FOXBURG, Pa. (EYT) – Begin your Thanksgiving holiday in Lincoln Hall with the exuberantly joyous Ragtime music of the eight-piece Allegheny City Ragtime Orchestra.
Led by world renowned stride pianist, accomplished composer, and musical archaeologist Tom Roberts, Allegheny City Ragtime Orchestra will play at Lincoln Hall on Sunday, November 24, at 2:00 p.m.
Tom will reintroduce audiences to the forgotten ragtime composers of Pittsburgh, sharing an extraordinary trove of hidden musical gems he has unearthed. In this unique concert, The Allegheny City Ragtime Orchestra will perform compositions from the original orchestrations of the great composers of the ragtime era including Scott Joplin, James Scott, Joseph Lamb and Tom Turpin.
The concert also will honor the memory of the late Patricia Ann Steffee, long time Board member and ARCA founder, who was a great fan and friend of Tom Roberts. This concert is lovingly sponsored by a generous gift in memory of Patricia from Ronald and Judith Montgomery.
Tickets are $25.00 for adults, $20.00 for members, and $5.00 for students. Tickets may be purchased online at alleghenyriverstone.org or to reserve tickets, call 724 659-3153.
After the performance there will be a meet-the-artists reception next door at the Red Brick Gallery coinciding with the gallery’s annual Holiday Art Show & Sale.
Formed in 2013, The Allegheny City Ragtime Orchestra takes its name from Allegheny City, known today as Pittsburgh’s North Side. The orchestra is dedicated to restoring the lost history of the ragtime era in Pittsburgh. The ensemble will perform recently rediscovered compositions by Pittsburgh composers from the turn of the 20th century. These works have not been heard in almost 100 years, or just around the time of the founding of Lincoln Hall by the Fox family in nearby Foxburg.
In addition, the ACRO will perform Latin American-inspired pieces by composers from Harlem’s Clef Club, an African-American musical organization formed by James Reese Europe in the 1910s. The concert will also feature compositions by composers from Latin American countries who were inspired by American Ragtime music.
“In our humble opinion Tom Roberts is without question one of the finest pianists today in the exciting Harlem stride piano style,” JazzBeat Magazine said.
Tom Roberts is one of the leading exponents of early jazz piano in the world today, (as stated by Ricardo Sciavales in The Heart and Soul of Stride, Blues, and Swing Piano).
Tom has performed on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, The Statler Brothers Show on TNN and A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor. He was the featured pianist at the International Stride Piano Summit in Zurich, Switzerland, 2001 and 2009. Tom was the pianist for Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks in New York City (recent Grammy winners for the soundtrack to Boardwalk Empire) and the pianist and musical director for Leon Redbone for six years.
He continues to tour worldwide and perform with bands from New Orleans and New York, including the Original Dixieland Jazzband and the Louisiana Repertory Jazz Ensemble. Besides his pianistic artistry Tom is a versatile music historian with special focus on the Early Jazz era. He has contributed articles for magazines such as Piano Today and is a frequent guest at National Public Radio.
