Donald Ashwander: The Complete Works for Solo Piano, Vol. 1 marks the beginning of a four-volume project devoted to one of American piano music’s most distinctive and overlooked voices.

 

Performed by pianist Corte Swearingen, this first volume brings together 17 works composed between 1965 and 1967—a remarkably fertile period in which Ashwander forged a personal musical language rooted in ragtime, American folk traditions, lyrical melody, and adventurous harmony.

 

From the buoyant energy of Friday Night and Business in Town to the atmospheric beauty of Winter Fields, Sea Oats, and Peacock Colors, these pieces reveal a composer who respected tradition while continually expanding its expressive possibilities.

 

Nearly three decades after Ashwander’s death, this recording project brings his extraordinary solo piano legacy back into the light.