Among the many events that did not take place as scheduled this week
because of the severe weather that closed Illinois State University was
David Feurzeig’s first “Ragtime and Stride” Minority Scholarship Benefit
Lecture-Concert. The event has been rescheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday,
March 1, in the Center for the Performing Arts Concert Hall. Admission is
$10 for the general public, $8 for faculty-staff and $7 for students and
senior citizens.
Feurzeig, who is presenting the event in honor of Black History Month, is known for his informative lecture and entertaining performance of ragtime and stride piano. Stride piano is in the jazz idiom, but followed and was influenced by ragtime, the first truly American instrumental genre. Five years ago, Feurzeig was the silver medalist of the 2001 Old-Time Piano Playing World Championship.
Among the pieces Feurzeig will play are works by Scott Joplin, James P. Johnson, Thomas Million Turpin, Jelly Roll Morton, Joseph Lamb, Eubie Blake, Fats Waller, George Gershwin, Cliff Jackson and William Bolcom. Feurzeig will include some of his own compositions and even give a sampling of Bela Bartok (who was an ethnologist as well as composer).
