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| Author |
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| 25 new of 256 responses total. |
scott
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response 225 of 256:
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Jun 29 21:55 UTC 2001 |
What's your sound source? I'd expect that sound-card MIDI voices wouldn't
be smart enough to respond to controller events.
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scott
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response 226 of 256:
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Jun 30 01:02 UTC 2001 |
After more curiosity-inspired research I've demonstrated that my trusty Yamaha
QY70 does indeed follow the sustain pedal. John is rather sparing of sustain,
so I had to edit out the "sustain off" events to even hear much of a
difference. Next I'm going to move it back into the PC domain to see how my
sound card handles it.
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remmers
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response 227 of 256:
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Jul 6 21:21 UTC 2001 |
On Tuesday, July 10 and Thursday, July 12, Nan Bostick will be
presenting two ragtime-related lectures at the Detroit Opera
House, as part of the Learning at the Opera House summer
program. Tickets are $10 at the door.
Tuesday, July 10, 7 to 9 p.m. - Seminar on Jerome H Remick
(major music publisher during the ragtime era, based in
Detroit), followed by a sing-along of Remick hits led by
Mike Montgomery.
Thursday, July 12, 7 to 9 p.m. - Seminar on Harry P. Guy
and the Detroit ragtime scene with Arthur LaBrew.
(Detroit composer and bandleader Harry Guy was a major
figure during the ragtime era. He wrote "Pearl of the
Harem", which you can hear at
http://jremmers.org/midi/prlharem.mid )
Nan is from California and is one of today's leading
researchers on ragtime. Detroit ragtime is one of her
specialities. She's also a very entertaining speaker and a
fine piano player. Her lectures are always illustrated with
plenty of music, played by herself and/or friends. If you
have any interest at all in ragtime music, you'll probably
find these presentations entertaining and enlightening.
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remmers
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response 228 of 256:
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Jul 25 16:34 UTC 2001 |
I've added another piece to my ragtime MIDI page, Charles
Johnson's "Golden Spider Rag" (1910). Listen to it at
http://jremmers.org/midi/gspider.mid
Also, I've written brief "liner notes" for the selections
on the http://jremmers.org/midi/ page.
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remmers
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response 229 of 256:
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Jul 25 19:10 UTC 2001 |
And another: James Scott's "Prosperity Rag" (1916). Hardly
anybody seems to play this piece, but I've loved it ever since
I sight-read it for the first time a few years ago. Recently
I decided to work it up for public performance. The first
strain has much in common with the composer's better-known
"Grace and Beauty".
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remmers
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response 230 of 256:
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Jul 25 19:11 UTC 2001 |
The URL for "Prosperity Rag" is http://jremmers.org/midi/prsprity.mid
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remmers
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response 231 of 256:
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Jul 27 20:49 UTC 2001 |
I received an updated flier in the mail today for the Sutter
Creek Ragtime Festival, in which I'll be performing in a
couple of weeks. It appears there's an event billed as
"The Piano Duel of the Century" in which I'm to be involved.
Quoting from the flier:
The Festival will end on Sunday afternoon with a
rip-roaring "piano cutting" contest at the Sutter
Creek Auditorium starting at 1:30 p.m. The
special "Granny Nanny" (Bostick) vs. "Hot Rod"
Tommy (Brier) Piano Dueling Concert is a new
addition to the festivities and promies to
include great ragtime and lots of shtick.
The incomparable Elliot Adams, pianist with the
Porcupine Ragtime Ensemble, has agreed to assist
"Granny Nanny" in Sunday's affair. "Hot Rod"
Tommy ramains undaunted by her call for
reinforcements. But John Remmers, guest
performer from Ann Arbor, Michigan, feels Brier
is being "put upon" and will be lining up on
Brier's side to equalize the odds. Carmichael's
Alan Ashby, Azalia, Oregon's Keith Taylor, and
other surprise guests are expected to join this
not-to-be-missed Festival finale.
