Pauline Alpert - Keyboard Wizards of the Gershwin Era: Vol. 1 (rec. 1927-44, Pearl comp. 1995)
George Gershwin has always been difficult for me to appreciate. Too pretentious for pop, too casual for classical and surely not jazz, even in that prehistoric kingdom that crowned Paul Whiteman its king. Recently I stumbled across this series from Pearl Records that helped me to understand Gershwin's musical milieu. Pauline Alpert (1905-1988) was one of many "novelty pianists" who deployed their classical training on popular songs, which they "embellished". For good reason, Alpert was called "The Whirlwind". Her sparkling solos energized familiar Broadway tunes (including Gershwin's "Fascinating Rhythm"), new pop instrumentals and even the occasional classical favorite. Pauline even went so far as to perform as "The Flying Pianist" suspended (along with her piano!) on a pulley above the audience.
Her style, while not improvisational, is highly individualistic and interpretive. Like a lot of other early popular forms, the "novelty piano" was swept aside by the swing era, leaving Pauline to record primarily mood music for the company that created "Muzak" and a few stray small label 78's. But her output is well worth digging out today for a glimpse at a long lost musical world.