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LIVIO LAURENTI
EMAIL: liviolaurenti@libero.it
MOBILE : ++393292126580
RAG,BLUES,HOT…
13 GREAT TUNES FROM 1900 TO 1930 IN THEIR ORIGINAL ARRANGEMENTS !!
JOPLIN, J.R. MORTON, GERSHWIN, ELLINGTON, PORTER…
+ PLENTY OF HISTORICAL NOTES !!
TO ORDER JUST SEND A MAIL TO : liviolaurenti@libero.it
Ragtime may have originated in the USA , but some of its best interpreters today are from outside America ’s borders. An excellent case in point is the Joplin Ragtime Orchestra, composed of (as written in the liner notes) “…young talented musicians from Trieste , Italy with classical training (and, in certain cases, with considerable jazz experience)…” Led by Livio Laurenti, their goal is to stress Scott Joplin’s ragtime and then add the later music which utilized the syncopation he pioneered.
The Joplin Ragtime Orchestra produces a bright, lively sound, with emphasis on ensemble performance. There are occasional instrumental solos (some pieces have more than others) and lots of counter-melodies which add interest. Wherever possible they have utilized period arrangements and the make-up of the orchestra is typical of small ensembles of the period which could be found in vaudeville theaters, silent movie houses, hotels, fancy restaurants and the like.
Two exceptions to this general description are Embraceable You, which is performed as a slow, romantic string quartet arrangement, and Dizzy Fingers, which is a fast, clean and confident piano solo. Most of the selections are medium fast, but there are sufficient slow numbers (Mood Indigo, Dead Man Blues) for contrast. The rags ( 12th Street Rag, Ragtime Dance, Sunflower Slow Drag, The Entertainer) are taken at appropriate tempos and most repeats are honored.
In addition to Dizzy Fingers, which is a knockout, other favorites were the cleverly syncopated Mandy’s Ragtime Waltz by J.L. Zamecnik (a little-known composer who wrote mostly for silent films), and Phillip Braham’s Limehouse Blues, played as a one-step (and incorrectly attributed to Cole Porter). They’re all likeable, though, and every piece is danceable, making this a great CD for a party. My only criticism is that it’s too short. At barely 42 minutes in length, there is plenty of room for more selections. Let us hope that the Joplin Ragtime Orchestra and its conductor, Livio Laurenti, will increase their repertoire and issue some more music. It would be worth the wait.
Jack Rummel Dec 2006 www.ragtimers.org
In 2005 Mr Rummel received the Scott Joplin Award from the Scott Joplin Foundation for achievements in the field of ragtime.
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Gunther Schuller wrote: Dear Mr. Laurenti, your performances are wonderfully spirited and I think you trained your young players very well in the ragtime style.
click here and listen to some audio clips!
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