Ragtime video

[carrie horgan]

Hi folks - I came across this entertaining video series about ragtime music on Youtube and thought I'd share the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39EbnD1bBFw

Part 2 features 'The Ectetera String Band' with Bob Ault on banjo. Unfortunately, their albums are out-of-print but my googling has revealed that the band members now perform in 'The Rhythmia' and 'The Ragtime Skedaddlers'.  Sadly, Bob Ault is no longer with us.

[F. Chris Ware]

Hi Jody,

I’m afraid I sold out of all copies years ago; I’ve thought of reissuing them, but the program in which I originally laid them out (Quark) is now all but defunct, and the files require ever-increasing rebuilding in the program which popularly succeeded Quark (InDesign) despite third-party software patches written to fix such things for both Quark and InDesign. (I’ve rebuilt a few of the pages but not the entire three issues; they were each about 200 pages.)

Anyway, thanks for asking; if it’s okay with Dennis when I hear from him I’ll at least post his articles, as his are definitely worth reading.

Warmest of wishes, Chris W.

[thereallyniceman]

Thank you for your contributions Chris. Only I can add scores to the LIBRARY as they have to be converted to a particular size and file format..

BUT, I have now added your scores to the MUSIC LIBRARY for you. I prefer C tuning where possible in the LIBRARY as very few people now use the A tuning nowadays, particularly not in the advanced UK ;-)

[Nick Robinson]

Joel,

No, the Stark mandolin and guitar arrangements that the Skedaddlers play (and that Chris W. described above) don't include solo banjo parts.

Here's a list of the banjo parts I have:

Persian Lamb Rag, by Percy Wenrich. Banjo solo. Arr. by Walter Jacobs.

Easy Money, by Will. D. Moyer. Banjo, A notation.

Dixie Twilight, by Chas. L. Johnson. Solo banjeaurine. Arr. by Walter Jacobs.

Dengozo, by E. Nazareth. Banjo obligato, C notation - plectrum style. Arr. by R.E. Hildreth

Onion Rag, by A.J. Weidt. Banjo solo.

Down Georgia, by Wm. Christopher O'Hare. Banjo solo. Separate staffs for American notation and English notation. Arr. by G.L. Lansing.

I could scan these and submit them to the sheet music library, how's that done?

Joel Hooks said:

Nick,  are you saying that these are Stark publications with solo parts for regular banjo?  Are these arrangements from piano pieces?  Who did the arrangements?  C notation or A?  Needless to state that I am interested!

[Jody Stecher]

Thanks! I'll see if I can find second hand copies. Not that any sane person would sell their own copies but maybe a copy or two got lost to a divorce!

F. Chris Ware said:

Hi Jody,

I’m afraid I sold out of all copies years ago; I’ve thought of reissuing them, but the program in which I originally laid them out (Quark) is now all but defunct, and the files require ever-increasing rebuilding in the program which popularly succeeded Quark (InDesign) despite third-party software patches written to fix such things for both Quark and InDesign. (I’ve rebuilt a few of the pages but not the entire three issues; they were each about 200 pages.)

Anyway, thanks for asking; if it’s okay with Dennis when I hear from him I’ll at least post his articles, as his are definitely worth reading.

Warmest of wishes, Chris W.

[carrie horgan]

Great, thanks Steve - this looks like one I could tackle! 

Looks like we are in for a ragtime bonanza - everyone is so generous on this site, it's great.

[Joel Hooks]

We have Persian and Onion. I'd love to see the rest, esp Down Georiga ( I really like this one) I don't think I've seen that copy. You could upload the PDF here, email them to me and I'll add to the internet archive, or... Make a account to the internet archive and upload them.

[thereallyniceman]

Hi Nick,

If you scan them at around 300 dpi and save in PDF format and email them to me I will be pleased to add them to the MUSIC LIBRARY database.

Thank you for the kind offer!

My email:  [e-mail]

Nick Robinson said:

Joel,

No, the Stark mandolin and guitar arrangements that the Skedaddlers play (and that Chris W. described above) don't include solo banjo parts.

