Darktown Strutters Ball - Alexei Rumiantsev

A great ole tune.

Player Piano

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3FTaGwfXPM&feature=related

Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy


Smokie Mokes

12th STREET RAG

12TH Street Rag - written by Euday L. Bowman
Euday Louis Bowman (born November 9, 1887 in Fort Worth - May 26, 1949 in New York) was an American pianist and composer of ragtime and blues who represented the style of Texas Ragtime. He is chiefly remembered as the composer of the successful Twelfth Street Rag, a rag from 1914 out of a series of ragtimes that Bowman wrote during or after a period in which he worked as a pianist in some of the better bordellos of Kansas City. These tunes -- "Sixth Street Rag", "Tenth Street Rag", "Eleventh Street Rag" and "Twelfth Street Rag" -- were named after streets of "Boss" Tom Pendergast's redlight district.

This piece is played by a man in France. jeanluc999

Easy Winners

Website:http://www.BachScholar.com

Scott Joplin playlist: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list...

If you wish, view my dotted or "swung" version for sake of comparison. Both are played at exactly the same tempo in bpm, so it is an interesting comparison.

It has become popular lately (or "in vogue") play The Easy Winners at a relaxed tempo, which is incorrect considering the title of the rag as well as the picture on the front cover. It shows athletes playing football, baseball, and horse racing. Now ask yourself what type of character "athletes" and "winners" suggest, "calm and relaxed" or "energetic and exuberant". In essence, this rag is something like a happy victory dance after a hard game. It is vibrant, fun, and energetic. I do not know why there has been a movement to strip this rag of all its life and turn it into a serious affair.

What is a Cakewalk?

Website:http://www.BachScholar.com



Cory Hall plays the piano. Cory is a piano scholar that studies Bach and other great composers.
He teaches at the University of Florida.

WHAT IS A CAKEWALK.........?
Its origins in slavery and the plantation south, the Cakewalk was the sole organized and even condoned forum for servants to mock their masters. A send-up of the rich folks in the "Big House," the cakewalk mocked the aristocratic and grandiose mannerisms of southern high-society. Much bowing and bending were characteristic of the dance, which was more a performance than anything else. Couples lined up to form an aisle, down which each pair would take a turn at a high-stepping promenade through the others. In many instances the Cakewalk was performance, and even competition. The dance would be held at the master’s house on the plantation and he would serve as judge. The dance’s name comes from the cake that would be awarded to the winning couple. The sayings "Easy as a piece of cake" and "It's a cakewalk" originated from this dance.
The dance was invented as a satirical parody of the formal European dances preferred by white slave owners, and featured exaggerated imitations of the dance ritual, combined with traditional African dance steps. One common form of cakewalk dance involved couples (one male and one female, with their arms linked at the elbows) lined up in a circle, dancing forward alternating a series of short hopping steps with a series of very high kicking steps. Costumes worn for the cakewalk often included large, exaggerated bowties, suits, canes, and top hats.

OREO

Though most of us have spent a lifetime cherishing Oreo cookies, did you know that since their introduction in 1912, the Oreo cookie has become the best selling cookie in the U.S.?

Oreos Are Introduced
In 1898, several baking companies merged to form the National Biscuit Company (NaBisCo), the maker of Oreo cookies. By 1902, Nabisco created Barnum's Animal cookies and made them famous by selling them in a little box designed like a cage with a string attached (to hang on Christmas trees).

In 1912, Nabisco had a new idea for a cookie - two chocolate disks with a creme filling in between. The first Oreo cookie looked very similar to the Oreo cookie of today, with only a slight difference in the design on the chocolate disks.

