Jazz and Ragtime Musician Paul Asaro to Perform at the Opera House Saturday

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If you liked the Ragtime Jazz that you just heard musician Paul Asaro playing, you might want to take a trip to Marlinton and hear Paul live at the Opera House at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, November 5^th.  Paul is one of the few musicians still playing that early style piano music from the first half of the last century. Paul has been playing for over two decades at venues world-wide. Paul has even spent years as the house pianist aboard the famous New Orleans Delta Queen Steamboat.

Although Paul usually plays with his own Jazz Dance band, he will be performing solo at the Opera House Saturday.

We’ll let Paul tell you a little about himself and his music.

“My name is Paul Asaro from Chicago” Paul says. “I started out playing Ragtime as a kid –still playing it –still getting away with its piano and vocals and its Ragtime all the way from the turn of the century to the early jazz of the 1920’s and 30s. I play a lot of music by names like Scott Joplin and Jelly Roll Morton, Fats Waller and James P. Johnson and Willie The Lion Smith and other colorful characters. I’ve been doing this show now for ten years, and going around the country and just doing a one man show and it’s a lot of fun. I’ve been to the Pocahontas Opera House before. It was well received and I had a great time, so I’m looking forward to going back and it’s this Saturday night.

Paul talks about the show he plans for Saturday night.

“It’s a very simple and direct show” said Paul. “It’s up close and personal, nothing fancy about it, no electronics or anything. It’s kind of the band I play with –unfortunately won’t be there, it’ll just be me but our band is a 20’s and 30’s Jazz Dance Band. I’m really used to being pretty much acoustic except for a microphone for my voice.”

I asked Paul about what songs he will be playing?

“Songs like ‘Hey Miss behaving’, Maple Leaf Rag and King Porter Stomp” Paul says. “Not too many people playing it anymore –so good chance to hear it.”

So if you love old music, or if you just love history, you might just want to jog on over to Marlinton at 7:30 p.m. this Saturday night and hear Paul play his music live before Ragland/Jazz disappears into the memories of history. Youth 17 and younger get in free, while the rest of us will have to pay $11.54. We leave you with a little more of Paul Asaro’s Music.

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