A modern-day proponent of the classic ragtime sound, Norwegian pianist Morten Gunnar Larsen first earned notice when his 1983 debut album Echo of Spring won a Spellmansprisen (Norway's equivalent to the Grammy award). In addition to subsequent sessions including 1989's Maple Leaf Rag and 1999's Fingerbreaker, Larsen also won acclaim for arranging, directing and co-starring in the off-Broadway show Jelly Roll! The Music and the Man. ~ Jason Ankeny