Guess I'll find out when I get there just how the "script"
is supposed to go. But I must say I'm glad I'm on Tom
Brier's team rather than the opposing side. He is a
*fantastic* pianist.
The festival kicks off at 4 p.m. on Friday, August 10
and goes through Sunday. The performers will play at
various free venues around town; admission is charged
for the Saturday evening concert and Sunday's "duel".
If you're going to be in that part of the world on that
weekend and feel like dropping in, I'd be delighted to
see you. Details are on the festival's website:
http://www.ragtimemusic.com/scrf/
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remmers
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response 232 of 256:
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Aug 1 18:19 UTC 2001 |
A schedule for the Sutter Creek festival is now online at
http://www.ragtimemusic.com/scrf/schedule.htm
It's all subject to last-minute change, but as of now I'm
scheduled to perform at the opening jam session at the
Ice Cream Emporium at 4pm on Friday August 10, at Susan's
Place Restaurant during the dinner hour on Friday, at
various times and places (as yet unknown to me) around
town on Saturday, and at the closing concert at 1:30 p.m.
on Sunday. Not the Saturday evening concert, which it's
been decided to reserve for the headliners.
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remmers
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response 233 of 256:
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Aug 15 18:24 UTC 2001 |
I'm back from Sutter Creek. The festival was great fun,
although I must say that the sheer amount I was performing
plus the central California heat tested my endurance
somewhat. More details when I have time to write them
down. And there will be pictures on the web.
Tomorrow I'm off to a closer venue, the first Lapeer
Ragtime Festival in Lapeer, Michigan. As an attendee,
not a scheduled performer. Appearing will be Bob Milne,
Sue Keller, and the Bo Grumpus group.
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remmers
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response 234 of 256:
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Aug 21 03:28 UTC 2001 |
A few notes on the Sutter Creek Festival. I arrived in
California a few days early, in order to have time to visit
with my sister in Stockton and travel to the San Francisco area
to see my nephew, try to hook up with a couple of Grexers (scg
and munkey), and shop for some vintage clothes to wear in the
festival's finale concert.
Visits with sister and nephew went fine, Grexer rendevous
didn't happen (phone tag failure), and the clothes shopping was
unnecessary as I was able to find just what I needed right in
Sutter Creek. Somewhat surprising since Sutter Creek is a just
a little tourist town tucked away in the hills of the Mother
Lode region of California, forty miles or so southeast of
Sacramento, with a downtown section that's only three blocks
long. But thanks to a tip from a friend about a Sutter Creek
store called Romancing the Range devoted to vintage western
wear, I was able to find an 1800s style vest, shirt, and puff
tie that gave me just the "ragtime professor" look that was
wanted.
The festival itself went from Friday to Sunday, at various
venues around town. Festival headquarters was the Ice Cream
Emporium, an combination ice cream/sandwich/gift shop with a
vintage look. It's owned by Stevens Price, festival organizer
and himself a ragtime piano player.
From around 4pm on Friday - when the festival got underway - to
about 3:30pm on Sunday, I was a pretty busy guy. On Friday I
played a half hour gig at the Ice Cream Emporium, then an
hour-long set at Susan's Place, a restaurant across the street.
Then back to the Ice Cream Emporium for an more jamming. I
think I worked dinner for myself in there somewhere, but I
don't remember for sure. Saturday was the killer: I ended up
doing FIVE gigs: half an hour at the local hotel, then another
half hour at the theater, then 45 minutes in an open courtyard,
then another 45 minutes at the theater, then finally another
half hour at Susan's Place. Breaks between most (not all) of
the sets. The other performers were similarly put through
their paces. Oh, did I mention that all this running around
town getting from one place to another took place in 90+ degree
heat? I think I drank as much water on Saturday as a usually
consume in three days. The festival headliners (Virginia
Tichenor, Bo Grumpus, Keith Taylor, Tom Brier) had it even
worse, since they also had to perform in the Saturday evening
concert. By the time my Susan's Place stint was over, I felt
quite wiped out and grateful that I could simply relax and
enjoy listening to the concert. Which was excellent; a special
highlight for me was a to-die-for performance by Virginia
Tichenor of David Guion's "Texas Fox Trot", accompanied on
string bass by her husband Marty Eggers. I play the piece
myself and have mentioned it elsewhere in this item; it's one
of my favorites in all of ragtime literature.