Panama Canal

Panama Canal 1907



The history of the Panama Canal goes back to 16th century. After realizing the riches of Peru, Ecuador, and Asia, and counting the time it took the gold to reach the ports of Spain, it was suggested c.1524 to Charles V, that by cutting out a piece of land somewhere in Panama, the trips would be made shorter and the risk of taking the treasures through the isthmus would justify such an enterprise. A survey of the isthmus was ordered and subsequently a working plan for a canal was drawn up in 1529. The wars in Europe and the thirsts for the control of kingdoms in the Mediterranean Sea simply put the project on permanent hold.
In 1899 the US Congress created an Isthmian Canal Commission to examine the possibilities of a Central American canal and to recommend a route. The commission first decided on a route through Nicaragua, but later reversed its decision. The Lesseps company offered its assets to the United States at a price of $40 million. The United States and the new state of Panama signed the Hay-Bunau-Varilla treaty, by which the United States guaranteed the independence of Panama and secured a perpetual lease on a 10-mile strip for the canal. Panama was to be compensated by an initial payment of $10 million and an annuity of $250,000, beginning in 1913. This strip is now known as the Canal Zone.



The Panama Canal is undoubtedly one of the most complex, costly, and difficult engineering projects ever undertaken. As early as the 1550s there was talk of creating such a canal to create a vital waterway for speedier trade between the Americas. However, it wasn’t until over three centuries later that a serious attempt was made to build it. An initial effort by the French in the 1880s was given up after over 20,000 workers lost their lives to disaster and disease. Under subsequent American leadership systems were devised to transport soil away by rail and properly house workers for safety and health purposes though thousands of Americans also lost their lives before the canal was completed in the early 1900s.
Auckland Vintage Jazz Band live at the RSA

Music Box Rag

Cory Hall....my favorite rag time piano man.....plays Music Box Rag by Luckey Roberts

Cory Hall says.......Charles Luckeyeth Roberts, better known as "Luckey" Roberts, lived from 1887-1968. In 1910 he became the leading pianist in Harlem and began composing rags. The Music Box Rag comes from 1913. With James P. Johnson, Roberts developed the "stride" piano style in about 1919. An astute businessman, Roberts became a millionaire twice through real estate dealings (Wikipedia).

As I often do, I added some of my own "trademarks" in this rag, such as playing the LH an octave lower and RH and octave higher on repeats. I also add a boogie woogie bass in the third statement of the "A" section as well as several glissandi. To conclude, I couldn't resist tacking on my own delightful little ending that adds a spice of dry humor.

Titanic.....

www.belfasthistory.net/titanic.html

The Titanic sank, with the loss of 1503 passengers and crew, on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg

Introducing the 1910's. The 1910's was a decade of entertainment, science, technology, fads and many more! Some popular interests in the second decade were, going to the movies, a dance craze called the Tango, and The Saturday Evening Post. People also enjoyed the abstract work of Picasso and Matisse. A different type of artist people enjoyed was Stravinsky. In the years before WWI, there was enormous confidence science and technology. For as long as many people could remember, inventors had produced one wonder after another,and there seemed no reason why this should not go on forever. Then in 1912 came a disaster, and shook this confidence, the sinking of the Titanic.


The Sinking of the Titanic


The Titanic was the unsinkable ship, so they said. On April 14, 1912 enormous icebergs were sighted in the direct path of the Titanic, but little did they know one of the icebergs was going to kill the majority of them. By 11:40 p.m. the iceberg had then done the damage, by scraping the edge. The Titanic's bow was under at 2:17am . Seeing chaos all over and panicked faces was a tragedy its self. At three am the Titanic had totally vanished. Newspaper headlines were screaming again and were ubiquitous. The sinking of the Titanic was a major event of the second decade.





Facts about the Titanic
Capacity was 3,547 people
Length was 882.9 feet
Width was 92.5 feet
Wieght was 46,328 tons
There were 20 life boats
705 people survived

Maple Leaf Rag...one of the songs on the White Star musical playlist.
Performed by Cory Hall..BachScholar....

Ragtime Piano Player- Humoresque- A. Dvorak- Ragtime Style

This is Mark Chang playing a ragtime piano version of the classic piece Humoresque by Antonin Dvorak. Hope you enjoy it. If you like ragtime and jazz piano please see his other videos too. Mark Chang- solo pianoRecorded Feb. 15, 2008 in Davis, CA.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6Lvv6dthds

Bohemia Rag....

