James Scott’s The Ragtime Betty (1909, its fanciful sheet music cover containing singing celestial bodies pictured) is quite a lovely piece. It’s a shame the original publication contains some egregious typos in the C and D sections (sadly typical of Stark Music Co.). Two passages in The Ragtime Betty remind me of Scott Joplin’s Fig Leaf: the piece’s opening measure, and the subdued last four measures of the D section. The A section as a whole is somewhat derivative of Maple Leaf Rag.
Morten Gunnar Larsen’s tender performance of The Ragtime Betty (from his Fingerbreaker album) is simply great; Larsen’s strolling tempo and careful phrasing bring the implicit beauty of Scott’s melodic ideas to life. Jazzou Jones and Guido Nielsen have also made quality recordings of the piece. The scores for both the Stark edition and a well-done contemporary critical edition of The Ragtime Betty (by Marc Mangen) can be downloaded from imslp.org.
Brandon Byrne is a ragtime composer, performer, and scholar. Max Morath said of Byrne, “Brandon’s unique compositions display unparalleled gifts and hidden virtuosity. His music reflects the past and challenges the future. His playing will touch your soul.” For a full list of his compositions, please visit his website.