On Sunday morning I did some more playing during open piano at
the Emporium, but my only scheduled gig was the Sunday
afternoon "Piano Duel of the Century" concert, billed as a
contest between twenty-nine-year-old keyboard whiz Tom Brier
and Nan "Granny Nanny" Bostick. The "duel" turned out to be a
friendly two- and three-piano play-along involving Tom (who can
play anything, usually at sight) playing with various other
performers, interspersed by various humorous sketches having to
do with the "duel" aspect. In my bit, I played a "ragtime
professor from out east" who had come to Tom's aid out of
outrage at his shabby treatment by Granny Nanny. Following my
improvised dialog on this point, the three of us played Harry
Guy's "Pearl of the Harem" and Charles Daniels' "Louisiana" on
three pianos. (Unrehearsed, I might add. Who needs
rehearsals?) The concert ended with ALL the performers banging
away on Charles Johnson's "Dill Pickles".
Doing this festival was great experience, and I got to meet and
hear some fine performers I hadn't encountered before. Such as
Keith Taylor and Elliott Adams. A couple of composers showed
up too, both to listen and do a little unbilled performing --
Gil Lieby from Nebraska, whom I hadn't heard of before but
who's written some very nice stuff, and Galen Wilkes, who's
written a couple of my favorite contemporary rags: "Creeks of
Missouri" and "Last of the Ragtime Pioneers." And I got a lot
of favorable feedback on my playing (and Sunday afternoon
play-acting), which was nice of course.
I took a bunch of pictures and plan to make some sort of
organized website of them, like I did for the Sedalia
festival. In the meantime, here's a sampler:
View of Main Street:
http://www.jremmers.org/SutterCreek2001/P8020025.JPG
Interior of Ice Cream Emporium:
http://www.jremmers.org/SutterCreek2001/P8020023.JPG
Stevens Price:
http://www.jremmers.org/SutterCreek2001/P8020024.JPG
Tom Brier playing one of his (many) compositions:
http://www.jremmers.org/SutterCreek2001/P8020021.JPG
Bo Grumpus playing for dancers:
http://www.jremmers.org/SutterCreek2001/P8030032.JPG
Bo Grumpus at the Saturday concert:
http://www.jremmers.org/SutterCreek2001/P8040041.JPG
Virginia Tichenor and Marty Eggers, Saturday concert:
http://www.jremmers.org/SutterCreek2001/P8040043.JPG
Nan Bostick at Susan's Place:
http://www.jremmers.org/SutterCreek2001/P8030037.JPG
"Ragtime Professor" Remmers, Sunday concert:
http://www.jremmers.org/SutterCreek2001/P8040060.JPG
Professor Remmers and Granny Nanny, Sunday concert:
http://www.jremmers.org/SutterCreek2001/P8040061.JPG
Three-piano "Pearl of the Harem", Sunday concert:
http://www.jremmers.org/SutterCreek2001/P8040063.JPG
Tom Brier and Keith Taylor, Sunday concert:
http://www.jremmers.org/SutterCreek2001/P8040068.JPG
"Dill Pickles" finale, Sunday concert:
http://www.jremmers.org/SutterCreek2001/P8040072.JPG
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remmers
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response 235 of 256:
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Aug 21 03:40 UTC 2001 |
Oops. The URL for Main Street actually points to a picture
of Nan Bostick on piano and Kittie Wilson on washboard. The
correct Main Street URL is
http://www.jremmers.org/SutterCreek2001/P8020014.JPG
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anderyn
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response 236 of 256:
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Aug 21 11:19 UTC 2001 |
Very handsome professor there, remmers. Thanks for sharing such a cool story
and the pictures.
