Scott Joplin

This LP is actually split between William Bolcom playing five Scott Joplin rags and William Albright performing five James P. Johnson songs. The two solo pianists show that they know their material very well. The Joplin pieces are a bit unusual, for two were originally collaborations with Arthur Marshall while the remaining three were co-written by Joplin and Scott Hayden. These numbers include "Swipesy Cake Walk," "Sunflower Slow Drag," and "Something Doing." The Albright portion of the album has such piano solos as "Mule Walk Stomp," "Eccentricity Syncopated Waltz," and the old showpiece "Carolina Shout." This is classic music that is played with respect and an understanding of the vintage styles.

The album is dedicated to the music genre "Ragtime", a genre particularly pronounced at the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth century. Ragtime is characterized by a syncopated, i.e., "dragging" rhythm, which is why it got its name.