Biography

Alex Hassan is a Northern Virginian performing/recording pianist thoroughly immersed in the popular musical styles and arrangements of the 20s and 30s. Utilizing the resources of over 1600 syncopated piano solo 78s, a comprehensive [gluttonous?] sheet music collection (some 35,000 between-the-wars titles), broad classical training, and an intense love of this nebulous, straddling classical and jazz, idiom, Alex archives and recreates the glorious melodies of the Golden Age of Tin Pan Alley.

Amongst the highlights of his musical career, Alex counts performances at the Smithsonian, Player's Club (Manhattan--a party for the Gershwin family), Toronto's McMichael art gallery, England's Aldeburgh Festival, Longwood Gardens, Kennedy Center's Terrace Theater and Millennium Stage, Germany's Piano Rarities festival in Husum, and numerous ragtime festivals/societies around the states.

Since the mid 90s, Alex has been steadily recording for a classy small English CD label, Shellwood, which is dedicated to retro popular piano styles/compositions/performances, location of which doubles as the headquarters of the Billy Mayerl Society. 3 more CDs have also been issued on the equally elegant "Operetta Archives" label, of Los Angeles. Also look for "Phantom Fingers", issued by STOMP OFF. Links to all three discographies to follow.

He has made both piano roll and piano diskette (Pianomation) recordings for Buffalo's QRS Piano Roll Co. An Alex CYLINDER (!) even exists in a private collection on Long Island. NO, Alex's real name ain't Dorian Gray...

Alex is president of the Northern Virginia Ragtime Society, along with numerous other musical activities, and is considered one of the leading authorities on the Novelty/Syncopated/Rhythm Piano genre. He considers himself blessed with wife, Sara, who actually shares his musical and collecting enthusiasms, and hopes that some of this great music is...uhhh....registering with his now teenage progeny, Rachel and Andy. Fingers crossed, except when he's playing...

Buying/selling sheet music on eBay is another passion. Interested parties can find the Hassans under the moniker "alexsara". There are almost invariably a few intriguing titles up for auction. Have a peek!

You can contact Alex by clicking on his goofy picture above. He's an inveterate e-mailer, so expect a reply faster than you can say floccinaucinihilipilification.

Support

Though Alex tries to keep a reasonable quantity of his CDs in the home stock, you can be assured that copies are always available from the record companies themselves.

SHELLWOOD: www.shellwood.co.uk

OPERETTA ARCHIVES: www.operettafoundation.org

STOMP OFF: http://www.jazzbymail.com

Please click on the above links for detailed information on price/availability.