Recording Reviews

“Paul Posnak has painstakingly transcribed a dozen prformances by Gershwin (an outstanding pianist) from records or piano rolls to sheet music, then recorded them, closely following Gershwin’s style and technique. The result is remarkably like having Gershwin himself in digital stereo.” The Washington Post

“A terrific recording...The excellent pianist, Paul Posnak,dazzles.”(EMI Classics)-American Record Guide

“Well. pull up a chair because the Gershwin you are about to hear will have you murmuring his name with a reverance usually reserved for the”big three”. Paul Posnak’s efforts are truly a labor of love.” CD News For The Collector

“A delight...a disc that has so much to offer new and old “Fats” fans. Posnak’s performances of these energetic compositions are fluid and have the spontaneous character so necssary for Waller’s music, and he breezes through hard-to- play passages withall the facility and verve of Liszt. Another of Paul Posnak's CD's, Gershwin's Piano Improvisations, features Posnak's outstanding piano playing as on the Waller disc.” Clavier

“Posnak’s playing is clear. intense and well-focused...deeply poetic playing, with all the zest and virtuosity one could ask for” American Record Guide

“Played beautifully and simply” Newsweek

“The playing is free, full-bodied and marvelously impulsive. It’s hard to imagine better performances” Fanfare

“Paul Posnak and the Portland String Quartet are...inside Bloch’s idiom. The performances sizzle. This is one of the finest chamber recordings of the year” (Arabesque, Bloch Quintets)-Stereo Review

“After devoting the past 17 years of his life to researching and recreating the works of some of this century’s jazz giants, he’s succeeded in opening a new door of discovery in a way that’s both entertaining and enlightening” (Naxos, Ain't Misbehavin') -Goldmine

“Good playing caught in thrilling close-up.”(EMI Classics) The Los Angeles Times

“An impressive new release...presents a strong sampling of 20th century repertoire” The Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel

"Paul Posnak's rock-solid rhythm and superb articulation are all we can wish for in the piano parts". (Naxos, Complete Copland) -Jed Disler, Classics Today

"Thanks to Naxos, producers Marina and Victor Ledin, and the musicians involved for furnishing such an extended view of Cadman's chamber works. ...the performances are assertive, warm, technically adroit, and fully committed...Engineering is good, close, and well blended. Strongly recommended." -Barry Brenesal, Fanfare

"The Want List 2002" (Naxos, Cadman Chamber Music) -George Chien, Fanfare

"The performances are vital and communicative, recorded with presence and clarity. Another winner from this enterprising series, which continues to provide a huge service to the music lovers with it's wide-ranging survey of little-known repertoire and forgotten American composers" -Lawerence A. Johnson, Gramophone

"Sergiu Schwartz and Paul Posnak are such engaging performers and play so well together that one is simply bowled over." (Naxos, Carpenter Chamber Music)
- Roderic Dunnett, Strad


PUBLICATION REVIEWS

Thomas "Fats" Waller The great Solos 1929-1941

"Paul Posnak's transcriptions of Fats Waller's playing will certainly be a standard source for students of stride piano. The notation is accurate, practical to read, and an important reference. Waller was a considerable sondwriter as well, and his hits are all represented." -Dick Hyman, Jazz Pianist, Recording Artist & Arranger 

"I am the very happy owner of your publication of 'Fats' Waller transcriptions, which I have to say is quite breath-taking and I can understand that it has taken you all of fifteen years to capture such accuracy of notation in such a way that the music' makes sense'!" -Clive A. Steele (Sweden)

"Your Fats Waller; The Great Solos 1929-1941, has given me such enormous pleasure and holds such promise of lots more to come that I thought to write and tell you so and to thank and congratulate you. Fats Waller has been my hero since my boyhood and I have keep thw ambition alive that one day, with enough practice I could play one or two pieces like him. You deserve a pension for contributing to the sum total of human happiness."
-Hamish Thomson (UK)

"I have been wishing for transcriptions of Waller performances ever since the first time I heard his recording which was in 1969. So I've been waiting for a very long time! BLESS YOU for doing this!"
-Gregory Whitfield (San Francisco)