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remmers
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response 237 of 256:
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Sep 4 23:36 UTC 2001 |
Just a brief note or two on the Lapeer Ragtime Festival, which
took place a couple of weekends ago. In case you're not familiar
with it, Lapeer, Michigan is a smallish town east of Flint a ways,
in the midst of farm country. It's only a 1.5 hour drive from
Ann Arbor, hence very easy for me to get to compared to a lot
of the festivals I attend.
It was also the first ragtime festival held in Lapeer. My
impression is that the city fathers finally realized that they
had a ragtime superstar in their midst -- Lapeer is Bob Milne's
home town -- and decided to capitalize on that by asking Bob to
organize a festival to coincide with "Lapeer Days", a big
annual celebration with tents on the main drag, a carnival,
a parade, and other such small-town-USA carryings-on.
In retrospect the timing probably wasn't the greatest --
the festival had to compete with othe Lapeer Days events,
and that probably reduced attendance by locals. The small
downtown theater where the festival was held was only about
half full for the concerts.
That said, the festival was excellent musically, and the audience,
although smallish, was enthusiastic. The performers were Bob
Milne, Sue Keller, and the Bo Grumpus trio. I've seen and heard
them all many times before, but they were all in fine form.
I think that Bo Grumpus in particular benefits from a smaller,
more intimate setting like the vintage little theater where the
concerts were held. They were certainly well received by the
audience. A festival highlight for me was their rendition of
a number called "Bogalusa Strut" from the 1920s, in which they
pulled out all the stops. (It's also on their latest album,
"Blues & Rags", which I was inspired to acquire.)
I also found the small scale of the festival -- a Friday night
concert, and a Saturday afternoon combination seminar/concert --
to be a nice change of pace from the more mammoth festivals
held in Frankenmuth, Sedalia, and Sacramento.
Next year, they're not going to try to put on a ragtime festival
during Lapeer Days. What they're doing instead looks quite
interesting and innovative -- a mid-September "Ragtime Retreat"
with an educational as well as entertainment component:
a number of seminars and private piano lessons, in addition
to the usual concerts.
I'll put festival pics up on the web when I've had time to
organize them.
|
edissler
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response 238 of 256:
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Sep 7 04:57 UTC 2001 |
You're absolutely right, John. Bo Grumpus, the 30-something
string-percussion trio from San Francisco, did an excellent rendition of
"Bogalusa Strut," during Saturday's concert at the Lapeer Ragtime
Festival. I'm glad I was there to hear it. I think the trio really
responded to the audience's enthusiasm.
As a collector of early, pioneer popular recordings, I think the neat
thing about Bo Grumpus is that a good deal of the music it plays is
borrowed from vintage recordings--pre-1930 78s and cylinders. The
musicians in Bo Grumpus are record collectors. Craig Ventresco, the
guitarist and leader, specializes in the early and forgotten popular
artists of the late 1890s/early 1900s, like Will F. Denny, Harry Tally,
Silas Leachman and a handful of studio bands. These recordings
inspire the renditions of Bo Grumpus. Hence, old, obscure popular tunes
get revived, such as "Shame on You" (1904), "Gayest Manhattan (March)"
(1898), and "Too Much Ginger" (c. 1916). It's rare to hear such
selections played and recorded today. They're excellent tunes that have
been lost for too long in graying record grooves; they are worthy of
revival.
Bo Grumpus has a style and spirit that can successfully put over the old
tunes to today's audiences. There's nothing corny or old-fashioned about
its interpretations. Then again, it's not three guys jamming in
different directions and making the tune unrecognizable. The composer's
original intent is preserved. Renditions of rags, marches, one-steps,
etc. are lively and energetic--they grab the attention of the audience.
At concerts, the trio's sense of humor helps to keep things zipping
along.
