What do Bach, Chopin, Debussy, Shostakovich, Rachmaninoff and Tom McDermott all have in common? They composed short pieces (preludes) of music in all 24 major and minor keys. Bach’s “Well-Tempered Clavier” influenced almost all composers. Chopin’s set of 24 preludes, Op. 28, liberated the prelude from its original introductory purpose and allowed it to serve as an independent concert piece. Numerous composers after him wrote preludes with a similar purpose, such as Debussy and his two books of impressionistic piano preludes. Tom McDermott’s All the Keys & Then Some has taken the compositional challenge even further by not only offering 24 pieces in all the major and minor keys but introducing humor, boogie-woogie, klezmer, Brazilian rhythms and a bit of James Booker.
Originally released in 1996 this CD also includes a suite of 14 portraits of musicians that inspired McDermott “Some Friends of Mine.” The highlight there is “Andrew’s Antics,” written in emulation of Raymond Scott, but for me, “All the Keys” is McDermott’s masterpiece. Most of the 24 pieces are under 2 minutes and all display harmonic complexity and rhythmic vigor. My favorite, “Klezmer Nuthouse,” is the opening piece and begins a voyage of discovery and delight.
As readers of this magazine know, Tom McDermott doesn’t just interpret the existing repertoire; he brings us new compositions that are emotionally responsive that include such diverse forms as Dixieland, Ragtime, Brazilian Choro and French Musettes. McDermott is that rare musician who embraces the classical form and infuses it with pop sensibilities. He follows in the footsteps of Louis Moreau Gottschalk, Ernesto Lecuona and Ernesto Nazareth all who are all now considered classical composers but whom in their day composed music that was deemed too accessible and popular.
—Joseph Irerra, Offbeat Magazine
All the Keys & Then Some (Piano Music from New Orleans)
