A regular performer at the Outpost for many years, Fred Sturm usually presents classical music of contemporary Latin American and Spanish composers, often based on popular rhythmic styles. For this concert, Sturm goes to the roots of those styles, as well as the beginnings of jazz. Music of the two top ragtime composers, Scott Joplin and James Scott, will be paired with Tangos of their Brazilian contemporary, Ernesto Nazareth, in an exploration of sophisticated music from the 1890s to the 1920s. The concert will feature a few of the most familiar standards, like Joplin’s Maple Leaf, Scott’s Ragtime Oriole and Nazareth’s Brejeiro, but will concentrate on less-heard pieces that show off the expressive range of these extraordinarily talented composers, like Joplin’s Rose Leaf Rag and Solace, Nazareth’s Xango and Remando, and Scott’s Grace and Beauty. Sturm, who is also the Outpost’s longtime piano technician, has performed regularly in the Albuquerque area for over 40 years and has produced seven CDs. His latest release, En Clave, features all the piano music of Mexican composer Arturo Marquez, and was presented in concert at the Outpost in the fall of 2023.