Searchlight Rag (414.01.2Perc.)

Searchlight Rag (414.01.2Perc.) A Syncopated March and Two Step. Having led a mainly itinerant life since leaving home three years earlier, at the age of seventeen Joplin made "Honest John" Turpins Silver Dollar ragtime saloon in St. Louis the centre of his work life. The title of Joplins Search-Light Rag - A Syncopated March and Two Step (1907) is a tribute to Turpins two musician brothers. The story is that Thomas Million and Charlie travelled in 1881 to the town of Searchlight, Nevada to seek their fortune mining gold, (although we are not told if they succeeded). Revisiting his early career to find inspiration for superbly crafted music is an endearing quality: the forthright character and in the final section, the high, syncopated crazy chords, as they were known, make for a most attractive and invigorating work. This arrangement was specially made for the album Preludes, Rags and Cakewalks (MPR 005), performed by The Symphonic Brass of London conducted by Eric Crees. All of the transcriptions are new and original, making this a world premiere recording. ‘Super playing from living legends of the London orchestral brass scene. In these fantastic arrangements it’s sometimes hard to believe these pieces weren’t originally scored for brass. The musicianship throughout is second to none and the sound is an absolute treat. Eric Crees pays his affectionate respects in performances subtly styled, coloured and paced - from the touchingly restrained to the joyfully raucous. Musical authenticity permeates through, understated yet valued in placement and precision. It is a fabulous exploration that deserves the richest of accolades on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.’ Iwan Fox - 4 Bars Rest - Verdict *****