Composer: James P. Johnson
Pianist: Dan Mouyard
Recording: August, 2004
Notes: In 1996, I heard Mike Montgomery play this piece at workshop he presented on old piano roll recordings. I fell in love with it and learned it in the summer of 1997. I started with the transcription by Riccardo Scivales in his book Harlem Stride Piano Solos, and eventually created my own arrangement.
Composer: Eubie Blake
Pianist: Dan Mouyard
Recording: June, 2005
Notes: I first heard Brian Holland play this piece in 1995 during his Semi-Final performance at the World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest. I originally learned this piece in 1997 from the folio Sincerely Eubie Blake by Terry Waldo. In 2003 I came up with a new stride influenced arrangement of this piece for the 2004 contest. This recording is from video footage taken during the 2005 Scott Joplin Festival by Rick Yarian.
Composer: Ted Fio Rito
Pianist: Dan Mouyard
Recording: June, 2005
Notes: This lovely tune came to me by way of John Farrell's MIDI Web site, where he posted his trascnription of Ralph Sutton's recording of this piece. I promptly bought the sheet music version of John's transcription and learned it for myself. This recording is from video footage taken during the 2005 Scott Joplin Festival by Rick Yarian.
Composer: Mark Janza (Al Marzian)
Pianist: Dan Mouyard
Recording: September, 2005
Notes: If you love the Lion Tamer Rag, you should probably thank Bill Edwards for its current popularity. He first performed this piece in 1987 at the World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest. Since then, it has become one of the most popular songs at the contest, where over 15 different pianists have performed it in competition.
Composer: James P. Johnson
Pianists: Dan Mouyard & Adam Yarian
Recording: July, 2006
Notes: I fell in love with this piece when I first heard the 1939 James P. Johnson recording and it remains one of my all-time favorites. The frequent use of tenths in this piece really pushed me to develop my left hand technique. This recording is from video footage taken by Rick Yarian during the July 16th NVRS Concert with Adam Yarian.
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