For the last three years, I have been self-confined due to the Covid pandemic. Only frequent visits to the doctors’ offices 10 miles away and
The genius to be acknowledged as the third great “classic” ragtime composer is Joseph Lamb. Unlike Joplin and Scott, Lamb was white and from an
In the Ragtime Years when a great personality celebrity died, word would quickly spread through the entertainment districts, Variety shows might be interrupted to report
Today when I ask younger people where they first discovered ragtime, I get a lot of answers relating to the popular recording media of their
James Scott is often the second of the three acknowledged great “classic” ragtime composers with Joplin and Lamb. He was born in Neosho, Missouri, but
Word has come from the Netherlands that Coen Hofmann, the managing editor of and driving force behind the Jazz discography periodical Names & Numbers, died
John Stark was one of the America’s foremost publishers of “classic” ragtime sheet music and of early American Classical Music. He was born in Kentucky
It had been a reasonably normal day, perhaps even a little more pleasant than most. However, toward the middle of the afternoon, a minor cough
The owner has graciously turned over much of the Perry part of what exists currently consisting of seven deteriorating cardboard boxes. Sedalia’s superb local historian,
Since Scott Joplin’s Maple Leaf Rag seems to be the pivot around which ragtime revolves, it is appropriate to relate a bit of his biography
I am exceptionally excited this month to write this article. However, let me begin slowly and try to remain coherent. On Friday afternoon, September 9,
As I have often mentioned, having a column in this publication has opened the world of ragtime for me. It is often an adventure to
On August 10, 1899, at 114 East 5th Street, Sedalia, Missouri three men gathered at the John Stark and Son Music Store to sign a
We have faced many obituaries of major figures in music since the pandemic and a similar increase in the number of program and event cancellations
The earliest identified American ragtime compositions had their origins in the south and were inspired by minstrel music, particularly the folk banjo, and the popular
Since there are some TST readers and many young people who are not well acquainted with ragtime backstories, this column will attempt to provide an
I was delighted to receive an email from Walter Ray last week regarding my TST column on contemporary performances of Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha. He is
My first attendance at a live concert in months brought many emotions and memories. First, and foremost I was reminded how much pure joy radiates
“I could see that, if not entirely disgruntled, he was far from being gruntled.” P.G. Wodehouse, The Code of the Woosters Dave Jasen always seemed
I have written a lot about Treemonisha over the years and since 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the first two fully staged productions of
Word spread quickly through the music community in St. Louis and then by social media across the nation that the Scott Joplin House at 2658
I have met or learned of some of the most interesting people through conversations with Max Morath. Recently he happened to mention his work in
As I look for an expressive way to describe ragtime, sheer exuberant joy comes immediately to mind. That joy and excitement is no better illustrated
It is always a pleasure to receive comments from readers. This past month I was delighted to hear from an old friend in Sweden, Peter
