To get 50 of
Scott Joplin's
compositions onto a two-LP set, pianist
Knocky Parker
chose to play all of his themes just once (using an A-B-A-C-D format rather than A-A-B-B-A-C-C-D-D). Although he performs the melodies flawlessly,
Parker's
decision to run through the themes so quickly makes each piece overly brief and they sound a bit slapdash. This twofer is therefore useful for piano students who want to quickly hear what all of
Joplin's
melodies sound like, but can be passed over by most ragtime collectors. Get
Richard Zimmerman's
five-LP Murray Hill
Scott Joplin
collection instead. ~ Scott Yanow