"My family just had the opportunity to experience Awadagin live. No words can describe the talent he exhibits! This CD is what the title promises, "A Long Way From Normal!" The talent is far beyond normal! Listen to Awadagin only when you have the time to savor what he has to offer. END"
What A Refreshing Performance
09/06/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I have heard many recordings made by those considered the finest pianists, as well as having had first hand experience in hearing several of them in actual performance. All that I can honestly say is that, Awadagin Pratt may well be the closest thing to Franz List reborn as we are going to get in this life. He plays from the heart and is not simply a technical wizard as are so many of today's generation of pianists. His interpretation and artistic expression are warm, passionate and sophisticated. Also, I have read the comments made by some reviewers relative to their opinions. Some of them are more than kind but others seem to be looking for excuses to criticize. To them I would simply say that, when they can produce music of this caliber then they have the right to such comments. Regardless of motives, the evaluation of musical artistry should be left to performing artists."
A Truly Wonderful Performance
nhchen | Union City, CA USA | 08/24/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The incomparable Awadagin Pratt did it again! This is truly a performance that leaves you slack-jawed in wonder. His incredible power and beautiful tone highlight the overall perfection of just about everything he plays. His fervent yet delicate emotions illustrate his obviously strong sense of the music's logic and meaning. All in all, it confirms this excellent impression: here is an artist who is not only enormously talented and creative, but also much more matured than his twenty-eight years age suggests. Pratt's rightful place in the vanguard of the world's greatest musicians is assured with every such magical performance."
Superb!
11/08/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Acclaimed pianist Awadagin Pratt, known for his unorthodox style -- he sits on a bench very low to the floor. He also eschews the traditional tuxedo in favor of brightly colored shirts and gives the old masters something beyond the standard treatment. However, it's his splendid performance that really counts. His astonishing brilliance and beauty, the romance and lyricism, the incredible technique and prodigious talent, and his superb and imaginative repertoire transport listeners, levitating them into a spiritual dimension, where materials are immaterial."
A Refreshing Performance
09/13/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Awadagin is truly a virtuoso who performed these timeless classical pieces with such passion and energy. His technique is perfect and his power is peerless. I'm a big fan of the great legendary Russian pianist Sviatoslav Richter, and I think the performance of these pieces by Awadagin is definitely at the same level as Richter's."