The Joy of Joplin in Bloomington, MN

This is an odd solo piano recital by
Marcus Roberts
that is sure to upset
ragtime
purists. Instead of really conveying "the joy of
Scott Joplin
,"
Roberts
merely uses some of the
composer's melodies as vehicles for his own improvising. The results are often quite jarring, as
feels free to change notes in the themes, alter the speeds, and just use chordal improvising. In addition to eight of
Joplin
's songs,
contributed eight of his own that mostly have little to do with the structure of
. Hearing his renditions of
"The Entertainer,"
"Maple Leaf Rag,"
and
"The Easy Winners"
is analogous to hearing a
classical
pianist "take off" on a
Beethoven
symphony, playing spontaneously whatever he thinks fits. This CD is therefore only for listeners with very selective tastes. ~ Scott Yanow