Post by artraveler on Sept 14, 2020 10:30:41 GMT -8
Ragtime
For years I have expounded on the qualities of American music, Jazz and Bluegrass. I have not changed my mind both are great original American genres. I must confess that I have not given thought to one other original music form and that is ragtime. I just did not give it much thought as the time period ragtime was popular, 1890-1920, was so short. And there is only one voice in this period we should be aware of, Scott Joplin. Bluegrass and Jazz are much older forms and ragtime has roots in both.
www.bing.com/videos/search?q=sting+music+entertainer&docid=608008799185733735&mid=DBC295A9F70F638BABB1DBC295A9F70F638BABB1&view=detail&FORM=VIRE
In our time most of the ragtime music we heard was in the movie, The Sting, where the main theme, The Entertainer, was performed by Marvin Hamlish, from a score by Joplin. Ragtime, to oversimplify is a blend of classical themes with syncopation, from Africa and the middle East. Almost any traditional classical theme can be played in ragtime. Like its closest cousin, Jazz there is ample opportunity for invention and variation. We find the same kinds of variants and improvation bluegrass. Dueling banjos is a great example:
www.bing.com/videos/search?q=dueling+banjos&view=detail&mid=E28B769DD43A1752ED69E28B769DD43A1752ED69&FORM=VIRE0&ru=%2fsearch%3fq%3ddueling%2bbanjos%26form%3dAPMCS1%26PC%3dAPMC
The example, from the movie Deliverance, is what we would call classic hill music. There are some interesting trivia. The song is billed as dueling banjos but is actually a banjo and guitar. The song dates back to the 30s and was first performed on television on the Andy Griffith Show with Andy sitting in with the group, The Darlings.
www.bing.com/videos/search?q=andy+griffth%2f+the+darlings%2c+dueling+banjos&docid=608005380294839683&mid=7314006D50F4E11B33187314006D50F4E11B3318&view=detail&FORM=VIRE
And then there is jazz in all its wonderful styles from New Orleans, Chicago, Kansas City, and New York and the is one name always attached, Louis Armstrong. We would still have jazz without him but his is a defining influence.
www.bing.com/videos/search?q=hebbie+jeebies+louis+armstrong&view=detail&mid=8B5B93D035BAAB3C2A088B5B93D035BAAB3C2A08&FORM=VIRE0&ru=%2fsearch%3fq%3dhebbie%2bjeebies%2blouis%2barmstrong%26go%3dSearch%26qs%3dn%26form%3dQBRE%26sp%3d-1%26pq%3dhebbie%2bjeebies%2blouis%2barmstrong%26sc%3d6-30%26sk%3d%26cvid%3d2E6D4B38A8674AD8B837B0E2D9954ABB
I think it is easy to discern the roots of ragtime from both bluegrass and jazz. The contribution of ragtime is adding a classical touch to both. The is on apple music a really inexpensive collection of Scott Joplin ragtime, over 50 songs for about $6. It features four versions of the Entertainer one of which is performed by a classical orchestra. It is worth the small amount for so much fine music.
For years I have expounded on the qualities of American music, Jazz and Bluegrass. I have not changed my mind both are great original American genres. I must confess that I have not given thought to one other original music form and that is ragtime. I just did not give it much thought as the time period ragtime was popular, 1890-1920, was so short. And there is only one voice in this period we should be aware of, Scott Joplin. Bluegrass and Jazz are much older forms and ragtime has roots in both.
www.bing.com/videos/search?q=sting+music+entertainer&docid=608008799185733735&mid=DBC295A9F70F638BABB1DBC295A9F70F638BABB1&view=detail&FORM=VIRE
In our time most of the ragtime music we heard was in the movie, The Sting, where the main theme, The Entertainer, was performed by Marvin Hamlish, from a score by Joplin. Ragtime, to oversimplify is a blend of classical themes with syncopation, from Africa and the middle East. Almost any traditional classical theme can be played in ragtime. Like its closest cousin, Jazz there is ample opportunity for invention and variation. We find the same kinds of variants and improvation bluegrass. Dueling banjos is a great example:
www.bing.com/videos/search?q=dueling+banjos&view=detail&mid=E28B769DD43A1752ED69E28B769DD43A1752ED69&FORM=VIRE0&ru=%2fsearch%3fq%3ddueling%2bbanjos%26form%3dAPMCS1%26PC%3dAPMC
The example, from the movie Deliverance, is what we would call classic hill music. There are some interesting trivia. The song is billed as dueling banjos but is actually a banjo and guitar. The song dates back to the 30s and was first performed on television on the Andy Griffith Show with Andy sitting in with the group, The Darlings.
www.bing.com/videos/search?q=andy+griffth%2f+the+darlings%2c+dueling+banjos&docid=608005380294839683&mid=7314006D50F4E11B33187314006D50F4E11B3318&view=detail&FORM=VIRE
And then there is jazz in all its wonderful styles from New Orleans, Chicago, Kansas City, and New York and the is one name always attached, Louis Armstrong. We would still have jazz without him but his is a defining influence.
www.bing.com/videos/search?q=hebbie+jeebies+louis+armstrong&view=detail&mid=8B5B93D035BAAB3C2A088B5B93D035BAAB3C2A08&FORM=VIRE0&ru=%2fsearch%3fq%3dhebbie%2bjeebies%2blouis%2barmstrong%26go%3dSearch%26qs%3dn%26form%3dQBRE%26sp%3d-1%26pq%3dhebbie%2bjeebies%2blouis%2barmstrong%26sc%3d6-30%26sk%3d%26cvid%3d2E6D4B38A8674AD8B837B0E2D9954ABB
I think it is easy to discern the roots of ragtime from both bluegrass and jazz. The contribution of ragtime is adding a classical touch to both. The is on apple music a really inexpensive collection of Scott Joplin ragtime, over 50 songs for about $6. It features four versions of the Entertainer one of which is performed by a classical orchestra. It is worth the small amount for so much fine music.
