano is represented perfectly. Get this one!" — The American Record Guide
"Myer's delightful takes on Bolcom's rags dispel any notion that the rag is a predictable but ultimately limited art form." — Stereophile
"...pianist Spencer Myer breathes stylish flair into sixteen of Bolcom’s rags. From the first track to the last, the pianist presents each work with the perfect combination of the cerebral and the heartfelt. The recording is a wonderful addition to the ragtime discography, and with Jed Distler’s informative liner notes, it’s also a great tribute to the composer." — Cleveland Classical Review
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Works on This Recording
1.
Ghost Rags (3) by William Bolcom
Written: 1970; USA
2.
Classic Rags (3) by William Bolcom
Written: 1967; USA
3.
Raggin' Rudi by William Bolcom
Written: 1974; USA
4.
Fields of Flowers by William Bolcom
Written: 1977; USA
5.
Epithalamium by William Bolcom
Written: 1993; USA
6.
The Garden of Eden by William Bolcom
Written: 1969; USA
7.
Knockout by William Bolcom
Performer: Spencer Myer (Piano)
8.
Estela "Rag Latino" by William Bolcom
Written: USA
9.
The Brooklyn Dodge (A James P. Johnson Stride) by William Bolcom
Written: USA