This is a wonderful performance of a great Joseph Lamb rag....


Thank you John.....

Por Una Cabeza

"Por una cabeza",
meaning "by a head [of a horse]"
Wow what a famous song. This is a tune used in one of my favorite movies
..SCENT OF A WOMAN...
Carlos Gardel was a very famous latin baritone that wrote and sang this song. Carlos was loved throughout the world. Claimed by Argentina as a son and also Uruguay and France. Carlos was killed in an airplane crash in the early
1930's. He is still loved and idolized in latin america today.



This video is actually Carlos Gardel singing Por Una Cabeza. It is song about a man that loves horse racing and loves women like he loves the horse race.



I also include this clip of the tango from the movie Scent of a Women where they tango to Por Una Cabeza.The Tango dance scene from the movie Scent Of A Woman (1992) where Pacino plays a blind retired Lieutenant Colonel. This is the only time when Al received his Oscar.
The music is "Por una cabeza" by Carlos Gardel and the girl dancing is Gabrielle Anwar

Schindlers List....

Ragtime Nightingale......

The 16th Bohem Ragtime & Jazz Festival in Kecskemet, Hungary in March 2007 was one of John Arpin's last appearances. John passed away 6 months later of cancer. Here he was weak but vivid and his playing is marvellous as ever. He performs Joe Lamb's Ragtime Nightingale.

Joseph Lamb
In terms of his legacy, Lamb's rags are still among the most played by those who are both discovering ragtime and those who have performed for a lifetime. Running with the best ideas of Joplin, he was able to develop even longer phrases throughout each section, with intricate harmonic balance in his chord progressions, and innovative use of inner melodic lines and complex syncopations as well. That he did so with as little musical training as he had, in addition to having grown up isolated from the mainstream of ragtime output and performance, makes his work all that more extraordinary. Lamb was also able to shape some fine songs and non-ragtime pieces. However, he will best be remembered by his ragtime output, a passion which kept him composing nearly to the end of his life.

Albert Einstein

http://www.artreview.com/photo/photo/listForContributor?screenName=3ebiejasbizyg

Genius of Albert Einstein! He was not only a physicist, but also a great philosopher who induldged himself into politics and had a direct impact on the development of historical events! His sayings are often quoted. The ones I like most are:

· “Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius — and a lot of courage — to move in the opposite direction.”

· “Imagination is more important than knowledge.”

· “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.”

· “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”

· “Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned in school.”

· “Do not worry about your difficulties in Mathematics. I can assure you mine are still greater.”

· “If A equals success, then the formula is _ A = _ X + _ Y + _ Z. _ X is work. _ Y is play. _ Z is keep your mouth shut.”

· “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
A flash back of Einstein and his love for music and the intersection of physics and music in his life.
Mozart and Bach were his favorite composers, so I chose two pieces he liked to go with this video; Mozart's Quartet in G major, K.156 - I. Presto, and Bach's Concerto in D Minor for Two Violins - Vivace.



http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl


http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl

LaLoie Fuller

Born Marie Louise Fuller in Chicago, Fuller began her theatrical career as a professional child actress and later choreographed and performed dances in burlesque ,vaudeville, and circus shows. An early free dance practitioner, Fuller developed her own natural movement and improvisation techniques. Fuller combined her choreography with silk costumes illuminated by multi-coloured lighting of her own design.

A regular performer at the Folies Bergère with works such as Fire Dance.Fuller held many patents related to stage lighting including chemical compounds for creating color gel and the use of chemical salts for luminescent lighting and garments. She danced across the stage enveloped in yards of swirling, shimmering cloth illuminated by multi-colored spotlights. She attracted the attention of many artists and is considered to be the personification of the Art Nouveau movement.
Fuller, whom enthusiastic Parisians called "La Loie," was the toast of Paris at the end of the nineteenth century.
www.timelapsedance.com Jody Sperling performs her Loie Fuller-inspired "Clair de lune" (from Debussy Soiree) at the Ailey Citigroup Theater, October 2008. Piano: Jeffrey Middleton; Lighting: David Ferri; Costume: Michelle Ferranti.

