Jacob Adams is one of today’s most prolific piano rag composers. Seaside Rag (2021) displays the hallmarks of his compositional style: sonorous extended tertian harmonies (7th, 9th, 13th chords), long, flowing melodies, and an active left hand part.
Unlike Adams’ other pieces, Seaside Rag has no ending coda and adheres to the traditional rag form (ABACD with 16-measure sections). Brief excursions into A-flat major and B-flat minor in the D major A section are colorful moments that I enjoy. The C section features scalar left hand countermelodies. Adams’ CD Equanimity (pictured) can be purchased from rivermontrecords.com. Sheet music can be obtained from the composer at [email protected]. Many of Adams’ pieces, including Seaside Rag, can be heard on YouTube.
