Take Five was recorded in 1959 by the Dave Brubeck Quartet with Dave on piano, Paul Desmond on alto sax, Eugene Wright on bass and Joe Morello on drums. Written in 5/4 time, Take Five rose quickly on the charts with its distinctive melody played on the sax, jolting drum solo and use of the unusual 5/4 time. Take Five has been included in countless movies and television soundtracks, and still receives significant radio play. 

Paul Desmond - Take Five (Dave Brubeck)

Oswald Russell was a Jamaican pianist and composer who lived 1933-2012 and taught in Switzerland much of his adult life. He wrote Three Jamaican Dances, inspired by impressions of Jamaican life and it folksong. I first heard this #2 Dance with its beautiful and tender melody played at the Icicle Creek piano retreat by William Chapman Nyaho, who has published a CD and sheet music on piano pieces by composers of African descent.

Oswald Russell - Jamaican Dance No. 2

Chopin - Nocturne Opus 9 No. 2

River Waltz (The Painted Veil) Alexandre Desplat

This piece is one of the 12 seasons being performed by The Piano Cloud group of pianists.

Tchaikovsky - The Seasons, Op. 37, June (Barcarolle)

Yoshinao Nakada - Variation Etude

Scarlatti - Sonata K.380

Grieg - Notturno, Op. 54 No. 4

Aaron Copland wrote the film score for the 1940 screen version of Our Town, a play by Thornton Wilder. The three excerpts from the film score arranged by Copland in 1994 are 1. Story of Our Town, 2. Conversation at the Soda Fountain, and 3. The Resting-place on the Hill.  The photo is of Peterborough, N.H., thought to be the setting for Wilder's play.

Copland - Our Town

Piazzolla - Oblivion (arr. Juan Carlos Zunini and Saul Cosentino)

Ryuichi Sakamoto - Amore

Ludovico Einaudi - Walk (In A Time Lapse)

Chopin - Nocturne Opus 72 No. 1 In E Minor

Tarrega - Recuerdos De La Alhambra

Barber wrote the Excursions in the 1940's, a series of 4 pieces fusing classical and folk and jazz idioms popular at that time in America.

Samuel Barber - Excursions II (in slow blues tempo)

Bach - Sarabande From Partita #2

Scott Joplin - Bethena, A Concert Waltz

Scarlatti - Sonata In F Minor, K.466

Vince Guaraldi composed this piece 50 years ago for the Charlie Brown Christmas broadcast premier.

Christmas Time Is Here - Vince Guaraldi

Rachmaninov Prelude Op 32 No 10

Originally composed by Mel Torme (music) and Bob Wells (lyrics) in 1944, Vince Guaraldi created this cover 50 years ago for the Charlie Brown Christmas broadcast premier.

The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting) - Vince Guaraldi Cover

Bluette was composed by Dave Brubeck as a slow waltz in the style of the 12 bar blues. Bluette was included in the record album, Time Further Out, released in 1961. I have included the Bluette theme, two of the four improvisations, and the theme's reprisal.

Dave Brubeck - Bluette

Opus 94 D.780. Moments Musicaux was composed as collection of six short pieces. Written in 1823, Schubert at age 26 was near the end of his life. He died at age 31.

Schubert - Moments Musicaux No.3

Chopin - Waltz in B minor, Op. 69 No.2

Skating - Vince Guaraldi

 Vince Guaraldi created this cover of the traditional Christmas song - also known as O Christmas Tree - 50 years ago for the Charlie Brown Christmas broadcast premier.

O Tannenbaum - Vince Guaraldi Cover

Oscar Peterson - The Gentle Waltz

Shenandoah (American folk) -  Keith Jarrett cover

Debussy - Girl With The Flaxen Hair

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor - Deep River, Op 59 No 10

Erik Satie - Gnossienne No. 3

Debussy - Arabesque No.1

Chopin Nocturne - Opus 37 No. 2 in G major

Chopin - Nocturne Opus 9 No.1 in Bb Minor

Beethoven Sonata in C Major Opus 2 No. 3 II. Adagio

Chopin - Nocturne Op 62 No 1

I am interested in playing a wide range of repertoire from Bach to Brubeck. Discovering Sound Cloud has opened a door to an amazing global pool of shared talent and ideas. Thank you for listening to my recordings and I welcome any comments.

Popular tracks by Ellen Cunningham