Bunch of Rags...

I've been working on this one for a while. Took longer than usual...not an easy piece to input.

This is from the CE sheets, a little like the Ossman recordings but really only close. Ossman simplifies some of the 'raggety bits' and complicates others. Also, some of this arrangement appears to have been taken from the 1904 version and some from the 1890's version (recordings). Ossman made several recordings of it...at least one of the later versions deletes the last part (in F) entirely.

I hope y'all enjoy it!

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Permalink Reply by Shawn McSweeny on August 17, 2015 at 2:04

Well done Marc. Ossman's rendition is a ragtime favorite.  With your tab as a reference, I may try transcribing one of the Ossman recordings in the fall.

Small point, but the CE sheets do not acknowledge the original composer /arranger. This was first published in1898 as a Rag Medley arranged by Ben. M. Jerome and available for various combinations of mandolin, guitar, orchestra and piano, but no banjo.

The piano arrangement goes on for 9 pages and includes strains from 9 rags (several titles racist by today's standards). Part of Ossman's arranging/editing magic was selecting the best strains for a recordable 2 to 3 minute performance.

Permalink Reply by Trapdoor2 on August 17, 2015 at 3:46

How cool, Shawn. I have seen the original cover but not the original dots. I cannot imagine playing all 9 strains...it seems endless as it is, 130 measures with only the first strain repeated. I've set the MIDI at 108bpm (2/4) and it runs 2:40...so perhaps close to the timing required for an Edison cylinder of the period, depending on the surface speed.

Ossman used a lot more triplets in his recorded version, at least that is my first impression. Some of the syncopation is altered a bit here and there as well.

Good luck transcribing it!

Permalink Reply by Richard William Ineson on August 24, 2015 at 9:14

I don't think that Ossman's medley was based on Jerome's, Ossman's version has, from memory, If You Ain't Got no Money, You Needn't Come Around, 'Oh Mr.Johnson,(might be Mr.Johnson Turn Me Loose) Dark Town is Out Tonight, All Coons Look Alike To Me, I've Got to Telegraph my Baby and perhaps a couple more which I can't recall off hand.

 McSweeny said:

Well done Marc. Ossman's rendition is a ragtime favorite.  With your tab as a reference, I may try transcribing one of the Ossman recordings in the fall.

Small point, but the CE sheets do not acknowledge the original composer /arranger. This was first published in1898 as a Rag Medley arranged by Ben. M. Jerome and available for various combinations of mandolin, guitar, orchestra and piano, but no banjo.

The piano arrangement goes on for 9 pages and includes strains from 9 rags (several titles racist by today's standards). Part of Ossman's arranging/editing magic was selecting the best strains for a recordable 2 to 3 minute performance.

Permalink Reply by Shawn McSweeny on August 24, 2015 at 12:17

Hi Richard

Perhaps you are thinking of another Ossman number, such as his "Ragtime Medley" which includes "Mr. Johnson Turn Me Loose", "All Coons Look Alike to Me", and "(There'll be a) Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight", attached below, none of which are to be heard in "A Bunch of Rags."

 

 

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Permalink Reply by Richard William Ineson on August 24, 2015 at 14:26

At my time of life anything is possible (memory wise) but I'm pretty sure that 'All Coons Look Alike To Me' is featured in both medleys, it's the third tune in RM and is pitched in F major in BOR it's the next to last tune, pitched in C major, followed by 'I've Got to Telegraph My Baby' in F major. I got the titles from an old copy of BOR which came from the Robert Thornburgh collection, the song titles were pencilled in above each song. I think the first tune is 'When You Ain't Got No Money, You Needn't Come Around' and the another tune, could be the 2nd or 3rd, is something like 'I Wonder What That Coon is Up To?' This tune is featured in Jerome's medley. I'm not too fond of the RM but Ossman's BOR is good to play, providing nobody sings the words.

Shawn McSweeny said:

Hi Richard

Perhaps you are thinking of another Ossman number, such as his "Ragtime Medley" which includes "Mr. Johnson Turn Me Loose", "All Coons Look Alike to Me", and "(There'll be a) Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight", attached below, none of which are to be heard in "A Bunch of Rags."

 

 

Permalink Reply by Shawn McSweeny on September 19, 2015 at 20:45

Hi Marc

Is there more BoR tab to come? The midi sounds complete but the 3 page pdf available here gets only as far as the 21st meas. on the second page of the ClifEsx score. The last two strains, 49 or so measures of the score, are not covered. Perhaps a couple more pages of tab just weren't rolled into the pdf?

Permalink Reply by Trapdoor2 on September 20, 2015 at 2:52

Well, the 3 page pdf goes to m82...the TablEdit file shows 130. The MIDI comes directly from the TablEdit file. I must have truncated it somehow in the print process. I'll have to check it out, thanks for the alert!

===Marc

Permalink Reply by Trapdoor2 on September 20, 2015 at 14:32

How odd. I have no copies of what I originally uploaded. No clue what happened. Hopefully, here is a 'corrected' copy. I didn't have to do anything...but we'll call it corrected anyway. ;-)

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Permalink Reply by thereallyniceman on September 20, 2015 at 16:57

Thanks Marc. I have added your "updated"  (or not updated) score to the MUSIC LIBRARY.

The computer goblins do odd things  :-)

Please check to ensure it is now how it should be!

Permalink Reply by Trapdoor2 on September 20, 2015 at 17:04

Thanks Ian. I think you were on holiday when I sent this one in originally and I forgot to back it up with a copy to your inbox.

I just checked it out, looks good from here!

Permalink Reply by Shawn McSweeny on September 21, 2015 at 2:45

Hi Marc. Looks good from here too. Thanks for updating.

I'm transcribing Ossman's Victor recording using minimal reference to other material, but there are some rough spots where a peek at your score is proving very helpful.

Permalink Reply by Shawn McSweeny on September 23, 2015 at 17:45

Hi Richard  

Your info on medley titles from Doc Thornburgh has been really helpful. I was able to locate original source material for all of them. But I still have trouble with the second last strain which Thornburgh identifies as 'All Coons Look Alike To Me' (Chorus).

The first few measures of the strain certainly do sound the same as Ossman's playing on the Len Spencer recording. But the later measures do not. And comparing the chord progressions for the last 8 measures, they are not the same.

 For the Spencer recording, the chord progression by measure is :

 /G  /G  /C  /C  /G  /G /C /C /

 /G  /G  /C  /C  /A  /Dm /CG/C /

And in Ossman's "Ragtime Medley" this strain has the same progression, only transposed to key of F/Bb. So Ossman knew this piece inside out.

 

For the "Bunch of Rags" strain, the progression is :

/G  /G  /C  /C  /G  /G /C /C /

 /A  /A  /Dm  /Dm  /C  /CG /C/C /

The differing measures are highlighted in bold type. Similar musical idea, but not the same.

It's possible Ossman was just toying with the original structure to add more interest, but it is also possible he was playing a strain from another popular song of the day, which has yet to be identified.

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