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
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,
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
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
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 have written a lot about Treemonisha over the years and since 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the first two fully staged productions of
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
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
As a child in 1949, I had a routine of surreptitiously going into the living room after everyone was asleep to listen to late night
When Joe Bebco forwarded an inquiry about Max Morath from Anne Phillips recently, I anxiously responded. Anne and her husband, bassist Bill Phillips, were neighbors
Have you ever immersed yourself in a trivial pursuit while important tasks needed your immediate attention? Well, a friend recently added six inches of sheet
I must begin by congratulating the esteemed editor of this publication on his election as a 2022 Jazz Hero by the Jazz Journalists Association. It
This is a pleasant article for me to write, though it resurrects a reminder of unpleasant times. I hope readers will find the healing nature
I have been fighting several bold infections since Thanksgiving that have left me feeling lethargic as a petrified sloth. As a result, I have quite
A few days ago, Chris Robinson sent me a YouTube website address to watch the 2021 Christmas Parade in Sedalia, Missouri, featuring the Scott Joplin
I surprised myself when I placed the phone back on its port and just sat to let the inspiring emotion of the previous conversation mellow.
I recently made a connection that has been in front of me for 40 plus years and which has nearly bowled me over. I spent
I was writing an autumn poem for our local nature reserve newsletter this morning describing family trips I remember as a kid. I grew up
The emergence of music festivals in America during the last century contributed greatly to the preservation and appreciation of the nation’s musical heritage. I have
I came to the Internet’s social media late but have benefitted immensely from the discovery. It can be unnervingly controversial, or thought provoking, and informative
I have been thinking a lot about our ragtime community these past months in forced isolation. Not that I have been unaware of the other
I am blowing off the dust this month with Max Morath. There are so many stories from his long career, but I am beginning with
