Contemporary jazz artist to perform in Little Rock
LITTLE ROCK — Contemporary jazz pianist Barron Ryan will take the stage at the Ron Robinson Theater as part of the 2017 Acansa Arts Festival on Sept. 20.
Ryan will perform selections from his new album, “The Masters’ Apprentice.”
The son of two musicians, Ryan grew up in a house filled with the sounds of artists ranging from Chopin to James Brown, so when it comes to his own performing, he’s not content drawing on just one influence. He combines them all into a musical adventure that’s vintage yet fresh, historical yet hip, classic yet cool, a news release said.
In addition, to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the original recording of “Tiger Rag,” Ryan has released his version of the jazz standard.
The song was originally recorded by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band in 1917. It is one of the most-recorded jazz compositions of all time. In 2003, the 1918 ODJB recording of “Tiger Rag” was placed on the U.S. Library of Congress National Recording Registry.
“Tiger Rag” became a standard, with more than 136 cover versions by 1942. Famous artists who covered the song included Art Tatum, Benny Goodman, Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington, Bix Beiderbecke, and Louis Armstrong, who released the song at least three times as a single. Ryan expects to introduce the classic to a new generation of jazz enthusiasts.
“’Tiger Rag’ is my equivalent to summiting Mount Everest or winning Olympic gold,” he said. “This particular rendition, recorded originally by Art Tatum, lasts two and a half minutes but required over 500 hours of practice to master. It’s the most difficult piece of music I’ve ever learned, and to have conquered it means to me that there’s no musical challenge too big for me to handle. It’s also special that my album featuring ‘Tiger Rag’ is coming out exactly 100 years after its first recording by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band in 1917.”
The preparation to record this tune was arduous, the release said. Ryan began the process five years ago, and it nearly ended his performing career. “I didn’t know how to approach it. In my frustration, I made an ill-fated practice decision that partially impaired my playing ability for 18 months and threatened to become permanent,” he said. He returned to full strength, after which he was determined to conquer the one tune that almost conquered him, the release said.