[Dixielandjazz] This Is Ragtime

[Dan Augustine]

     I wrote earlier that i had bought Terry Waldo's book _This Is 
Ragtime_ (Da Capo, 1976) that Leon Oakley had mentioned as having 
some quotations by Lu Watters. But it has a lot more than that, 
obviously.
     I'm now immersed in the flow of other ideas and other kinds of 
'jazz' musics that were mentioned in that book.  While i've been a 
ragtime fan for over 30 years (i arranged 20 of Scott Joplin's rags 
for brass quintet in the early 70's), i didn't know much about where 
ragtime came from or about its early and modern practicioners.  I'm 
now paying more attention to the music of our ragtime brethern (and 
sistern--wait, that doesn't sound right).
     Here are some of the little nuggets i've found in Waldo's book:
1) John William ("Blind") Boone, a 19th-century black concert pianist 
from Missouri, who played not only Beethoven but "raggy Negro music". 
I find it fascinating that he "was able to duplicate, note for note, 
any performance of music he heard, even down to the mistakes...."
2) Euday Bowman, a Kansas City composer who wrote not only the "12th 
Street Rag", but rags named after other streets of that city, like 
the "11th Street Rag" and "rags in blues forms that feature 
unorthodox numbers of measures and very tricky bass figures."
3) James Scott, whose rags have been favorites of OKOM bands; Turk 
Murphy said he was "the most exciting of the classic rag composers".
4) Eubie Blake, who not only wrote and performed many rags, but 
studied with one of the subjects of my dissertation, Joseph 
Schillinger, completing the four-year program in two years (and 
paying handsomely for the privilege, i'm sure).
5) Joe Jordan, whose 1917 "That Teasin' Rag" "was taken note for note 
by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band as part of their big hit, 'The 
Original Dixieland One-Step,' without credit or compensation to the 
author." One of his rags ("Half and Half", written in 1915) was 
written in 5/4 meter.
6) Zez Confrey, who composed "Kitten on the Keys" among others, and 
Waldo says that "Poor Butterfly" "should properly be played slowly 
and sweetly by a choir of drunken soprano saxophonists." (Did Kenny G 
read this book?)
7) Arlo Guthrie wrote "an excellent rag called 'Week on the Rag'"; i 
seem to recall that he also wrote another rag called "Ring around the 
Rosy Rag".
8) Maria Muldaur "explored the roots of ragtime with some of her 
recordings, such as 'Work Song.'"
     As i have long been a fan of Muldaur's, but didn't have any of 
her recordings, i bought the one called "Maria Muldaur" (Reprise CD 
2148-2), which has on it not only "Work Song" (by Kate McGarrigle) 
but "Any Old Time" (by Jimmie Rodgers), both of which would make fine 
tunes for dixieland. Since i am nothing if not compulsive, i also 
branched out and bought Jim Kweskin's Jug Band's Greatest Hits CD, a 
CD by the Even Dozen Jug Band (with Maria D'Amato later Muldaur, John 
Sebastian, Steve Katz, and Joshua Rifkin), and a double-CD by The 
Memphis Jug Band.
     The study of ragtime is full of surprises.  I'm sure that reading 
any good book on jazz history would also lead one out on multiple 
side-journeys, but that's my point.  My interest in "tickling the 
ivories" led me to discover an elephant-full of associated musical 
pathways.

     Dan
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**  Dan Augustine    Austin, Texas   ds.augustine@mail.utexas.edu **
**    "If you can't say anything good about someone, sit right    **
**     here by me."    -- Alice Roosevelt Longworth               **
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