TIKI - where the action is....Hi everyone - back again with just a quick hello and to let you all know that today I received a very interesting, quite well done CD by Palma that she arranged and recorded for the Beautiful Music Company; "67 RAGTIME FAVORITES" and it's all Palma, playing this fun ragtime music - true to the title of the CD, there are 67 tunes altogether, many of which are made up into medleys. Palm recorded this CD at Tiki, of course, with Fred Guarino at the helm. The recording is, without a doubt from a technical standpoint, flawless. The same can be said for the wonderful ragtime that Fred recorded Palma playing. Outstanding....naturally.

I enjoyed this immensely today as I listened while I worked. What fun! I think I mentioned somewhere in this blog that Palm had made this CD, and that there were some of my all time favorite tunes on it - tunes like Lullaby of Birdland, and Darktown Strutters Ball (one of the first songs I ever learned how to play on the piano) - then there's Them There Eyes and I Cried for You, and so, so many more. Of course, Scott Joplin's Maple Leaf Rag is there, and done expertly. You know...Scott Joplin hails from Sedalia, Missouri. So we Missourians are proud of the musical heritage that is Scott Joplin. Palma did him proud, believe me. I have a tendency to always play this one too fast...but in this recording, it was done in a great tempo, that was maintained all the way through the song - not something easy to do as it lends itself to "fast" play.

I intend to discuss this CD more thoroughly with Ms. Pascale, and will come back here at a later time to blog a bit more about it. I think the back story of the "how" of it will be fun, and perhaps an anecdotal story or two about the "making of" from either Fred or Palma as well. Suffice it to say that this genre, too, is played exceptionally well and the CD is a really fun listen.

If you'd like to order 67 Ragtime Favorites, simply go to http://www.beautifulmusic.com/ and order it. You will be GLAD that you did, I assure you.

Until the next blog - take care and I'll be back here soon, as I have a lot to write about and share with you all. So until later,

I remain yours, musically~~

~Martini