Scott Joplin Music

The title of this CD properly advertises itself as a multi-faceted work, including some core classical pieces, some extensions into blues and folk, and so on. But the cover art, and the tantalizing credits (3 vocalists including the great Bill Crofut!!!) made me yearn for something this was never meant to be. That is, a true folk concerto using banjos, guitars etc. and vocalists singing folk music, to the consistent accompaniment of an orchestra. In other words, something for folk music that has been achieved so well in other idioms (i. e. Kunzel's tributes to Western and country music, Russo's music for blues band, Deep Purple's work with orchestras, etc.). Only the very brief "Unsquare Dance" achieves that. The individual works, especially with the trombone, constitute fine music, a solid four stars, but I yearn for what the picture hints at. Suggestions anyone?

Have been fortunate to attend 2 Chris Brubeck concerts and have been a big fan ever since. Just need more CD's please.
This recording is simply thrilling. I highly recommend you add it to your collection and tell all your friends. Once you hear his music you are hooked and what a wonderful addiction.
Here's hoping we hear a lot from Chris and his friends.

I bought this CD after hearing it on my local NPR station. I relly like the arrangements of Bach's works--not predictable--and I was certain that I was listening to a Bach orchestration at the time.

A real added treat to this CD are the compositions of Chris Brubeck. This guy can really write for orchestra. His bass trombone concerto has the gusto of a Bernstein Overture. Also his arrangement of Dave Brubeck's "Blue Rondo" is incredible. Bach to Brubeck certainly makes the case for an enjoyable listening experience. I have turned 5 of my friends on to this CD already.

The multi-talented Chris Brubeck has really impressed me with this outing. I didn't know Chris before this disc, although I did know Dave, and now I'd like to hear more from Chris! This is a must-have for all classical and jazz fans. The serenity of the Bach arrangements are perfectly orchestrated, and the bass trombone concerto is a masterful composition. And the way the Blue Rondo a la Turk holds back just to open up is frightfully sinister! Buy this one!

This CD shows that the musical talent of Dave Brubeck continues on to the next generation. This CD has a wonderful mix of classical Bach, beautifully played by the London Symphony Orchestra Bill Crofut, Joel Brown, & Chris Bruebeck, and an eclectic mix of modern American music.

The arrangements of the traditional Bach pieces by Chris Brubeck are wonderfully done. The beautiful guitar playing by Joel Brown brings a new element to this classic music.

Finally there is a Concerto for one of my favorite instruments! The Concerto for Bass Trombone is a unique and wonderfully new and differnt piece of classical music. The masterful playing by Chris Brubeck spotlights his talent not only as a composer but as a gifted musician.

This CD will take you from the glories of Bach to the new and exciting music being made by the 2nd generation of Brubecks.

RUN to buy this album. Lary is the undisputed king of the harmonica. There is no doubt this item is worth the price to have a piece of a living legend.

If you like Jazz and you enjoy the harmonica you'll LOVE Larry Adler!

The amazing talent and artistry of American pianist/composer John Novacek is displayed in this album of his own original rags and those of several other well-known ragtime composers including Scott Joplin, James Scott, Luckey Roberts, Joseph Lamb, and more. Novacek is accompanied by his equally talented brother, guitarist Steven Novacek on several selections. In this exciting, toe-tapping collection, the Novaceks bring down the house with their rhythmic precision, delightful charm, and authentic style. What's more, the sound on this album is exquisite! The piano sounds bright, full, and crystal clear. No matter what type of music you prefer, this album is sure to delight and entertain you!

....In some of her other albums, Nadja takes things a bit too slowly for my taste, but these small "encore" pieces are right up her alley. This record is 71' 12" of pure entertainment. Not that they're easy to perform....

I'll mention a few highlights of the great music Nadja and Sandra Rivers made together....for me, the high point is Georg Kroll's "Banjo and Fiddle"...six of the fourteen tracks are Fritz Kreisler pieces to which Nadja does full justice...the title cut is superbly done, as is the other Gershwin piece, and the one Scott Joplin offering [I wish there had been more].

This is a wonderful album; if you heard Nadja's Brahams Concerto, are ready to forgive her, and give her another chance, this record is for you...you won't be sorry.