"K.K. Ragtime"

Have your kids watch this. They will all recognize this ragtime music.
This is the theme to Animal Crossing and Yoshi's Island video games.

"K K Ragtime"



http://www.WestCoastRagtime.com

Everybody gathered around enjoying Tom Brier's piano playing! It was GREAT! This all took place during the Annual West Coast Ragtime Festival in Sacramento, CA in mid November of 2008.

"K.K. Ragtime" is the title of this melody and the composer's name is Kazumi Totaka. The piano arrangement is by Ron O'Dell and Tom Brier embellishes upon it brilliantly as usual!

Picasso....

Created over 22,000 works of art over the course of his lifetime.

http://www.images-art.co.uk/pages/buy.asp?ProductID=2041

Pablo Ruiz Picasso (full name Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Clito Ruiz y Picasso) was born on the 25th October, 1881 in Malaga in Spain. He was the first son of Jose Ruiz y Blasco and Maria Picasso y Lopez. His father was a painter and a professor of art at the School of Crafts and the curator of a local museum. Picasso learnt the basics of art from his father. Picasso also attended the Academy of Arts in Madrid, but dropped out within a year of joining it.

Elite Syncopations by Scott Joplin

Played by Cory Hall-BachScholar http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_dZWHm7I78


All the paintings by Pablo Picasso are usually classified into various ‘periods’ based on the moods and styles of the paintings. These, in turn, were largely affected by his personal and love life.
Self Portrait of a young Picasso

1901 to 1904 is called Picasso’s Blue Period because many of his paintings in that time were in the shades of blue and blue-green. 1905 to 1907 is called Picasso’s Rose Period where his paintings became cheerful with the use of orange and pink colors. 1907 to 1909 is called his African Influenced Period where his drawings were inspired by African artifacts. 1909 to 1912 is called Picasso’s Analytic Cubism Period. 1912 to 1919 is called Picasso’s Synthetic Cubism Period where he began to use collage in his art. During the 1930s he returned to a more neo-classical style of painting. Another major change was the use of the Minotaur as his motif, rather than the harlequin in his paintings.


Pablo Picasso died on the 8th of April, 1973 while he and his wife Jacqueline were entertaining friends for dinner. His last words were: ‘Drink to me, drink to my health, you know I can’t drink anymore.’

The Favorite...Scott Joplin

http://www.perfessorbill.com/pbmidi15.shtml

Oh Great...Now my favorite is "The Favorite".....:o)



Scott Joplin playlist: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list...

Cory Hall says......
This is a great but elusive rag. I spent a long time experimenting with different tempos and thought I liked it best a little slower. But a couple weeks went by and I finally decided I like it better faster. I add elaborations in the RH in the repeats and use my usual octave higher and lower technique. I also add a run of 16ths in the LH on the repeat of the B section.

If played as written and at a slower tempo, this is actually one of Joplin's least difficult rags; however, all these additions turn it into a difficult piece. I think it is the only rag other than Magnetic Rag to have a section in a minor key, as the B section is in G minor. I love this rag!

I agree with Cory....I love this rag!!!

SugarCane...

Cory Hall plays Sugar Cane by Scott Joplin.....

Scott Joplin playlist: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list...
Cory says.......
This is one of Joplin's lesser known rags, but I think one of his best. I prefer dotted rhythms because it adds energy. I also have another version with "straight" rhythms that you can compare this one to.



Sugar Cane worker in the Dominacen Republic

And the Band Played on.....

