Jazz Views - December 2005

Hot Piano! Ragtime, Blues, Jazz, Classical

Anyone who knows me knows I am not too crazy about solo piano so they hand me a CD of 77 minutes of same to review but, shock, horror! it’s a delight. This is a nicely varied programme and well-played by Mark Birnbaum who is a new name to me but I will look out for him in future.

There are two compositions of Scott Joplin, namely ‘Scott Joplin’s New Rag’ and ‘Solace’ which is just about my favourite Joplin piece and is played here with proper love and respect by Mr Birnbaum. No solo piano album would be complete without something by Jelly Roll