By Bill Thom
Paul Asaro, one of the nations great two-handed jazz and ragtime pianists, entertained concert goers at Simon Estes Auditorium Thursday evening in Centerville. This was the second concert presented by the Centerville Concert Association in a series of six shows. The evening turned out to be pretty nostalgic for me. I’m not much of a piano player, but I enjoy listening to upbeat piano music from the early 20th century.
Those attending the concert not only enjoyed the keyboard skills of Mr. Asaro, but were treated to a history lesson about Stride and Ragtime piano in the U.S.A. The program started out with Duke Ellington’s “Caravan,” then moved to ragtime by Scott Joplin and Eubie Blake with songs, “Maple Leaf Rag” and “Charleston Rag.” The father of Stride piano was a man named James Johnson with tunes called “Riffs” and “Blueberry Rhyme.” The next composer/performer was Thomas “Fats” Waller and Asaro sang to show how the style included voice and keyboard. I liked “Ain’t Misbehavin’” and “Handful of Keys.”
Following intermission, Asaro featured music of Ferdinand “Jelly Roll” Morton as the style moved to what we call jazz from New Orleans to Chicago and finally New York. The stories included humor with songs, “Your Feets Too Big” and “Aloysius Do the Dishes.” I was hard to believe that one person was performing as the cross rhythms and syncopations sounded like at least two players. He even played a medley using one tune in the left hand and another tune in the right. The concert ended with several tunes by “Jelly Roll.” My favorites were in the Latin jazz selection, “The Crave” and a tune called “Firebreaker.”
All in attendance were impressed with Mr/ Asaro’s keyboard skills and his efforts to keep ragtime and jazz alive around the world. The next concert in Centerville will be Circus Incognitus on Feb. 8, 2010.