Salerno-Sonnenberg's passionate, elegant, heartbreaking interpretations of these wonderful selections is perfectly paired with Sandra Rivers at the piano. I shall never forget their performance of "Claire de lune," the Kreisler pieces, or the exquisite Rachmaninov "Vocalise." In her hands, the violin becomes voice and reeds and brass -- transcending itself and taking the audience right along.

Making great music lies in the ability to express things words can't, to touch the soul, capture the moment and move the heart.

It takes a great artist to perform great music!

Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg is such an artist and this release is one of her many gifts to the music loving world!

Check out Track #5 - Liebesieid - for a small sampling of the tremendous emotional pull of Nadja's playing. I have several CDs of Itzhak Perman, and Anne-Sophie Mutter, but no violinist matches Nadja's gift of making each piece her own - you know that she truely feels the music - it flows through her - and it isn't just a dry technical playing of the piece.

Yes, she does: her sound is horribly thin, and she can't play the highest notes strong enough, so that they wither away and disappear into silence. Even the darkest, lowest notes come out weakly, so one can't argue that she has trouble just with the upper registers: her whole playing is terribly bad. She does have
a good vibrato, but I fear that if her sound were not thin, the vibrato would make even the darkest melody sound pathetic.

Hahn is all right (not excellent, nor good, just right for
some provincial recital hall) as long as she keeps to the lower pitch range (perhaps she should be playing the bass fiddle!), Shaham does everything only passably, and Chang has some passion and feeling but no strength to express it, but Salerno-Sonnenberg is bad across the board. There maybe a passably competent technique in her playing (that is, she can get the melody across), but she plays out of tune - the sound is disgusting!

I know how crazy this piece of writing must sound among so many raves, but there's no other way to explain the horribly weak, thin sound of the violin in this recording. Perlman, who suffered all his life from weak health, even in such difficult pieces as Beethoven's Kreutzer sonata was able to produce a full-bodied sound - and this, when he was well past his sixties.

But then again, Salerno-Sonnenberg is not alone in showing such a lack of... no, this is not about inborn talent. I doubt some child can pick up a violin and play in tune without first listening to a competent elder's playing. After the most basic education in music performance, it is just a question of getting a good recording of a piece, and practicing till one gets a relatively equal sound.

I harbored great hopes for Salerno-Sonnenberg when I read about her troubled life, the attacks she had to face from critics, her attempted suicide. I was letting myself be deceived by that old Romantic cliché, that pain makes for good art. But this is not about discovering or rediscovering unknown masterpieces, but about interpreting establish ones, and a Paganini doesn't have the "extended techniques" present in many postmodern pieces where noise passes for music, so in this case a standard called in-tune playing exists, and she doesn't perform up to it. But this judgement depends on my senses. If you don't believe me, you can find out whether I am right, or whether I am just another flea-like critic from the incestuous music business, by comparing Salerno-Sonnenberg's playing to that of any famous solo violinist whose career started in the 60's or 50's - when gesticulating wasn't equated with playing.

John Williams is one of the world's best guitarists, but you'd never know it by listening to this album. He basically plucks out the melody. I think I hear more complex playing in the background, but if that's what it is, it's mixed so as to be barely audible. On the other hand, it's very nice background music. I hope brisk sales support Williams' more serious efforts.

I like this CD very much, I have looked for it for 5 years since I listened its MP3, I got it now, thanks!

While this album is pleasant enough, it is more orchestra music than classical guitar. John Williams is a great classical guitarist, but the guitar part on this album could have been played by any competent guitarist. If you want nice background music, this album is ok. If you want classical guitar music, look elsewhere.

If you like film music, this CD is for you; if you like guitar music, this CD is for you. John Williams brings his guitar virtuosity to bear masterfully on the scores of a number of popular films, which span a period of 60 years.

The use of the guitar gives a different sound to number of the selections, and shows that a good piece of music will shine, no matter what the instrumentation.

How can anyone compare Bryan Adams' work to the elite performances of John Williams.... This man is quite a genius and second to none.... I, as a classical guitar player have found that this presentation has assisted me greatly... Let's see some more John.. Thanks a lot