Peter-- Vess (Sylvester) Ossman was a classical banjo player who recorded around 1900-1910 some of the most incredible banjo playing ever put on record. Much of what he recorded was ragtime-- things which I first heard as piano arrangements-- don't think he ever recorded Maple Leaf Rag but he definitely did some other Joplin and James Scott. Poole, BTW, tried to copy some of his style from Ossman and the other incredible classical banjo player, Fred Van Eps. If you play any Scruggs style you will be aware of the repetitive patterns which are broken apart and recombined to play melodies in Scruggs' 3ifinger style. Well-- the rule of classical banjo is THERE ARE NO RULES you just play the notes hatever they are and you work out the fingerings so you CAN play the notes. I seem to have lost my Membership (I see myself showing up as Guest)-- but I will find a way if you are interested to dub a copy of an old Yazoo record of Ossman and Van Eps onto cassette.(And send it to you) Even with the recording techniques of 1910 it's pretty incredible.