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Ragtime composer Reginald Robinson performed at the Oriental Institute in Chicago’s Hyde Park area on March 7 for the fourth event from the Hyde Park Alliance for Arts & Culture (HyPa) 2010 events.
Approximately 85 people showed up to listen to Robinson play several songs from his latest CDs at the Oriental Institute, located at 1155 E. 58th St., from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Robinson started his performance by talking about his interest in Scott Joplin. He played an 1899 ragtime song by the piano composer and pianist after reminding the audience who Joplin was most popularly known for—“The Entertainer” song.
“I like to play (his songs) the way Scott Joplin wrote it,” Robinson said, referring to why he didn’t add his own spin to the song.
Robinson was introduced to Scott Joplin in 1986, when he was in seventh grade, while attending Robert Emmett Elementary School. He entered a program called “From Bach to Bebop” led by jazz trumpeter Orbert Davis. Although Robinson learned the styles of musicians like Beethoven to Miles Davis, he was most interested in ragtime music. After his mother purchased two instruments for him—a small electronic keyboard and then an 88-key piano—the music never stopped.
Robinson played many of his own songs at the Oriental Institute event, including 1993’s “To Mimic,” 1996’s “The Tomohawk,” 2001’s “Ansaar,” 1997’s “Mr. Murphy’s Blues,” 1990's “Eternal Love of Ankhesenpaaton & Tutankhaton,” 2009’s “Freedom Dance,” 1994’s “Little Dave Blues” and “Swampie Lee,” 1992’s “Poker Face Blues” and ended the performance with 2006’s “Foot Loose.”
Before each song, he explained to the audience where his inspiration came from. His musical ideas sparked from a broad range of activities, such as admiration for Native American culture, people going into retirement, the game of Poker, a man named Mr. Murphy whose kids even called him Mr. Murphy, an Egyptian exhibit at the Oriental Institute, a lady who found out her boyfriend was two-timing her and chased him with a blade, plotting on making his older brothers interested in ragtime and dancing Muslims.
“My mind works a little differently,” joked Robinson with the audience.
After his hour-long performance was over, he got a standing ovation. There were refreshments of cookies and coffee in the basement area and a line around the corner of the doorway with customers wanting to buy his CDs. He spent the next half an hour signing his three-disc 2009 compilation CD “Reflections” and his 2005 CD “Man Out of Time.”
Several customers immediately asked which CD “Mr. Murphy’s Blues” was on. His fiancée, Sondra Davis, sat by his side answering questions and helping him with his CD signing. Davis, a singer, was featured on his 1990’s CD “Euphonic Sounds” in the song “Incognito.”
A couple of visitors from Canada who'd moved to Chicago mentioned how impressed they were by his background.
“When I create music, I want to make music that I don’t get bored with,” said Robinson to Shamontiel, Chicago’s News & Events Examiner. “I want the audience to experience the variety, moods and love. I want them to feel the excitement and the joy of the music.”
For more info:
Additional HyPa events:
"Nicole Mitchell and Little Black Pearl artists at HyPa event, 'Intergalactic Beings' pre-performance"
2009 Hyde Park Jazz Festival blogs:
"Accidental jazz fan" (also on AC)
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