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.

[John Cohen]

They could have used a modern parlor guitar and modern bowl back mandolin.  That or maybe they shouldn't wear period (or period inspired) clothing.  It gives the impression that they are living historians.

Trapdoor2 said:

It is often tough to be a historian and entertainer. Not everyone can afford to have the correct vintage instruments for a given performance. Often, they're fragile and cranky (almost every bowl-back mandolin I've ever messed-about with qualifies on all points). Acoustic guitars from the period are very similar...most are falling to pieces, having been strung with wires and wailed upon by the unwashed.

You can't make everyone happy. Heck, they recorded digitally...where is Edison when you need him! ;-)

I like their music; I understand the need for "authentic instruments"...but really, I'm just happy they didn't use a tenor banjo!

[Nick Robinson]

This is Nick Robinson from the Ragtime Skedaddlers. The curious can listen to our recordings at 

https://ragtimeskedaddlers.bandcamp.com/

Most of the arrangements are from period sheet music for two mandolins and guitar. Dennis Pash plays an old banjo-mandolin (not sure what make or vintage), I play a Vega cylinder-back (probably from the teens?), and Dave Krinkel plays, yes, a modern Martin guitar.

Videos of a fairly recent house concert by the Skedaddlers are available here:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqJljtmrUr5nAavS5EvBwiJSJPz5...

[Patrick Garner]

Thanks for the comments, Nick. Love the music (and your clarifications).

[John Cohen]

Thanks Nick.  Vega cylinder-backs were made as early as 1913, I believe.  The teens were the tail end of the ragtime era as dance hall music and jazz were becoming popular, but ragtime still abounded.  

[carrie horgan]

It's great to hear old sheet music come to life.  Thanks for the video links, Nick.  

And thank you to Bob Ault, Dennis Pash and our very own Steve Harrison for all their hard work in unearthing and dusting-off many ragtime treasures...!

 

 

[Nick Robinson]

Carrie, Some of the period arrangements that the Skedaddlers play from include a solo banjo part. I've been meaning to scan some of these and post them to Classic Banjo, this discussion might just be the nudge I need. Thanks for starting this thread, its great to hear from other folks who enjoy and/or play ragtime on strings.

carrie horgan said:

It's great to hear old sheet music come to life.  Thanks for the video links, Nick.  

And thank you to Bob Ault, Dennis Pash and our very own Steve Harrison for all their hard work in unearthing and dusting-off many ragtime treasures...!

 

 

[Joel Hooks]

I'm with Jody and Marc-- If it is presented as historical then there is no reason why corners should be cut… esp.  these days.  Lots more tools to work with (documents, willing instrument builders and so on).

That said, pre 23 ragtime= public domain.  It is mine.  It is yours.  And we can both do what we darn well please with it.

I've been on both sides.  The former and now the latter (well, a little of both these days).

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!

[Steve Harrison]

Hi Carrie, I've added La Pa Ma La to the library, one of the tunes played by the Skeddadlers, I arranged it for classic banjo some time ago and forgot about it until prompted by your post.. It may be one you'd like to try?..It's not too hard on the fingers....Steve.

[F. Chris Ware]

Steve, this is great; I’ve always wanted a banjo solo version of this piece, which is generally considered among the earliest published ragtime compositions ever, depending on shifting criteria. Thank you for all your arranging efforts in these regards; the library of banjo literature is expanding exponentially via your seemingly tireless work.

To Joel, whose posts I always greatly enjoy: I’m attaching here the complete string arrangement of the piece by, of all people, Charles L. Johnson, composer of “Dill Pickles.” This comes from Dennis Pash’s collection, is the arrangement that both the EtCetera String Band and I’m assuming Nick and Dennis play in the Ragtime Skedaddlers and which originally accompanied an article Dennis wrote for the first issue of my aforementioned periodical way back in 1997. (I’d attach that biographical article as well, but I don’t want to do so without Dennis’ approval.) Note that the banjo part is by Mrs. Clarence Partee, wife of the publisher of the Cadenza and well known composer/performer of the day, as well.

I almost posted Dennis’ article about the Stark arrangements yesterday (along with the music) but again, want to be sure he’s okay with it before I do; if he prefers his article not be posted then I’ll simply post the sheet music. (The arrangements are only for 2 mandolins and guitar, however; no banjo. Still, certainly of interest, given the provenance, and the fact that I think there’s only one known copy; the late Trebor Tichenor loaned it to Dennis. It includes Maple Leaf, The Entertainer and Sunflower Slow Drag.)

[Trapdoor2]

Completely awesome, Chris. Thank You!

I'll have a full TAB arrangement (all parts) done in a jiffy. Steve's arrangement also...

[F. Chris Ware]

While I’m at it, I’ll also attach a couple of banjo-centric pieces I’ve been meaning to post here for a while, the first being a Gad Robinson cakewalk written for two banjos (though note that it was also published for brass band) — the 1892 date puts it a rather amazing three full years before any of the oft-cited cakewalks that are usually cited as heralding the beginnings of published ragtime, to say nothing of linking the banjo to the early public perception and popularity of the music. It has imitations of tambourines, sand dancing and of course mentions the “walk around,” the part of the minstrel performance which apparently begat the later (frequently de-minstreled) cakewalk. I guess in some ways this piece interestingly acts as a sort of link between the minstrel and ragtime eras of banjo playing, which bleed into each other rather irretrievably. Maybe someone out there has a Fairbanks Gad Robinson model and would want to try recording it.

Also,“The Real Thing (Rag)” by a Gatty Jones, about whom I know absolutely nothing, being a manuscript for an apparently original composition for two banjos published in the March-April issue of The Cadenza, 1899 (the same year that the Maple Leaf Rag was published, of course.) This came to me courtesy of Audrey Van Dyke. (Sorry, Ian, both of these are still in A notation; we Americans are slow to take the smart road, as you’ve no doubt noticed! I have no idea how to add these to the site’s music library, but if they’re deemed worthy, then please feel free to do so, of course.)

[Jody Stecher]

Chris, are copies of the The Ragtime Ephemeralist available?

F. Chris Ware said:

I used to publish a periodical called “The Ragtime Ephemeralist”