Here's a list of the banjo parts I have:

Persian Lamb Rag, by Percy Wenrich. Banjo solo. Arr. by Walter Jacobs.

Easy Money, by Will. D. Moyer. Banjo, A notation.

Dixie Twilight, by Chas. L. Johnson. Solo banjeaurine. Arr. by Walter Jacobs.

Dengozo, by E. Nazareth. Banjo obligato, C notation - plectrum style. Arr. by R.E. Hildreth

Onion Rag, by A.J. Weidt. Banjo solo.

Down Georgia, by Wm. Christopher O'Hare. Banjo solo. Separate staffs for American notation and English notation. Arr. by G.L. Lansing.

I could scan these and submit them to the sheet music library, how's that done?

Joel Hooks said:

Nick,  are you saying that these are Stark publications with solo parts for regular banjo?  Are these arrangements from piano pieces?  Who did the arrangements?  C notation or A?  Needless to state that I am interested!

[Joel Hooks]

Chris-- Awesome! I can't wait to play with the MS ragtime piece.  The Robinson piece looks interesting too, I've never had much luck with these "descriptive" pieces.  I tried to learn one once that was the story of fireman putting out a fire.  The concept was good but I was not good enough to make it sound like anything.

Nick, you have just put a composers name to a piece that I love! Down Georgia, by Wm. Christopher O'Hare.  Now I have to track down a piano score for this.

The only version I have says "by George L. Lansing." (also a favorite of mine)

The double staff A/C was something Witmark tried.  All it does is double the page count.

Frank Bradbury recorded this as "Broomstick Serenade" combining it with an the into from "Southern Festival."

… that is, if it is the Down Georgia I am thinking of.

[Nick Robinson]

Joel,

I have a piano acc. part for Down Georgia. I also found a banjo part for Nola, by Felix Arndt, arr. by Walter K. Bauer. Also a banjo obligato part for Nappy Lee, by Joe Jordan.

I'll email everything to the very happy man, oh I mean the really niceman, so he can put them in the library.

I don't know if William Christopher O'Hare's Down Georgia is what you're thinking of, but if so I share your enthusiasm for O'Hare. I have a few more of his pieces in arrangements for mandolin orchestra. We recorded a stripped down arrangement of his gorgeous Cottonfield Capers on our latest CD, you can listen here:

http://ragtimeskedaddlers.bandcamp.com/track/cottonfield-capers

If you're lucky enough to get your hands on a copy of Ragtime Ephemeralist No. 3, there's a great article about O'Hare in it. Maybe try interlibrary loan...

Joel Hooks said:

Nick, you have just put a composers name to a piece that I love! Down Georgia, by Wm. Christopher O'Hare.  Now I have to track down a piano score for this.

[F. Chris Ware]

Not to overdo things here, but in light of Nick’s posting and his mention of “Cottonfield Capers” and the great recording of the Skedaddlers thereto, attached is George Lansing’s banjo arrangement of same, which I was not able to include in the Ephemeralist article about W.C. O’Hare (penned by Sue Attalla, I should mention, O’Hare’s great granddaughter) but is certainly worth having, as it’s one of the best and most moving early rags/cakewalks out there.

Maybe I should really try to reprint these magazines; I dunno.

Anyway, this also provides a sort of neat tie-up to a lot of recent threads here … Ian: note that Lansing has presented it in BOTH American and English notation. Very thoughtful of him, especially since trying to do that whole “shift everything down a ledger” thing leaves my eyes swimming.

Ironic, though, after all that, it’s in E Major — four sharps!

[thereallyniceman]

Thank you Chris. I don't think that I have seen a score published in BOTH A and C Notation before.

I have added the Cottonfield Capers  score to the MUSIC LIBRARY

[Jody Stecher]

I'm imagining the sonic chaos that would ensue from two banjoists reading and playing together each according to their respective tuning.

BTW, the English notation puts the tune in G major. In American tuning E major is a convenient key to play in, and  —for me at least —  a relatively inconvenient key to read in.