Bo Grumpus' instrumentation is different than other small ragtime groups
I've heard. I think this contributes to the trio's uniqueness and
popularity at fests. Craig's playing has been described as, at times,
sounding like two guitars at one time. He seems to effortlessly play
almost any popular tune off old recordings. Pete Devine plays vintage
traps, and oversees crash cymbals, skulls, wood block, Chinese tom-tom,
hand cymbals, washboard (played with brushes), tap shoes, and other
noisemakers. According to pianist Bob Milne, the host of the Lapeer
festival, Pete was voted the number one US percussionist in jazz and
ragtime, by his fellow musicians. Marty Eggers, on string bass,
brilliantly keeps up with whatever Craig and Pete dish out.
As always, it was a treat to hear and see Bo Grumpus. Plus, I even got
to help Craig put together part of the playlist for Saturday's (Aug. 18)
gig. Craig and I are record-collecting and rag-fest pals. We speak the
same language. Therefore, it was a highly productive brainstorming
session . . . in the theater's back alley, with the garbage can serving
as the desk! I came up with two of the last three selections of the
concert--"Too Much Ginger" and the often-recorded (before 1920) "Ben Hur
Chariot Race March." I also reminded Craig that Billy Murray, the
prolific and versatile pioneer recording artist, died Aug. 17, 1954.
Craig agreed that it would be good to do a "tribute," even if one day
late. It was a bit difficult trying to think of a Murray song that Craig
could play AND sing. We finally agreed on the c. 1906 comic song "He
Goes to Church on Sunday."
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remmers
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response 239 of 256:
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Sep 13 01:29 UTC 2001 |
Thanks for the post, Anna. It's nice to have some insight into
the way a group like Bo Grumpus operates. And nice work on the
playlist for the Saturday concert -- all good tunes.
I've put together a small picture gallery on the Lapeer festival:
http://www.jremmers.org/Lapeer2001/
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remmers
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response 240 of 256:
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Sep 15 13:42 UTC 2001 |
See http://www.ragtimemusic.com/scrf/festival_prior_year.htm for
a report on August's Sutter Creek Ragtime Festival. Included are
a writeup of the festival and a picture gallery, featuring photos
taken by yours truly and others.
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remmers
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response 241 of 256:
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Sep 15 17:17 UTC 2001 |
Just learned about an interview with David Thomas Roberts
that was broadcast on National Public Radio a few weeks ago.
Roberts is a leading composer of New Ragtime and the related
genre Terra Verde. He's the composer of one of my favorite
pieces of contemporary ragtime, the piano solo "Roberto
Clemente" (which he performs during the interview). He's
also an able lecturer and teacher; I took master classes
and private lessons from him at the two Ragtime Institutes
held in Boulder, Colorado in 1999 and 2000.
The interview was broadcast on August 29, 2001 on "All
Things Considered." You can listen to it on the web by
going to the NPR archives at http://www.npr.org/archives/
and entering "David Thomas Roberts" and the above
date and program information in the form.
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remmers
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response 242 of 256:
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Oct 26 17:14 UTC 2001 |
Slightly off-topic, but I'd like to put in a plug for the
"Ghost World", the film version of Daniel Clowes' wonderfully
funny and poignant novel-in-comic-book-form of the same name.
It's about Enid and Rebecca, a couple of young women freshly
graduated from high school who aren't sure what they're going
to do next with their lives. Enid in particular has a lot of
trouble figuring out how she fits into the modern world.
The movie is basicially faithful to the tone of the book but
with some major new plot twists. Most significantly, there's a
new character played by Steve Buscemi -- a middle-aged record
collector befriended by Enid. The guy is a fan of vintage
jazz, ragtime, and blues, and like Enid is something a misfit.
The two form a bond, and complications ensue that are both
comical and disastrous.
The screenplay is by Clowes and director Terry Zwigoff. Zwigoff
is himself a musician and vintage music afficianado -- he played
cello with Robert Crumb's "Cheap Suit Serenaders" ensemble --
so I'm sure the musical elements of the plot are due to him.
This kind of music is so neglected nowadays that I was glad to see
it acknowledged in a movie that is at least marginally mainstream.
I was amused to hear the names of classical ragtime composers
Scott Joplin and Joseph Lamb mentioned. The playing of Bo
Grumpus guitarist Craig Ventresco can be heard on the soundtrack.
