October at the Phantom Recital Hall

It's a cool October night, with the heat having broken and a warm rainy spell behind us. We're out for an evening of culture, enjoying ourselves in that restored old concert hall we enjoy going to.

Tonight, it's a recital of piano and violin, and ends with this delightful piece, William Bolcom's "Graceful Ghost Rag."



This is an old favorite of mine, one of the composer's three "Ghost Rags," jazzy pieces that originated in his studio (which overlooked a cemetery) and came soon after his father's death (or so I hear). I've always loved how it's light and lilting and yet there's something just slightly otherworldly about it. It's normally a solo piano piece; this violin-and-piano rendition is unusual and a nice variation. It's hard to not imagine a dancing ghost when listening to this....