 Jo Ann Castle Hardcore ragtime enthusiasts have wrestled over the validity of Jo Ann Castle's art since her television debut on "The Ina Ray Show" at the age of 17. Jo Ann's insistence of using the smooth gloss sounds of Lawrence Welk's band as a frequent backdrop can be paralled to Dylan going electric. The beauty of the Castle queen is that she throws it back in ragtime purists' faces by proving she knows her old school honky tonk with the best of 'em … a note-perfect version of the "Black and White Rag" rests comfortably amid all the easy-listening ease. The chops, the insouciance, the dexterity, all used to break down the confining walls of ragtime. Why she was never lauded in the pages of Grand Royal magazine is beyond us.
Review by Quinzio |