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gkuchan |
There are very few outside of Chicago who have heard of Reginald R. Robinson. ( http://reginaldrrobinson.com/ ) Now this gentleman does not play the Banjo, he plays ragtime piano....brilliantly I might add. Also in the interest of full disclosure, I don't work for, nor have I ever met Mr. Robinson, I don't make a dime if you purchase his album.
His story has been documented in both the Chicago Tribune as well as on Chicago Tonight. But to briefly recap...in elementary school Mr. Robinson fell in love and dedicated himself to ragtime music. He devoted himself to mastering the art of the Piano Rag. A few albums, of a mix of Joplin covers and his original compositions (Euphonic Sounds being my favorite), he reached great critical acclaim. Sadly he didn't make any money. Continuing his quest to write new rags, as well as master the old masters, and further the reach of a dying genre, fortune smiled upon him. One week before they were to shut his gas off, he won a MacArthur Genius grant, which was richly deserved.
Well five years later he is releasing a three disc opus, of classic and new compositions, which he produced himself. No one will hear it. He doesn't have a major label behind the release. Spurned by the jazz community, no one is championing this new album. Now I'm not asking anyone to purchase this album. But, maybe, just maybe if you take time to listen to a sample on itunes or his website..If we get some of the hangout members to google him...Maybe, just maybe, we could raise his profile enough that he might just begin to get the acclaim he deserves. Or if you're a fan of piano rags, like me, maybe find a new artists that no one has ever heard of.
Check him out.
Thanks for reading.
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