James Scott: The Complete Works 1903-1922
Ragtime has its loyal fans but doesn't get much attention from most modern listeners. It's often thought of as the generic saloon music you hear in Westerns and other period movies. But ragtime was one of the building blocks of early jazz, and the form is far from artless. Composer, arranger, and pianist James Scott was born in 1885 in southwestern Missouri, a ragtime hotbed. This beautifully packaged, finely annotated double CD traces Scott's development as a composer of piano rags. The earliest pieces, "A Summer Breeze" and "The Fascinator," date from 1903 and show the influence of ragtime legendScott Joplinon the then-18-year-old Scott. Just six years later, Scott wrote "Grace and Beauty," an elegant piece that demonstrates the young composer's strong command of structure. Later pieces show Scott subtly expanding the form. "Rag Sentimental" strikes the ear with its minor key sonorities, while the quirky "Pegasus" should do much to dispel the uninformed notion that all rags sound alike. Throughout the album, Dutch-born pianist Guido Nielsen brings his virtuoso talents to this jaunty and physically demanding music.The Complete Worksis a must for ragtime collectors and an eye-opener for all kinds of music lovers.--Fred Cisterna