Milne rocked the Fust with blues, boogie woogie and more

The Library of Congress has deemed him a “national treasure.” He has the ability to hear and comprehend four symphonies in his head at one time. His talent is unfathomable to most people and touches all realms of music, from classical to bluegrass to ragtime to blues. You could tell, though, from his half-closed eyes and rapt expression that ragtime is his true love, as is entertaining an audience. And there was certainly no shortage of entertained audience members at Tuesday night’s performance.

On the afternoon of Tuesday, Jan. 17 the loggia at the Johann Fust Library sounded more like a juke joint than a higher place of learning – and sometimes that is quite all right … especially when Bob Milne is the source of the sound.

Milne is a friend of Emerson and Barbara Wickwire, two island residents who frequent the library on a very regular basis. They wanted to do something to give back to the community and, even more so, to the Fust. When they heard that Roger Amory, one of the founders of the library, used to pipe the Metropolitan Opera into the gardens on Saturday afternoons, creating a mini concert for those who would gather, they wanted to do their best to recreate that scenario. 

They succeeded. The people who filled the seats at Milne’s performance were captivated by his playing and his persona. His low voice, a cross between Winnie the Pooh and Walter Matthau, held the attention of those listening to his stories and the history and background of the subject of the evening – the ragtime genre – belied the intensity of his playing and the emotions it draws from those who listen. His fingers run so lightly over the keys at times the high octaves can barely be heard, only to thunder into lower octaves like a herd of wild horses. His presence at the piano sounds more like three people than one, which is coincidental to a story he told of a player piano at a German rathskeller that he attempted to mimic for months, practicing for hours a day. When he finally took a look at the metal rolls used by the piano to make music, he saw three names. There were three men playing at once on the roll that he had been duplicating by ear.

He is self taught and plays the piano by ear. He did attend the Eastman School of Music in New York, but studied the French horn at that time, playing with the Rochester Philharmonic and the Baltimore Symphony. He and his friends loved to frequent the local “saloons,” as he loves to call them, but he couldn’t bring his horn so he started playing the instrument that was there – the piano. He eventually moved to Detroit and played in any venue that would have him. It was the blues that gave him pause, and, of course, ragtime. Now he is known worldwide as an ivory tickler extraordinaire and has toured in several countries.

The Library of Congress has deemed him a “national treasure.” He has the ability to hear and comprehend four symphonies in his head at one time. His talent is unfathomable to most people and touches all realms of music, from classical to bluegrass to ragtime to blues. You could tell, though, from his half-closed eyes and rapt expression that ragtime is his true love, as is entertaining an audience. And there was certainly no shortage of entertained audience members at Tuesday night’s performance. 

Many thanks to the Wickwires and to library staff for making it a night to remember.