Colorful Colorado [Alf:00-44334]

Colorful Colorado provides a musical tour of this western state. The suite opens with "Aspen Leaf Rag," a buoyant ragtime number inspired by the colorful tree that covers many of Colorado's mountainsides. Technical challenges in this piece include a stride bass pattern in the left hand and heavy syncopation. "Moonlight on the Slopes" is a lyrical piece that oscillates between 3/4 and 6/8 meter. Flowing arpeggios and a delicate melody evoke the serenity of a moonlit, snow-covered landscape. The suite concludes with "Pike's Peak Boogie," a loping boogie-woogie number that calls to mind the cowboys and pioneers who founded the city of Colorado Springs. This piece features an engaging combination of classic blues inflections and unexpected harmonies.