Charles Leslie Johnson published his 1911 rag Cloud Kisser pseudonymously as Raymond Birch. Cloud Kisser is a lighthearted piece, yet has moments of surprising warmth
The Smoky Topaz, published in 1901 by Whitney Warner in Detroit. Her treatment of form in The Smoky Topaz shows her maturity as a teenage
Cleopatra Rag (1915) is one of twelve of Joseph Lamb’s piano rags published by Stark Music Company. In an advertisement for the piece, the publisher
This work—co-written with Scott Hayden in 1901—has continually been one of Scott Joplin’s most popular pieces. Many fine recordings exist of Sunflower Slow Drag. Richard
Jack Rummel is my favorite Ragtime composer; his Folk Ragtime and Bluegrass-influenced compositions bring me joy every time I play them. His Portrait of a
Scott Joplin’s ornate and harmonious Fig Leaf Rag is probably his most difficult piece to play. The B and C sections—with their right hand thirds
Composer and nightclub owner Tom Turpin (c. 1871-1922) is one of Ragtime’s most influential figures. Ragtime Nightmare from 1900 is the third of his six
Twenty years ago, Chicago composer Reginald R. Robinson recorded his fourth studio album, Man Out of Time. Today, Man Out of Time is once again
Before his passing in 1982, Tom Shea was a key Ragtime figure, synthesizing several turn-of-the-century styles in his compositions. Prairie Ragtime: the Music of Tom
Adam Swanson’s boisterous, exuberant original rag The Strater Shuffle is a treat. Its thick chords and “walking” left hand tenths are sonically influenced by Tom
As a young teenager simultaneously learning the mechanics of piano playing and falling in love with Ragtime, I would have benefited greatly by being introduced
James Scott’s Honey Moon Rag—published in 1916 by Stark Music Company—is a rarely-played Classic Ragtime gem. It possesses many of the characteristics of Scott’s trademark
Paul Orsi is a very entertaining musician. His sheet music folio Paul Orsi: the Early Years contains six delightful pieces. The simple Sunrise Rag is
David Thomas Roberts’ 2008 Wendy—an overlooked gem in the key of D-flat—is categorically similar to his more recent Romantic Ragtime works (e.g. Nahyr, Victorian Gardens,
Vincent Matthew Johnson (pictured) is one of the most accomplished Ragtime composers alive; though young, he has already written several masterpieces in both Classic and
Some of my favorite memories are of vacationing in Sedalia, Missouri, listening to live music while sipping cool limeade on the courthouse lawn—memories of summertime
Edward Maraga of El Sereno, California, has adroitly adopted the characteristics of Brun Campbell’s music—simplicity, directness, and undimmed cheerfulness—in his own compositions. The title of
Charles Hunter (1876-1906) is an important figure in Ragtime’s history, perhaps the greatest influence of today’s Folk Ragtime. His 1901 Cotton Bolls is a well-loved
Music enthusiasts interested in folk-flavored Ragtime should take a serious look at the work of Minnesotan Brian Keenan, whose The Wagon Wheel is a modern
It Gets Better by W. Brett Youens is one of the most well-written rags of the last decade to be composed in the ultra-refined, Joplinesque
