Sophisticated Innocence: American Novelty Piano Solos

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
The vitality and playfulness of the jazz era is captured in this collection of novelty piano solos composed by colleagues of George Gershwin. Pianist Lincoln Mayorga's light-spirited and virtuosic playing brings life to this rarely recognized American genre of music. Included on the Compact Disc is a nineteenth century precursor of the novelty piano solo, Louis Moreau Gottschalk's "The Banjo".

Tracks:

Kitten On The Keys
In A Mist
Flapperette
The Moth
Canadian Capers
Nola
Slipova
Manhatten Serenade
Waltz In Ragtime
Sapphire
Doll Dance
Dizzy Fingers
The Banjo

Album Description

The vitality and playfulness of the jazz era is captured in this collection of novelty piano solos composed by colleagues of George Gershwin. Pianist Lincoln Mayorga's light-spirited and virtuosic playing brings life to this rarely recognized American genre of music. Included on the Compact Disc is a nineteenth century precursor of the novelty piano solo, Louis Moreau Gottschalk's "The Banjo".

Customer Reviews:

Thrilling!.......1999-11-21

I have this CD on order and have listened to the samples. However, I already know that I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT. My family and I have been searching for decades for "Flapperette" and have asked many musicians and music companies about it, and no one seemed to know it or of it. I was even beginning to think that my Mother had possibly composed it as our search was absolutely fruitless for so long. My Mother who was a genius of a pianist played it, and she used it in fact for one of my dance numbers when I was only a tot. I can well remember for at a recital once I performed in a toy soldier number with a large group of girls and then in a duet. At the end I had a solo number and it was to "Flapperette". I can still hear my Mother playing the quick introduction and my dancing out to the middle of the stage. Then I just FROZE when I noticed what a big auditorium I was in and saw all the people there watching. I hurriedly walked off stage and someone directed me on again with my Mother playing another fast version of the intro. Then again in the middle of the stage, I AGAIN FROZE! I remember all the people LAUGHING. I couldn't have been more than 3 or 4. I'm sure it was funny and cute but that was the end of my dancing career and in fact I've never been a whiz on the dance floor since that bout with stage fright. That was in the 30's when Mother worked for a dance studio in Washington, DC. She unfortunately passed away over 30 years ago now. Mother, Rena Cloud, was an absolute genius and played all types of music having been classically trained as a child but had an ear as well and could play anything she heard. She entertained troops in World War I at only 9 years old, playing piano and singing "St. Louis Blues" and others. Since she lived in Altus, Oklahoma, we're sure this took place at Ft. Sill, an old Army outpost (Lawton, OK) within spitting distance which is still now in operation. After getting past the introduction here of "Flapperette", which I never before heard, the arrangement here is EXACTLY the one she used to play. It is just beautiful and so totally unique. Kitten on the Keys and especially "Nola" were other favorites of Mother's and ours as well. From this I can determine tht she was only about 18 years old when "Flapperette" was written by Felix Arndt, the same gentleman who composed "Nola". These TWO are not only beautiful works but Arndt, the composer must have been an absolute genius! They are just CLASSICAL but can be adapted to Jazz. Between "Flapperette" and "Nola", apparently "Nola" was the most popular of the two.

I enjoyed as well the clips from the other numbers and cannot wait to receive my CD of this.

Excellent!!!.......1999-05-14

Well played. Clean sound. It's Classical meets Jazz in a novelty format. Liked "In a Mist" "Waltz in Ragtime" and "The Moth" best for their impressionistic, polyrhythmic playfulness. Program notes are cursory, but engaging (Read about how Lincoln acquired the sheet music to some these tunes--spooky!). If you like salon music (made popular by the recent TITANIC/White Star recordings)you will like "Sophisticated Innocence". "Kitten on the Keys" "Nola" "Dizzy Fingers"--what a collection of piano gems!!! And Mayorga makes it all sound easy and effortless. Some of these songs will never be featured again on any future CD. GET IT NOW, for no one knows how long this wonderful record will be available in the catalogue...

Track Listings:

Track Listings

track listings

Track Listings

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Damned Damned Damned [Original recording remastered]

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Adama / Ima [Import]

Girl Like Me

Evita (1978 Original Broadway Cast) [Cast Recording]

Dream Melodies, Vol. 7: Serenades

Drill a Hole in That Substrate & Tell Me What You See [Import]

Emil Nikolaus von Reznicek: Der Sieger

Configuration

Dejame Sonar

Como Pude Enamorarme De Ti

Rockin' and Rollin', Vol. 1: 1948-1950

How Come