‘Bolcom is lucky in having such a musician to provide him with these authoritative accounts of his music. Individual rags will undoubtedly pop up on recital discs from time to time (at least, they should) but any further ‘Complete Rags’ will be completely redundant. Hamelin’s razor-sharp rhythmic acuity and precise accentuation in tandem with his customary nonchalant dexterity would, on their own, be sufficient for the success of this release, but there are other things: a sophisticated palette, a deep tenderness, a mischievous sense of humour and the chameleon’s ability to convince you that he is not a classical pianist but, first and foremost, a successor to James P Johnson. There is more. I doubt if there’s another pianist on the planet who, after giving us a revelatory two-disc survey of CPE Bach, could so adroitly turn his attention to late 20th-century ragtime. The man is a miracle. Another Gramophone Award nomination beckons’ (Gramophone)

‘[Eubie’s Luckey Day is] extremely virtuosic, and, given Marc-André Hamelin’s pedigree, it’s not surprising that his performance is a tour de force … Hamelin knows when to swing the rhythms and when to keep them straight … a clear picture of an essential chapter in American music’ (BBC Music Magazine)» More

‘Bolcom's notes describe his ragtime journey from beginning to end, and Hamelin's playing is delightful. It's sympathetic, witty, virtuosic—you can almost hear him grinning with delight at Bolcom's harmonic and rhythmic ingenuity … brilliant entertainment’ (BBC Record Review)

‘It’s a red-letter day to have William Bolcom’s Rags recorded as an entity, in great sound … Bolcom’s a fine pianist, too, so the writing is idiomatic, gratefully seized upon by Marc-André Hamelin who plays these upbeat, sentimental and whimsical, laidback and scintillating, unfailingly tuneful pieces not only with virtuosity but also insouciance and relish that transmits itself openly to the listener revelling in the sheer variety of Bolcom’s invention’ (colinscolumn.com)» More

‘After his sparkling C P E Bach disc, released on the Hyperion label in January 2022, Marc-André Hamelin, that fearless master of the piano who seems to be able to playing anything (and I mean anything!) moves seamlessly from the precision and clarity of early classical keyboard music to an album of piano rags, written over the last 50 or so years, by American composer William Bolcom … all are distinctive, appealing in their references back to Joplin’s model, but with multiple moods and harmonies, and brilliantly presented by Hamelin, who seems to really relish this repertoire (and if you didn’t know it, listening to him you’d never guess he’s a classical pianist—there’s a natural jazz insouciance to Hamelin’s playing throughout the disc). There’s wit and humour aplenty, tempered, when needed, by tenderness and poignancy, whimsy, much charm and ingenious invention. If you don’t know the music of William Bolcom, this disc should absolutely be your starting point. It’s a wonderful, revelatory, and, above all, really enjoyable listen from start to finish. Recommended’ (ArtMuseLondon)

‘Marc-André Hamelin—who has become one of the greats of our era—has recorded all 27 rags on two discs, catching their reverence and irreverence with equal brilliance … ‘Graceful Ghost Rag’ may be the most famous contemporary rag by anyone, much in demand as an encore, given a lovely reading by Hamelin, who is aware of its genteel wit … ‘Brass Knuckles’, written jointly with William Albright, has some crunching clusters thrown in with humorous effect; those must be the brass knuckles. It’s a real trip, and Hamelin handles the crunches with gusto’ (San Francisco Classical Voice, USA)

‘I cannot speak too enthusiastically of Hamelin's playing. Immediately in track 1 his relish for this music is tangible in playing of terrific wit, verve and sheer uninhibited character, but there is also deep sensitivity in the more reflective numbers’ (MusicWeb International)» More

‘Marc-André Hamelin is of course celebrated not only for his astonishing technique—he has some of the fleetest fingers in the business—but also for his championing of lesser-known composers, which certainly includes Bolcom as far as we on this this side of the pond are concerned. He brings his usual precision, verve and sensitivity to these delightful pieces, which seem to me, as a collection, to be even finer than Joplin’s. indeed, I can’t wait to get hold of the sheet music and have a go at some of them myself. The recording is impeccable. Strongly recommended’ (MusicWeb International)

‘These are, on the one hand, unfailingly tuneful and charming pieces. They chart both Bolcom’s unique career—his straddling the worlds of serious and popular musics, as well as his interactions with various luminaries like Eubie Blake and Rudi Blesh—and his natural gift for melodic invention. At the same time, they’re fantastically inventive and rigorous, compositionally and harmonically … throughout, the pianist makes light of the music’s technical demands. These are formidable: Bolcom’s writing is consistently virtuosic. Yet they’re nothing to Hamelin, who sounds as if he were born to play this repertoire. Voicings and balances are excellent. The energy level—especially rhythmically—never flags … the whole album stands as the definitive recording of Bolcom rags, complete or excerpted: a triumph for the pianist and the composer, as well as a grandly spirited, accessible, inventive journey for any who care to join them on it’ (The Arts Fuse, USA)» More

‘Today’s Recording of the Week—the complete rags of octogenarian pianist-composer William Bolcom, clocking in at a little over two hours—might sound intimidatingly niche, perhaps of interest only to devotees of this particular genre. Nothing could be further from the truth; Bolcom’s twenty-six rags run a gamut from exuberance to introspection, from humour to expressions of deep pain and grief. And who better than Marc-André Hamelin to perform them? … Hamelin responds perfectly to the changing shifts of mood and emotion in Bolcom’s multi-faceted exploration of the ragtime genre, clearly illustrating its variety and adaptability. No wonder Bolcom has never quite managed to kick this particular musical habit!’ (Presto Classical)» More

'Wat een luxe om in een genre dat vooral met barpianisten wordt geassocieerd iemand te horen die zoveel uit de piano kan halen, die kan swingen zonder dat zijn pianistische finesse eronder lijdt. Hoor hem in Eubie’s Luckey Day: zijn handonafhankelijkheid stelt hem in staat een groep met meerdere muzikanten op te roepen' (De Volkskrant, Netherlands)