Improvised two-piano Chopsticks redux -- Tom Brier and Adam Swanson

Goofing off after the West Coast Ragtime Festival, Tom and Adam began playing "Chopsticks" on two pianos. Last time this happened was two years earlier at Sutter Creek, the first time Adam and Tom had played together. Back then, Adam had begun playing the tune as a joke, unaware of how far Tom would run with it -- and Adam didn't know the tune beyond the first few bars so had to learn it on the fly (this is what my comment at the beginning of this video refers to). See that amazing moment here:    • Chopsticks in ragtime on two pianos, ...  

This time, Adam was well prepared to run with it. And so they did, for nine minutes! Like the first time, Adam eventually turns it into "Tiger Rag" (though the first time he had gone to "Bill Bailey" first then put "Tiger Rag" on top of it once Tom took "Bill Bailey"!).

Being that this is just goofing around and completely unrehearsed, there are times when they end up switching keys on each other, creating brief periods of dissonance. Remember that this is not a concert -- just a couple of guys having fun at a party. It's nearly a "cutting contest" in true historic ragtime tradition.

Adam is 18 years old, a three-time (and thus "retired") winner of the World Championship of Old-Time Piano Playing (also a three-time Junior champion at the event prior to his first entry as an adult at age 15). He is on YouTube as "adamgswanson". He also has a web site: http://www.adamgswanson.com