The Eagles and Ivories Ragtime Festival occurs every January in Muscatine, IA, so-named because bald eagle watching is an activity unique to the festival and it’s locale. Commissioned by the Muscatine Arts Council, the festival’s titular piano rag was written by Jeff Barnhart in 2008. An atmospheric introduction begins the piece. Much of the piece is traditional Popular Ragtime in the key of C major.
The A minor B section is a quintessential snapshot of Barnhart’s peppy playing style. The F major C section is a non-syncopated Romantic theme of great grandeur. The sublime beauty of this theme is heightened by Barnhart’s deft layering of voices in an orchestral manner. The A section then returns to give the piece a rousing finish. Eagles and Ivories Rag is the closing track on Barnhart’s Mystic Memories CD (JACD 1030), available at jeffbarnhart.com.
