Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Need to rest your weary feet?

I don't know if you'll be able to, because your toes will be tapping too much.

Imagine you're sitting in a warm saloon, where the barkeep knows your name, serves you the best drink in the house, and lets you tug your boots off and put your feet up wherever you please. From the piano comes the light-hearted patter of Something Doing, and in spite of all your cares you're feeling carefree.

You're at ease at the end of a long day. And as the music plays, you ease your feet back to the floor and tap along:

Something Doing, composed by Scott Joplin

Found at this archive of piano roll recordings.

UPDATE:

Evanissimo at Youtube does a really good job playing Joplin's Maple Leaf Rag, a wonderful ragtime piece (and the piano itself looks suitably old-fashioned too). The music's clear, and I like the tempo he chose:



This light and breezy music is challenging - something you may forget when listening to it played by a performer with skill and talent, who's put in the effort to make it sound as effortless as possible.