Ragtime and Scott Joplin
 

I'm taking a Music Literature class called History of Jazz and Rock and Roll. We're about half way through it and were nearing the 1900's. We just broke into march and ragtime music and our teacher introduced some of Scott Joplin's music. No I know The Entertainer by him and it is amazingly nostalgic from when I was in elementary school for some reason. Now that I hear his other music, I'm even more in love. I'm not as in love with certain songs or verses as I am in love with the general 'sound' coming across. I'm yet to take any music theory classes but he's definitely doing something I've never hear before with his chord changes and ways of playing. It's almost like he puts sounds together that I've never heard used along side one another.
Does anyone know what I'm talking about? :D For those that don't, download The Entertainer and Maple Leaf Rag and listen with open ears ;) Be sure to download a solo piano version though to hear the original form. Some are of various band and symphony remakes.
-T


true oldschool :D :

http://www.mostateparks.com/scottjoplin/sjpic.jpg
http://www.abbeville.com/jazz/images/full/020.jpg
http://www.cen.uiuc.edu/~tjanuszy/maplecover.jpg

Hell yeah.

Joshua Rifkin is one of the more famous, talented players of his work -- he plays the solo piano versions like you said. I have the whole series of records that came out in the 70's or 80's.

It's too bad we can never hear original recordings from the time these tunes were written, but I think Rifkin really nails the phrasing subtleties. I don't care at all for the orchestrated versions that got popular because of The Sting but at least that movie got a lot of people interested in Scott Joplin...

This music is incredibly relaxing for me...right now the Winamp playlist I always put on when I can't sleep includes:

Maple Leaf Rag
Magnetic Rag
Stoptime Rag
Paragon Rag
Solace


Good shit.

Good to get a reply ;) I see that you're into Op Ivy, I too am definitely into other things besides ragtime!

I'll check out Rifkin's other work. Yeah it's easy to forget that they aren't the original recordings. The solo versions are probably the best bet though to get a taste of what the artist was trying to do.

I am particularly fond of "Solace", but all of Joplin's music is great and uniquely "American".

(goes to dig out his Joplin CD...)

What a great topic. Joplin is amazing. I love "Piece of My Heart" and "Me And Bobby McGee."

Oh, SCOTT Joplin....whoops.

Anybody who's ever seen The Sting will be instantly familiar with Joplin, as his music is featured prominently.

Wait until you get to Gershwin!

Yep, ragtime is wonderful, Joplin was wonderful.

Yay! all hail Gershwin!

Quadro, you're my new best friend.

Tiger rag is great, but just wait until you hear Louis blow West End Blues. Amazing.

The old stuff sure is refreshing every now and then. Not rip on current musical standards, but record companys don't seem to want to take a risk on composers anymore. Rag time is great fun music and it deinitely has a place in american/world culture for years to come.

Ragtime, Swing, Jazz, and Blues tend to dominate my playlists. Not a big fan of the trends that started to dominate when 'Rock and Roll' hit in 1955-56 or so.