COMPACT DISC REVIEW

By

Jack Rummel

Spider In The Tub

Glenn Jenks, piano

Bonnie Banks BB109

Rose Leaf Rag / The Favorite / Elite Syncopations / Spider In The Tub / The Mule Walk / Irish Confetti / Cinco Danzones: Amiga mia / Arrogancia / Paloma blanca / Promesas rotas / No, todavia no / Euphonic Sounds / Minstrels / Le Petit negre / Golliwogg’s Cakewalk / Stolen Moments / The Atomic Shuffle.

            There’s been a long, dry spell at a certain address in Camden , Maine , but now we finally have a new recording by Glenn Jenks and it’s worth the wait.  The playlist is an interesting mix of Joplin, Debussy and Jenks, with a few others thrown in for good measure.  That it works so well is a tribute to his pianistic skills.

            Jenks’ interpretations of Joplin (Rose Leaf Rag, The Favorite, Elite Syncopations and Euphonic Sounds) come as a breath of fresh air, in contrast to versions where Joplin ’s admonition not to play ragtime fast translates to “funereal.”  Instead, they are played with gusto at tempos that are not inappropriate, infusing them with excitement.

            The three works by Debussy (Minstrels, Le Petit negre and Golliwogg’s Cakewalk) each come from different collections of short pieces.  All are clearly influenced by ragtime and feature cakewalk rhythms.  It is a pleasure to hear them played together.

            Three additional rags add great variation.  The Mule Walk by James P. Johnson is taken at medium foxtrot tempo and Jenks makes it swing.  Irish Confetti by George L. Cobb is a catchy pop rag with surprising chord changes (the title refers to the bricks and rocks hurled by rebellious Irish mobs).  The Atomic Shuffle makes a dazzling closer for the CD, fast and dizzying.  It’s a superb contemporary novelty rag by Ross Petot.

            Then there are the compositions by Jenks himself.  Never one to be pigeonholed,  we first encounter his title cut - a slow, clever novelty.  The spider may lose his grip on the tub but he never loses his determination.  The last Jenks original on the CD is Stolen Moments, a medium fast, albeit somewhat ponderous, rag which incorporates tidbits from 11 classical and pop tunes (!).

             In between these “bookends” are five Latin dances, each one an absolute jewel.  Amiga mia is lush and romantic, while Arrogancia is agitated and darkly introspective.  Paloma blanca is peaceful, although a white dove being the bearer of hope is not without its less-than-tranquil moments. Promesas rotas is an achingly beautiful waltz that experiments with other time signatures, while No, todavia no is stately, yet touched with tragedy.  (All are dedicated to living ragtime composer/performers except Arrogancia, which is inscribed to America ’s sitting president.)

            The variety on this disc is astounding, the liner notes, while a masterwork of brevity, are complete and the recorded sound is excellent.  There is good use of dynamics and the embellishments contained in the rags are always in style.  This comes as close to “The Perfect Album” as we are apt to find this year.  Let’s hope we don’t have to wait another eight years for the next one!  Recommended.

            Available for $18.00 postpaid from Bonnie Banks Productions, P.O. Box 811 , Camden , ME 04843 .  Sheet music for the Jenks originals is also available (price not specified).