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Mark Birnbaum
About Me
Raised in Brooklyn, educated in New York City with a Doctorate in Music Composition
from Columbia University, Mark Birnbaum composed and directed the successful off-
Broadway show, A Day Together, which was funded by the Helena Rubenstein
foundation and performed in the five boroughs of New York City in 1983-84.
Dr. Birnbaum was featured as the staff pianist of television's nationally syndicated
Joe Franklin Show (WWOR-TV, Channel 9 NY), where he performed in over 500
appearances from 1989-93.
At Manhattan's 13th Street Theater, Mark Birnbaum starred in two one man shows
that he wrote, Ragtime '94 and Ragtime '96, that salute the music of Scott Joplin,
Jelly Roll Morton and the glory of ragtime and jazz piano.
Mark Birnbaum has been touring regionally in the New York City Metropolitan area,
where he performs regularly throughout the five boroughs, Long Island, New Jersey
and Connecticut.
('Mark Birnbaum: This is Entertainment) I've never heard another CD like it. The
Ragtime piano of Scott Joplin, Jelly Roll Morton, 1920's tunes, Bach, Scriabin, and
originals.
Steve Allen
Seconds Magazine: The Art of The Interview: Mark Birnbaum - This Is Entertainment
(MJB)
Virtuoso piano styling is a lost art these days of inexpensive samplers and grade-
school Electronica. Praise hail MJB for Mark Birnbaum, a New York City ivory-tickler
with notable degrees of panache and finesse. Many of you are already familiar with
Mr. Birnbaum's talents from his work as the staff pianist on Joe Franklin's long-
running television show. Now he softly slips onto your stereo with This Is
Entertainment, a tasty offering of lovely and proficient renditions from the
repertoires of Scott Joplin, Jelly Roll Morton and J.S. Bach.
Birnbaum is to the Steinway what Yankee Stadium icon Eddie Layton is to the
Hammond organ - and he's a Mephistophelian lounge lothario deserving of your easy
listening. In Hip Hop parlance: yo, he's got mad skillz.
Seconds Magazine, 1998
Classically trained with a doctorate in music from Columbia University, Mark
Birnbaum graduated into keeping ragtime alive and serving as staff pianist on the
popular Joe Franklin television show. This Manhattan based pianist can play
everything, and continues to do so throughout the New York City metropolitan
area.
Edward Jablonski, Official Biographer of Irving Berlin, George Gershwin & Harold
Arlen.
Mark Birnbaum is ' Mr. Ragtime,' the piano entertainer for the 21st Century. He's
Scott Joplin, Jelly Roll Morton and Liberace rolled into one.
Joe Franklin
As anyone who's caught one of his several hundred appearances on Joe
Franklin's television show will know, Mark Birnbaum (who has a Ph.D. from Columbia)
is the consummate ragtime piano specialist. He knows all of the classical rags by
Scott Joplin, Eubie Blake, Jelly Roll Morton - he can take any song you name (from
Sh-Boom to Amazing Grace) and convert it to ragtime.
Chip Deffaa, The New York Post
This is the pianist where Vladimir Horowitz and Liberace meet. Where classical
and jazz are one.
Barry Farber, WWOR Radio
Mark (Birnbaum) is Jerry Lee (Lewis) with a Ph.D. Ragtime jazz piano, Jelly Roll
Morton, Debussy, Mozart - he plays it all
Captain Lou Albano
Elements of Gershwin on drugs.
Ear Magazine
Scheduled for release in early 2004 is Mark's new cd, Hot Piano: Ragtime, Jazz &
Blues. Check website for more details.
Tour updates are posted regularly on website: http://
www.ragtimemarkbirnbaum.com