Ordering Info For Triplet Records

The Music of Scott Joplin, performed by Steve Hunter.
Recorded Jan 24th and February 2nd 2006.

Recorded at The Audio Producers Inc.
Recorded and Mastered in 24 bit at 96 KHZ by Paul Novotny
Mastering Paul Novotny of The Audio Producers
Package Design Rodney Bowes
Producer Paul Novotny
Executive Producer Joe Sealy
Cover Photograph Photography by maggiesale.ca
Piano Tuner and Technician Paul Gilchrist
All compositions written by Scott Joplin
except “Heliotrope Bouquet” by Scott Joplin and Louis Chauvin
Recorded January 24th and February 2nd, 2006
Performed by Steve Hunter
Steve would like to thank his wife Darragh, Paul and Joe for their support,
and of course Scott Joplin for his wonderful music.

More on Steve Hunter & Muskoka Solace

I first heard the music of Scott Joplin when I was 14, flying back to Pasadena California after a summer visit to Ontario’s cottage country in 1970. I put on the in-flight headphones and heard “The Maple Leaf Rag,” and was smitten. I was a classical pianist who was also into the rock and blues scene of the times, but Joplin’s music instantly resonated with me. Shortly after, I rode my bike to downtown Pasadena, bought a book of Ragtime piano music, and started learning as many pieces as I could. (Many of the pieces on this CD are from that very book.)
About 6 months later, my father took me to The Magic Castle in Los Angeles. This large rambling house was a by- invitation-only magic club, complete with an animatronic owl guarding the front door. After the owl asked for the magic password to get in, you had to say “Open sesame,” and the door would slowly swing open on it’s own. We went from room to room, where L.A.’s best magicians put on a show, amazing stuff to say the least. But the highlight for me was a room containing a baby grand piano that was “possessed” by a ghost named Irma who’d play any song requested by the crowd. They yelled out popular songs like “Roll out the Barrel,” and “Happy Birthday,” the keys playing on their own by the “ghost.” It came my turn, and I requested “The Maple Leaf Rag,” which Irma played fairly well. Feeling pretty cocky, I then requested “The Entertainer” another Joplin rag I had just learned. After Irma finished, I thought I’d seize the moment and ask for “The Cascades.” This was a much harder rag with a left hand part that frankly, I couldn’t play very well. The piano started this piece, then faltered to a stop, and after a few awkward moments someone announced that Irma was tired and needed to take a break! Five minutes later a very personable young man approached me, the pianist playing from a hidden remote piano. I imagine he was probably amazed that a young kid like me knew anything about ragtime music.

Remember this was 1970, a full two years before the hit movie The Sting exposed Joplin’s music to the world. Up to then, ragtime was relegated to pizza parlors and Disneyland. After a brief chat, he offered to mail me a copy of The Rag Times, a newsletter about everything to do with ragtime music. (I still have the original copy with it’s cover photograph of a ‘youthful’ Eubie Blake in his 70’s.) Thanks to this wonderful publication, and this kindly pianist, the entire world
of Ragtime was opened up to me.

I’ve never stopped playing Joplin’s music. It always offers a quiet place of refuge, and the bittersweet melodies always soothe my soul in a world that offers very few safe places. These rags were always meant to be played a lot slower than the public is used to. Joplin considered them to be the classical music of his day, and I can hear plainly the pain, pathos and sad acceptance reflected in the African American experience of the turn of the century. Also reflected plainly is the refuge of these melodies that modulate and resolve so beautifully, and
obviously resonated with the times. These pieces are living, breathing, color photographs of a more sedate peaceful time, when life wasn’t a race to the finish each day, and my intent has been to take myself and the listener out of a complicated present, to a place of solace.
I actually have a summer home on Lake Muskoka, and an old piano in the living room facing the lake, and often sit and play these same pieces watching the Elm trees by the docks and imagine myself in a less complicated time – a true “Muskoka Solace”.

Steve Hunter

May 18/06

Triplet Records Inc. is pleased to announce the arrival of Muskoka Solace. This summer CD is a collection of ten Scott Joplin compositions performed by Steve Hunter.

Steve has been playing Scott Joplin's music since the age of 14 and has established an intimate relationship with each piece. His interpretations of this classical music of the early 1900's offer the listener a quiet place of refuge in today's busy world. These pieces are living, breathing photographs of a more sedate and peaceful era. The melodies modulate and resolve beautifully and clearly reflect the times in which they were composed.

The liner notes are written by Hunter and tell a wonderful story of his introduction to ragtime music while returning home from a summer vacation in Ontario's cottage country in 1970. About six months after that introduction, Steve tells of a visit to The Magic Castle in Los Angeles and a curious encounter with a "ghost" baby grand piano named Irma. Steve requested The Cascades, a Joplin composition with a very challenging left hand part. The rest of this encounter is told best by Steve in his liner notes.

Muskoka Solace has been a dream of Steve's since that summer vacation.

It is not often that an artist takes on performing Scott Joplin's music. This repertoire is very challenging to play at the right pace and capture the storytelling aspect of the compositions. According to our research there has not been such an attempt in over thirty years. Steve Hunters performance is sensitive and thoughtful giving wonderful insight into the era.

Muskoka Solace will take the listener back 100 years by offering something everyone can enjoy this summer regardless of the weather, a time for reflection.

Steve hunter is available for interview and performance.
Contact:
Triplet Records Inc. 416-961-9440
joe@tripletrecords.com

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© Triplet Records Inc. 2006 (416-961-9440)