There are conflicting opinions about the final song played on Titanic.
Nearer My Gold to Thee is the most popular choice. Accounts list a song
titled Autumn as the final song.
http://www.pendle.net/WallaceHartley/
Top Row, Left to Right: Fred Clarke of Liverpool and P.C. Taylor of Clapham.
Middle Row, Left to Right: G. Krins of Brixton, Wallace H. Hartley of Dewsbury, the Bandmaster and Theodore Brailey, of Notting Hill. Bottom Row, Left to Right: Jock Hume of Dumfries and J.W. Woodward of Headington, Oxon. Roger Bricoux, the cellist, was missing from this photo.

White Star Line song book peformed with violin, viola, violoncello and piano to recreate as authentically as possible 17 selections which most closely conformed with tradition: Can-Can from Orpheus, Maple Leaf Rag, Nearer, My God, To Thee, Merry Widow, Emperor Waltz, Humoresque, Barcarole, Gold and Silver Waltz, Elite Syncopations, Hail Columbia, Yankee Doodle, Tritsch-Tratsch Polka

Wallace Hartley, the bandleader, was asked by a reporter --months before he sailed on the Titanic --what he would play in the event of a disaster at sea. He said he'd play "cheerful stuff" such as ragtime. Nothing to cause a panic. "I'd never play 'Nearer My God to Thee,' " he said, for he'd reserve that for his own funeral.

As a functionary providing mood music, he knew it was his job to prevent panic, not create it. So he ordered a diet of ragtime on that last night. Survivors have detailed the names of the rag songs--"Oh, You Beautiful Doll," "Alexander's Ragtime Band," etc.

Harold Bride, the radio operator, one of the last to leave the ship, told the New York Times (after the tabloids had spread the hymn myth) that the last tune performed was "Songe d'Automne," a then-current pop hit by British dance bandleader Archibald Joyce. It's a beautiful waltz and makes a much more fitting swan song than the wretched hymn. Truth is always richer than fiction.

I vote for "Songe d'Automne" as the final song on the Titanic.

Pineapple Rag.....

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list...


BachScholar says....
The title on the original edition, "Pine Apple Rag", should have really been spelled "Pineapple Rag". (They should have hired a proofreader!) Joplin gave this rag the metronome mark of 100 bpm and I play it here at about 96-100 bpm. It is a myth that ragtime should always be slow.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Topping:
1/4 cup butter or margarine
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 (1-pound, 4 ounce) can sliced pineapple
Maraschino Cherries
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a 10-inch cast-iron frying pan (my mother always used a cast iron skillet) or a 9x2-inch cake pan over low heat, melt butter or margarine. Stir in brown sugar until blended. Remove from heat. Drain pineapple, reserving 2 tablespoons syrup. Arrange pineapple slices onto top of sugar mixture. Place a maraschino cherry in center of each slice. Sprinkle with chopped nuts.

Cake:
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, room temperature
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add egg, milk, and vegetable shortening; beat 2 minutes. Add reserved pineapple syrup, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract; beat 2 minutes. Pour over pineapple slices in frying pan, spreading evenly.

Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes on a wire rack. Run knife around edge of pan to loosen; cover with a cake plate and invert. Serve warm.

Makes 8 servings.

Josephine Baker

Quotes by Josephine.....

"Beautiful? It's all a question of luck. I was born with good legs. As for the rest . . . beautiful, no. Amusing, yes.”

“I like Frenchmen very much, because even when they insult you they do it so nicely.”

“. . . I improvised, crazed by the music. . . . Even my teeth and eyes burned with fever. Each time I leaped I seemed to touch the sky and when I regained earth it seemed to be mine alone."

“It [the Eiffel Tower] looked very different from the Statue of Liberty, but what did that matter? What was the good of having the statue without the liberty?”

“A violinist had a violin, a painter his palette. All I had was myself. I was the instrument that I must care for.”

“Surely the day will come when color means nothing more than the skin tone, when religion is seen uniquely as a way to speak one's soul; when birth places have the weight of a throw of the dice and all men are born free, when understanding breeds love and brotherhood.”

I believe in prayer. It's the best way we have to draw strength from heaven.”

“The things we truly love stay with us always, locked in our hearts as long as life remains.”

“I wasn't really naked. I simply didn't have any clothes on.”