Ravenna [Import]

If you like Scott Joplin, you'll love this collection of rag-like piano pieces. My favorite is North Star.

This is a solid CD which I thoroughly enjoyed from the very first listen. If you enjoy playing or listening to Ragtime, then yes, you will enjoy this CD. However, this is not a true Ragtime CD. Referencing Kirby's liner notes directly from this cd:

"A NOTE ABOUT TERRA VERDE

...it would be misleading to identify this recording as Ragtime of any type. A Number of composers with strong ties to Ragtime are fusing romantic elements with various New World ethnic styles (such as tango, merengue, traditional jazz, country, etc.) and creating works some of which fall outside the so-called "boundaries" of Ragtime. This body of composition is becoming known as "Terre Verde", a loose descriptive term which serves as an umbrella for New Ragtime, Latin-American-related forms, and other syncopated hybrids that grow from the fertile soil of American "folk" musics.

The nine selections on this recording may benefit from an association with the more inclusive concept of Terre Verde, both for reasons of identification and understanding. Since Terra Verde is not a definition, but rather a description, it offers an identifiabe grouping of works, while at the same time leaving room for the inclusion of musical ingredients which may exclude this music from the tradidional scope of Ragtime."

One last item to share with those thinking about purchasing this CD. Listening to the 30 second clips just doesn't do the CD justice at all! For what it's worth, it really doesn't give you a feel for the true beauty of the pieces. So if you're thinking about getthing this CD, don't wait, grab it for yourself now. YOU WON'T REGRET IT!