In the enclosed liner notes, the pianist states, “…let’s make it clear: I’m not a professional pianist. And I never even wished to become one. It seems to be a high-stress, low-pay, only moderately fun profession. But…it fits me perfectly as a hobby.”

Let’s make it clear: this pianist is no dilettante. And he has no need to apologize (neither publicly nor otherwise) for his playing. In fact, after listening to this new album a few times, I would posit the opinion that, while there are no Lisztian pyrotechnics to be heard on this album, the overall musicality / expressiveness is exceptional. Not only that, but in my opinion, Mr. Szabó’s playing deserves to be placed in the same category as that of the semi-mythic Bob Wright (whose ragtime recordings are currently only available on bootleg and bootleg-quality recordings from decades gone by). But unlike Bob Wright, Szabó’s focus in this album is recently composed rags which are meaningful to him.

In addition, the overall technical quality of the recording is excellent, and the Yamaha CF6 piano has a great, professional sound (parenthetically it was recorded in Taipei, Taiwan, in the Platinum Studio, of which I had never heard). If only Bob Wright had had such an excellent recording venue and sympathetic producer.

I am now going to share a few of my observations regarding several of the tracks which I prefer.

Northern Lights Rag (by Max Keenlyside) – in a major key – is probably my favourite on this album. The first two strains are somewhat reminiscent of “folk ragtime,” but with unusual harmonies or passing tones, often at the end of cadences. And while I’m not a big fan of musicians playing repeated sections in ragtime, it is done tastefully here (e.g., in the second repeat of the first section, one can hear broken octaves in the bass but going in a downward direction). The third section (which the pianist clearly announces through a very effective pause) turns out to have unexpected tango rhythms, as well as harmonies not unlike those of some of William Bolcom’s rags. As one might find in a classically trained pianist, Szabó puts rhythmic emphasis on the unusual endings which makes this both a masterful work and a delightful performance. And the whole work ends with a charming and partially disguised plagal cadence.

Theresa Novelette (by Martin Spitznagel) also in a major key, may very well be a pastiche of Felix Arndt, but in my opinion, the quality of Spitznagel’s work surpasses that of Arndt’s through its use of unusual chromaticism, tenths in the bass, and unexpected silences. And when we aren’t expecting it, we hear inner voices in the bass, not unlike the work of Robin Frost (such as Fingers On Holiday). Spitznagel doesn’t vary the triplets in the right hand very much, but the use of extreme registers and unusual harmonies more than makes up for it. And the third section is a burst of barely syncopated sunshine which completely takes the listener by surprise.

These next two works are in minor keys. Ragged (by Pribelszky Máté) – which inspired the title of this album – was apparently never finished, but the two minutes which does exist is delightful to listen to. Its unusual use of lower registers and syncopes are matched by the melody which flows both up and down to great effect. And while some rhythms may be repeated, they are made interesting by the walking bass and unusual harmonies. It is too bad that this work was never completed.

Ghost Pepper Rag (also by Pribelszky Máté but apparently completed by Pjotr Kolster) uses rhythms, strange dissonances in the melody, and walking bass variants which one might recognize from the Stride piano repertoire, but it has a sound which is different from any other rag that I’ve heard. A “three over four” rhythmic pattern is used in the second section which constantly changes harmonically, and then moves seamlessly back into the first section. The third section (presumably by Kolster) uses chromatic dissonances and “stop-time” ideas to great effect. The final section has a declamatory and intriguing melody with lots of syncopes in connecting bars. The whole work ends with a gesture similar to that of Bolcom’s Poltergeist. I think that this is outstanding work from both a compositional and performance perspective.

I’m sure you’ll find yourself tapping your foot in time to many of these works, as I did. Mr. Szabó writes about each of the works in his liner notes, and their individual meaning to him. But for me, the real discovery is in both the playing and the compositions. This is probably the most interesting piano ragtime album I have heard in a long time – highly unusual recent ragtime repertoire from a mostly European perspective throughout. And producer Bryan Wright has once again done an exemplary job of bringing together all the disparate elements to produce an exceptionally memorable product indeed.

What a great collection of music. With extensive notes, this is a treasure.

A wonderful collection of piano rags and a welcome discovery of a talented composer!

Historic!

perfect piece of history thank you

Read about this recording in Our State magazine. Ordered 2 albums one for each of my children who are avid vinyl collectors. Was very impressed with service from Rivermont Records--not only in the ordering process but with the price also. Highly recommend.

Excellent work! We are very impressed with the recording & informative booklet. High quality historical work! Well done!

Clear communication from Rivermont Records when delivery was delayed. High quality records.

Great Nighthawks album in MP3 format!

Great music and fast delivery simply the best

I procrastinated on buying this for a long time. Who knows why. This is an excellent recording all around. If this music from the period you enjoy, just buy it. I hope at some point to find some Ambrose and his Orchestra. Who's Been Polishing the Sun is a favourite of mine. I I've been working to restore a DUAL 1019 so I can listen to some of the NEW Rivermont 78 RPM records.

This is a wonderful collection of recordings from the FIRST Big Bang of Country Music. Great tracks and restored! FABULOUS liner notes. A must for every enthusiast of traditional music or Appalachian Culture.

It's nice to see that somebody's actually doing some modern 78 RPM records. The stereo sounded great.

Loved it!

Excellent with different tunes and tempos-you should record more often