This style of music originated from the early 20th century. Half of the songs, "Alexander's Ragtime Band," "Chevy Chase Rag," "Five Foot Two," "Junk Man Rag," "The Pearls," and "Shim Me Sha Wabble" were songs I had learned when I was playing with various Dixieland bands. They lend themselves well to the Stride Piano Style so I adopted them for some of my live solo piano performances.

"Alligator Crawl," "Carolina Shout," "Sweet Savannah Sue," and "Viper's Drag" were songs I learned by ear after hearing them played by Thomas "Fats" Waller on his recordings. As a performer, his playful manner inspired me to learn this style of piano playing.

The other songs "Copper Penny Rag," and "Marc's Thyme" are original compositions. My intent was to capture the feeling of the Stride Piano and Ragtime styles and then add a slightly modern twist.

I sincerely hope you enjoy this CD.
This music is a lot of fun to play!