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 access my daily email inbox as I will likely find something fascinating. The positively written criticisms are especially helpful. The negative ones, not so much.
The truth is, I have only a superficial knowledge of ragtime though 50 plus years of keeping up with the music has exposed me to a lot of random information. More important, it has connected me with remarkable people who have tapped the depths of syncopation and its colorful history.
As a result, I am occasionally able to answer a question or describe my experiences for an inquirer who found one of my TST articles online. However, more often, I have had the joy of connecting inquirers with individuals who have extensive expertise and I often make a new friend in the process.
Recently, I was able to make some connections that had a remarkable consequence. The email began as many do with, “I found your name on a The Syncopated Times article and wondered if…” In this case a gentleman was inquiring if I would be interested in some old recordings as his research had turned up the articles I had written about the producer. He thoughtfully includ