I liked the movie a lot. Thora Birch is perfectly cast as Enid.
Several other characters from the book are beautifully captured
as well, such as Enid's father and his girlfriend (played unbilled
by Teri Garr). Catch it on video if you miss in in the theater.
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dbratman
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response 243 of 256:
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Nov 1 00:29 UTC 2001 |
I read the first couple pages of the "Ghost World" graphic novel. I'd
have read more, but I was short of time.
It looked better than, but disturbingly similar to, the same
author's "David Boring", which I read about half of until my mind
revolted.
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orinoco
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response 244 of 256:
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Nov 1 09:12 UTC 2001 |
Did it live up to the title?
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remmers
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response 245 of 256:
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Nov 1 17:07 UTC 2001 |
"Ghost World" is the the only Clowes that I've read, so I have
no idea how it compares to his other work. But I liked "Ghost
World" so much that I do want to check out his other stuff.
On the ragtime front, my activity level has declined in
intensity since I resumed teaching full-time in September. I've
been working on learning a couple of rags by the contemporary
composer David Thomas Roberts: "Roberto Clemente" and "Through
the Bottomlands". And I'll be heading out to the West Coast
Ragtime Festival in Sacramento, CA later this month.
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dbratman
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response 246 of 256:
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Nov 1 23:32 UTC 2001 |
resp:244 - Yes. (I thought that rather too obvious a comment to make,
but yes.)
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remmers
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response 247 of 256:
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Nov 16 03:39 UTC 2001 |
Tomorrow I'm leaving to attend the West Coast Ragtime Festival in
Sacramento, CA. I'll let you know how it went.
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remmers
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response 248 of 256:
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Nov 21 17:07 UTC 2001 |
I'm back from the West Coast Ragtime Festival and will post some
details later. In the meantime, a couple of short announcements:
Pianist Bob Milne will be giving a "Holiday Ragtime Piano Concert" on
Saturday, December 15 at Pease Auditorium on the Eastern Michigan
University campus in Ypsilanti. Tickets are available by phone at
(734)487-2282 or on the web at http://www.emich.edu/convocation .
In addition to ragtime, Milne plays boogie woogie and blues. He's
one of my favorite performers, and I think any of his appearances
is well worth attending, almost as much for his entertaining and
informative comments on the music as for the music itself. (I'll
certainly be there.)
Archive Impact has just released an interactive CD-ROM called
"American Scrapbook: Detroit Memories, Volume 1". It's a
retrospective of Detroit from the turn of the century to World War
II, told in words, photographs, and music. My piano playing can
be heard on the soundtrack in a couple of places -- "Princess Rag"
and "Ragtime Oriole", both by James Scott. Ragtime pianist and
historian Nan Bostick also performs on the CD.
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remmers
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response 249 of 256:
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Dec 3 19:19 UTC 2001 |
As I've announced elsewhere, I'll be performing at this Sunday's
Holiday Ragtime Bash at the Unitarian Church in Ann Arbor. For
those who might want to go, details are in Music item 51, response
#36 (resp:music,51,36).
This concert is an annual event that dates back to the 1970s
ragtime revival. It started out as a series of fundraisers,
organized by William Albright and William Bolcom, for a new church
organ, and then took on a life of its own, continuing long past
the point when the organ was purchased. William Albright usually
hosted it; following his death a few years ago, Mike Montgomery
took over the program director and emcee chores. As time went on,
the focus drifted away from ragtime and towards related forms --
blues, boogie-woogie, pop tunes. This year there's a conscious
effort to emphasize ragtime once again, a decision of which I
heartily approve of course. The first half of the concert will
showcase major composers of the ragtime era -- Scott Joplin,
Joseph Lamb, James Scott, Tom Turpin, Jelly Roll Morton, and
others. The second half will be more free-wheeling, but still
with the emphasis on ragtime I think. Performs include William
Bolcom, Joan Morris, James Dapogny, Terry Parish, Kerry Price,
Bob Seely, and yours truly, among others.
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