Rivermont Records: Ian Whitcomb - Songs Without Words (BSW-3136)

IAN WHITCOMB
Songs Without Words
Rivermont BSW-3136

Instrumental music composed by Ian Whitcomb and featuring his piano, accordion, ukulele, orchestras, and dance bands (1964-2009)

Ian Whitcomb, who rose to fame during the British rock "invasion" of the 1960s with his hit "You Turn Me On," has since largely turned his musical attentions to ragtime, Tin Pan Alley, and related styles. For nearly fifty years, Whitcomb has been one of the world's foremost ragtime ambassadors, reviving obscure rags and songs from the early 20th century while also writing his own works firmly grounded in the style that nevertheless retain his own distinctive compositional voice. Known for his humor, versatility, energy, and musicianship, he remains one of the most captivating performers on the ragtime scene today.

This remarkable career-spanning 2-CD set contains 48 tracks -- a generous serving of Whitcomb's instrumental compositions including old favorites like "Sandcastle - A Day By the Sea," "Luscious Slices," and "Lawns of Louisiana" along with newer works like "My Garden," "Unrequited," "Blazing Ambition," and others destined to become classics. While a number of the selections on these two discs have been previously released on various LPs and CDs, a full dozen tracks were recorded especially for this album and are being released here for the first time. For the rest, this set marks the first time Whitcomb's instrumentals have been collected in one package, freshly remastered from the best surviving sources for superior sound. The package also includes a handsome 20-page booklet with photographs, discographical information, and extensive commentary by Ian Whitcomb.

148 minutes on two CDs. Recorded 1964-2009.

Ian Whitcomb with Eubie Blake, 1975

US $25.00
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Click on the buttons to hear full-quality audio samples of selected tracks.

		Disc One
1.		The Dickens Waltz
2.		Luscious Slices
3.		Sandcastle - A Day By the Sea
4.		My Blues
5.		Wigwam Wigwalk - An Indian Patrol
6.		Lawns of Louisiana
7.		Les Temps du Chiffon
8.		Marzipan - A Ragtime Confection
9.		Lotusland - A Rag of Southern California
10.		Strange Waters - A Falklands Reverie
11.		Montpellier - A Tango Rag of Southern France
12.		Merry-Go-Round By Midnight
13.		My Apache - A Tango of Paris
14.		Wildcroft Manor - A Reverie
15.		When Sophie Dances
16.		Viva Regina!
17.		My Dog Beefy
18.		Home at Last!
19.		Sauntering By the Sea
20.		At the Masked Ball
21.		The Beckoning Fairground

		Disc Two
1.		Dreams of Old L.A.
2.		Foxing the Goose (Goosing the Fox)
3.		Chester the Cat - A Feline One-Step
4.		Blazing Ambition
5.		LotusLand Medley
6.		Der Pussycat Walk
7.		Rolling with the Quake
8.		Rocking the Baby to Sleep
9.		Sultry Nights
10.		Ukie's Tune
11.		The Bumbling Bear
12.		Montmartre
13.		Unrequited
14.		Tango of the Bears
15.		Dancing Partners
16.		My Garden
17.		Mystery Riders
18.		One & One Makes One
19.		Our House
20.		Restless
21.		Time and Again
22.		The Windmill Waltz
23.		Flyboys! - One-Step
24.		As Her Love Flies By
25.		Mon Ami Perdu
26.		Au Bal Musette
27.		Ambling Along

Credits:
Transfers and remastering: Barry Funkhouser and Bryan S. Wright / Liner notes: Ian Whitcomb / Photographs: Ian Whitcomb