CHESKY RECORDS JD359

DAVID CHESKY
THE NEW YORK RAGS

DAVID CHESKY
YAMAHA DCFX MARK IV DISKLAVIER PRO CONCERT GRAND PIANO

[JD359]
[ Binaural + CD ]

1. RAG NO. 1 “THE NEW YORKER” 1:53
2. RAG NO. 2 “THE BERNSTEIN” 2:06
3. RAG NO. 3 “THE DUKE” 2:06
4. RAG NO. 4 “TIMES SQUARE” 2:39
5. RAG NO. 5 “FOURTH STREET” 2:26
6. RAG NO. 6 “THIRD AVENUE” 2:21
7. RAG NO. 7 “BROADWAY BOOGIE WOOGIE” 2:12
8. RAG NO. 8 “FIFTH AVENUE” 2:12
9. RAG NO. 9 “GRAND CENTRAL MORNING” 2:14
10. RAG NO. 10 “SEVENTH AVENUE” 2:27
11. RAG NO. 11 “THE CIRCLE AT FIFTH” 2:21
12. RAG NO. 12 “THE PARK AVENUE RAG” 2:21
13. RAG NO. 13 “THE THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE RAG IN 7/4” 2:07
14. RAG NO. 14 “KIDS YOU'RE LATE FOR SCHOOL RAG” 2:09
15. RAG NO. 15 “THE MANHATTAN BLUES VARIATIONS RAG” 2:17
16. RAG NO. 16 “PENN STATION” 1:59
17. RAG NO. 17 “THE J WALKER RAG” 2:24
18. RAG NO. 18 “THE CONEY ISLAND RAG” 3:16

David Chesky's series of 18 modern virtuoso solo piano rags are inspired by life in the bustling and intense metropolis of New York City, a place he has called home since 1974. The work seems to owe as much to Henry Cowell and Charles Ives' use of dissonance. Elliott Carter's atonalism, Conlon Nancarrow’s experimental piano rolls, Leonard Bernstein's syncopation, and Cecil Taylor's whirlwind free jazz as they do to Joplin's ragtime classics. These pieces are taken from Chesky's unique rhythmic and harmonic style of composition, fused together with stride piano and ragtime to capture the everyday life of modern pulsating New York City. This album was recorded in Binarual+ for both speaker and 3D headphone playback and unlike most piano albums that are dynamically compressed this one is not, the average level is around 10 DB lower and has EXTREME dynamics, so please set your playback levels carefully.

About David Chesky
Three-time Grammy nominee David Chesky has earned great respect for his fresh and unique approach to musical compositions, which span the jazz and classical genres. Captivating audiences around the world. The New York Times raves, “Chesky combines a gritty sophistication with street-level energy and currents of exotic folkishness.” As a composer of orchestral works, operas and ballets, an author of children's books, a jazz pianist and a world-renowned innovator of audio technologies, Chesky redefines the role of a modern-day renaissance man. Critics describe his music as “highly individualistic,” “memorable” “dynamic” and “exotic.”

In his 2010-2011 season, Chesky served as the Composer-in-Residence for the National Symphony of Taiwan, where he gave his world premiere of New York Variations. His comedic adult opera, The Pig, the Farmer, and the Artist also premiered at the New York Fringe Festival, leaving audiences in laughter-filled tears. Opera News praised that “Chesky could turn out to be a one-man Brecht-Weill for the twenty-first century.” Last year also saw the release of his two new albums, Urbanicity and String Theory, both of which received critical acclaim. Classics Today said of the latter, “This music has integrity, and it gets under your skin.”

Best known for his thrilling and driving “Urban Orchestral” music, a term which he himself coined, Chesky has developed his own unique style of composition, merging classical techniques with sounds emanating from the streets of New York. Critics praise his unique style noting, “Chesky fuses diverse influences into a musical language all his own.” (Gramophone Magazine) Chesky has composed concertos for electric guitar, violin, and cello, featured on his albums Urbanicity and String Theory.

Chesky Records are distributed in Australia by Rockian Trading