PIAN-OKOM (Sometimes known as PIANORAMA to the less initiate) Some transcriptions to piano rolls (yes, those things are still being produced today) by the talented John Farrell over in Great Britain, kindly loaned to the BSR here in order for us to present a sampling of piano styles of artists in the past who created the foundation in jazz for all that followed — except for recent pop stuff (it's doubtful that today's "keyboardists" have the mindset or the talent required to tackle any of these). Click a tune title, then sit back and start feelin' good. Yas, yas... Notes are by John, which will help you get into the stride of things, and .mid files are small, which means with QuickTime they load in a trice or two, even play while loading. You Can't Lose A Broken Heart This lovely ballad, written by monster pianist-composer James P Johnson, was the hit song from the show "Sugar Hill" Ragtime Nightingale A lovely Joseph Lamb rag. I have given it a little jazz treatment. Waiting At the End of the Road Not one of my own transcriptions, this was sent to me by a friend (a few errors in the manuscript needed correction). I've tried to emulate the Fats Waller style. The song was composed by the one of America's most prolific tunesmiths, Irving Berlin. If I Had You A performance by the little-known pianist Marvin Ash which I transcribed some time ago. Ash was a truly great jazz pianist who worked in the music department of the Disney conglomeration until his untimely death which, I am told, was hastened by alcoholic overindulgence. Such a pity, he was one of the best. It Had To Be You I transcribed this from an Art Tatum recording. Without doubt, he was the greatest jazz pianist ever to draw breath. Bounce With Me Written by that two-fisted keyboard genius, Errol Garner, one of the most exciting players ever to have graced the planet. I have done my best to emulate him in this styling, just lie back and enjoy it Careless Love Cliff Jackson was a wonderful stride pianist who had one of the best left hands in the business. Most of his recorded output consisted of uptempo tours de force, so to present a different aspect of his talent I have transcribed his version of this medium tempo bluesy song, yet you still feel that Cliff is just itching to break out and stomp it to death! Tack Head Blues Written by Alex Hill, from whose Vocalion recording I transcribed this exciting mid-tempo blues. Hill was one of the finest Chicago South Side style jazz pianists of his day. Walleritis Composed by Don Ewell as a tribute to the Great One, and transcribed this from a recording he made with the Teagarden Band. Honey Babe Written by Jelly Roll Morton, who claimed to have invented jazz. I have avoided Morton's idiosyncratic piano style here, instead I have chosen to arrange the tune in a more modern fashion. Royal Garden Blues I have based this arrangement on an almost inaudible recording of Don Lambert playing in a New Jersey bar back in the 1950s. Taken at a much gentler tempo than usual with with a few harmonic surprises. Cryin' For The Carolines I transcribed this delightful Harry Warren tune from James P Johnson's well-known 1930 recording. Without doubt it is the definitive piano version, every now and then the sly James P tangles up the syncopation so much that you are sure he has lost himself, but he pops out of the other end right on the beat! China Jumps A very obscure Fats Waller composition illustrating his powerful take-no-prisoners, fast stride style. When it came to playing this kind of thing, Waller had no equal. Unsaturated Fats Performed by Jean-Carl Simonetti, St Maurice, France Composed by K. O. Eckland as a personal tribute to Fats Waller, Jean-Carl certainly finds the Waller spirit in this one and adds some very flavorful touches of his own. (W.Z.)