| Painted Rhythms: The Compleat Ran Blake, Volume 1 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Recording by | |
| Recorded | December 1985 |
| Venue | Houghton Chapel, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts; North Shore Music Theatre, Beverly, Massachusetts |
| Genre | Jazz |
| Label | GM |
| Producer | Gunther Schuller |
Painted Rhythms: The Compleat Ran Blake, Volume 1 is a solo piano album by Ran Blake. It was recorded in 1985 and released by GM Recordings.
The album of solo piano performances by Ran Blake was recorded in December 1985 at Houghton Chapel, Wellesley College, in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and at the North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, Massachusetts. [1] It was produced by Gunther Schuller. [1] The material is standards, except for Blake's "Impresario of Death". [2] Three interpretations of "Maple Leaf Rag" are presented; a fourth is on Painted Rhythms: The Compleat Ran Blake, Volume 2 . [2]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz | [3] |
Painted Rhythms: The Compleat Ran Blake, Volume 1 was released by GM Recordings. [3] The AllMusic reviewer concluded that it was "Highly recommended, as are most of Ran Blake's unique recordings." [2]
Ragtime, also spelled rag-time or rag time, is a musical style that had its peak from the 1890s to 1910s. Its cardinal trait is its syncopated or "ragged" rhythm. Ragtime was popularized during the early 20th century by composers such as Scott Joplin, James Scott and Joseph Lamb. Ragtime pieces are typically composed for and performed on piano, though the genre has been adapted for a variety of instruments and styles.
Scott Joplin was an African-American composer and pianist. Dubbed the "King of Ragtime", he composed more than 40 ragtime pieces, one ragtime ballet, and two operas. One of his first and most popular pieces, the "Maple Leaf Rag", became the genre's first and most influential hit, later being recognized as the quintessential rag.
The "Maple Leaf Rag" is an early ragtime musical composition for piano composed by Scott Joplin. It was one of Joplin's early works, and became the model for ragtime compositions by subsequent composers. It is one of the most famous of all ragtime pieces. As a result, Joplin became dubbed the "King of Ragtime" by his contemporaries. The piece gave Joplin a steady if unspectacular income for the rest of his life.
Solo Piano is a solo album recorded by jazz pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi in Tokyo in late March / early April 1971 and released in the United States on RCA Victor.
Richard “Dick” Zimmerman is a ragtime performer, historian, author and producer. He is regarded as being one of the key figures responsible for the worldwide revival of ragtime. Zimmerman is the first pianist to have recorded the complete works of Scott Joplin and in 1987 was awarded the first place prize “Champion Ragtime Performer of the World”. Zimmerman was technical advisor for the film Scott Joplin. He is a founder of the "Maple Leaf Club", and is the editor of its publication, "The Rag Times". Zimmerman is also a professional magician. He has contributed many signature illusions to the field of magic and has acted as consultant for such magicians as David Copperfield.
The "Swipesy Cakewalk" is a ragtime composition written in 1900 by a musical duo consisting of Scott Joplin, who composed the trio, and the young composer Arthur Marshall, who composed the rest of the piece. "Swipesy" uses the simple syncopations of a cakewalk - the first beat being a sixteenth, eighth, sixteenth note division, and the second beat an even eighth note division. The style follows the AA BB A CC DD musical form common for both cakewalks and rags, particularly after the earlier publication of Joplin's hit "Maple Leaf Rag". Only the C section, composed by Joplin, departs from the cakewalk rhythm and is more pure ragtime. The composition was written in the late 1890s when Joplin was living with the Marshall family, and was teaching Arthur, composition.
Sunday Street is an album by American folk and blues singer Dave Van Ronk, released in 1976.
"Bethena, A Concert Waltz" is a composition by Scott Joplin. It was the first Joplin work since his wife Freddie's death on September 10, 1904, of pneumonia, ten weeks after their wedding. At the time the composer had significant financial problems; the work did not sell successfully at the time of publication and was soon neglected and forgotten. It was rediscovered as a result of the Joplin revival in the 1970s and has received acclaim from Joplin's biographers and other critics. The piece combines two different styles of music, the classical waltz and the rag, and has been seen as demonstrating Joplin's excellence as a classical composer. The work has been described as "an enchantingly beautiful piece that is among the greatest of Ragtime Waltzes", a "masterpiece", and "Joplin's finest waltz".
Solo is an album by jazz pianist Oscar Peterson, recorded in concert in 1972 and released in 2002.
Clifford Brown with Strings is a 1955 studio album by trumpeter Clifford Brown.
Scott Joplin is a 1977 biographical film directed by Jeremy Kagan and based on the life of African-American composer and pianist Scott Joplin. It stars Billy Dee Williams and Clifton Davis. Its script won an award from the Writers Guild of America in 1979. The only other composers mentioned as worthy equals in the film are John Philip Sousa and Jelly Roll Morton. Eubie Blake makes an appearance in the movie.
The Song Book is an album by American jazz saxophonist Booker Ervin featuring performances recorded in 1964 for the Prestige label.
Piano Rags by Scott Joplin is an album by Joshua Rifkin, consisting of ragtime compositions by Scott Joplin, released on the Nonesuch Records label in 1970. The original album's spine and various compact disc reissues render the title as Scott Joplin: Piano Rags. The record is considered to have been the first to reintroduce Joplin's music in the early 1970s, initially gaining critical recognition and later commercial success after several of Joplin's compositions were featured in the 1973 film The Sting. It became Nonesuch Records' first million-selling album.
Short Life of Barbara Monk is an album by the American jazz pianist Ran Blake featuring saxophonist Ricky Ford recorded in 1986 and released on the Italian Soul Note label. The album's dedicatee (1953–84) died from cancer and was the daughter of the jazz pianist Thelonious Monk.
Epistrophy is an album of solo piano performances of material written by, or associated with, Thelonious Monk by the American jazz pianist Ran Blake recorded in 1991 and released on the Italian Soul Note label.
The Smithsonian Collection of Classic Jazz is a six-LP box set released in 1973 by the Smithsonian Institution. Compiled by jazz critic, scholar, and historian Martin Williams, the album included tracks from over a dozen record labels spanning several decades and genres of American jazz, from ragtime and big band to post-bop and free jazz.
This Is Hampton Hawes is an album by pianist Hampton Hawes recorded at sessions in 1955 and 1956 and released on the Contemporary label.
This Is Ragtime Now! is an album by American jazz pianist Hank Jones featuring interpretations ragtime tunes recorded in 1964 for the ABC-Paramount label.
Painted Rhythms: The Compleat Ran Blake, Volume 2 is a solo piano album by Ran Blake. It was recorded in 1985 and released by GM Recordings.