The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #117996   Message #2548204
Posted By: Artful Codger
24-Jan-09 - 06:12 PM
Thread Name: Ragtime in a MINOR key
Subject: RE: Ragtime in a MINOR key
Ahem, "Ragtime Oriole" is a different piece from "Ragtime Nightingale", and is solely in major.

I've heard a number of piano rags rendered as guitar duets, or guitar/mandolin duets. Stephan Grossman has put out several albums of rags played on guitar, such as Yazoo Basin Boogie and Ragtime Cowboy Jew--I believe he's also published instructional books on the topic.

"The Sheik of Araby" was a very popular song, so I'm sure it's been arranged for guitar. And I fancy a good guitarist could do some justice to "At Midnight".

Much as I admire what people manage to do on the guitar, rags written for piano almost never sound half as good when performed any other way, short of a complete band. But let me plug one stellar exception: The Amherst Saxophone Quartet's album Eubie Blake: An American Classic; both "Charleston Rag" and "Chevy Chase" are included. If you don't feel elated listening to this album, you ain't human.