List of ragtime composers
Encyclopedia
Pre-1940
- Felix ArndtFelix ArndtFelix Arndt was an American pianist and composer of popular music. His mother was the Countess Fevrier, related to Napoleon III....
(1889 – 1918), "Nola" - May AufderheideMay AufderheideMay Frances Aufderheide Kaufman was an American composer of ragtime music. She was probably the best known among female ragtime composers...
(1888 – 1972), "Dusty" - Roy BargyRoy BargyRoy Fredrick Bargy was an American composer and pianist.Born in Newaygo, Michigan, he grew up in Toledo, Ohio, where he was exposed to the music of pianists Johnny Walters and Luckey Roberts. In 1919 he began working with Charley Straight at the Imperial Piano Roll Company in Chicago, performing,...
(1894 – 1974), "Pianoflage" - William Beebe, "Ragtime March" (1897)
- Harry Belding (1873 – 1932), "Good Gravy Rag"
- Theron C. BennettTheron C. BennettTheron Catlen Bennett was an American pianist, ragtime composer, and music publisher.Born in Pierce City, Missouri, he graduated in 1902 from the school which is now New Mexico State University. He worked for the Victor Kramer Co., which published some of his early compositions. He became a music...
(1879 – 1937), "The St. Louis Tickle" - Charlotte Blake (1885 – 1979), "That Poker Rag"
- Eubie BlakeEubie BlakeJames Hubert Blake was an American composer, lyricist, and pianist of ragtime, jazz, and popular music. In 1921, Blake and long-time collaborator Noble Sissle wrote the Broadway musical Shuffle Along, one of the first Broadway musicals to be written and directed by African Americans...
(1887 – 1983), "The Baltimore Todalo" - Blind Boone (1864 – 1927), "Southern Rag Medley No. 1"
- George BotsfordGeorge BotsfordGeorge Botsford was an American composer of ragtime and other forms of music.Botsford was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and grew up in Iowa. His first copyrighted number was "The Katy Flyer -- Cake Walk," published in 1899. His most important rag is "Black and White Rag," published in 1908...
(1874 – 1949), "Black and White RagBlack and White RagBlack and White Rag is a 1908 ragtime composition by George Botsford.The first known recording of this piece was by Albert Benzler, recorded on Lakeside/U.S.Everlasting Cylinder #380 in June of 1911. This recording is somewhat rare , and significant...
" - Euday L. BowmanEuday L. BowmanEuday Louis Bowman was an American pianist and composer of ragtime and blues who represented the style of Texas Ragtime...
(1887 – 1949), "Twelfth Street Rag" - Thomas E. Broady (1877 – ?), "Whittling Remus"
- Brun CampbellBrun CampbellBrun Campbell was an American composer and pianist. Born Sanford Brunson Campbell in Oberlin, Kansas, he ran away to Oklahoma City when he was fifteen and met Scott Joplin. For the next decade, he made his living as a traveling pianist in the Midwestern and Southern United States...
(1884 – 1952), "Barber Shop Rag" - Louis ChauvinLouis ChauvinLouis Chauvin was an American ragtime musician.Born in St. Louis, Missouri of a Mexican Spanish-Indian father and an African American mother, he was widely considered the finest pianist in the St. Louis area at the turn of the century...
(1881 – 1908), "Heliotrope Bouquet" - George L. CobbGeorge L. CobbGeorge Linus Cobb was a prolific composer best known for ragtime, including both instrumental compositions and ragtime songs, although he did produce other works including marches and waltzes. Jack Yellen was a frequent lyricist for the songs.Entering Syracuse University in 1905, his first...
(1886 – 1942), "Russian Rag" - Zez ConfreyZez ConfreyEdward Elzear "Zez" Confrey was an American composer and performer of piano music. His most noted works were "Kitten on the Keys," and "Dizzy Fingers."-Life and career:...
(1895 – 1971), "Kitten on the Keys" - Les C. CopelandLes C. CopelandLeslie C. Copeland was an American composer and pianist. As a boy, he played in Lew Dockstader's minstrel troupe. He later sold ragtime compositions to Jerome H. Remick and others. Some of his performances are preserved on piano rolls...
(1887 – 1942), "French Pastry Rag" - Cecil Duane CrabbCecil Duane CrabbCecil Duane Crabb was an American composer of ragtime music and a member of Indianapolis group of ragtime composers....
(1890 – 1953), "Fluffy Ruffles" - Claude DebussyClaude DebussyClaude-Achille Debussy was a French composer. Along with Maurice Ravel, he was one of the most prominent figures working within the field of impressionist music, though he himself intensely disliked the term when applied to his compositions...
(1862 – 1918), "Golliwogg's Cakewalk" and "Général Lavine" - Blind Willie McTellBlind Willie McTellBlind Willie McTell , was an influential Piedmont and ragtime blues singer and guitarist. He played with a fluid, syncopated fingerstyle guitar technique, common among many exponents of Piedmont blues, although, unlike his contemporaries, he used exclusively a twelve-string guitar...
(1898 – 1959) "Southern Can Is Mine" - Charlie PattonCharlie PattonCharlie Patton , better known as Charley Patton, was an American Delta blues musician. He is considered by many to be the "Father of the Delta Blues", and is credited with creating an enduring body of American music and personally inspiring just about every Delta blues man...
(1891 – 1934)"Shake It And Break It" - Jacob Henry Ellis, "Hannah's Promenade" (1897)
- James Reese EuropeJames Reese EuropeJames Reese Europe was an American ragtime and early jazz bandleader, arranger, and composer. He was the leading figure on the African American music scene of New York City in the 1910s.-Biography:...
(1880 – 1919), "Castle House Rag" - Ernst FischerErnst Fischer (composer)Ernst Fischer was a German keyboardist and composer of light music both for piano and for orchestra. He became well-known to radio listeners all over the world from the 1930s to 1960s. Although he wrote numerous piano pieces, perhaps his most famous work is the orchestral suite, Südlich der Alpen...
(1900 – 1975), "Pretty Baby" - Lucian Porter Gibson (1890 – 1959), "Jinx Rag"
- George Hamilton GreenGeorge Hamilton GreenGeorge Hamilton Green, Jr. was a xylophonist, composer, and cartoonist born in Omaha, Nebraska. He was born into a musical family, both his grandfather and his father being composers, arrangers, and conductors for bands in Omaha. From age four G.H...
(1893 – 1970), "Ragtime Robin" - Gene GreeneGene GreeneEugene Delbert Greene , better known as Gene Greene was an American entertainer, singer and composer, nicknamed The Ragtime King. He was a vaudeville star and made some of the earliest sound recordings of scat singing in 1911 for Columbia Records and Victor Records and was a popular Ragtime performer...
(1881 – 1930), "King of the Bungaloos" - Harry P. Guy (1870 – 1950), "Echoes from the Snowball Club"
- R. J. Hamilton, "Ragtime Patrol" (1897)
- Ben HarneyBen HarneyBenjamin Robertson "Ben" Harney was a United States of America songwriter, entertainer, and pioneer of ragtime music. His 1895 composition "You've Been a Good Old Wagon but You Done Broke Down" is regarded as one of the first published ragtime songs...
(1871 – 1938), "You've Been a Good Old Wagon but You Done Broke Down" (1895) and "Cake Walk In The Sky" - Robert Hampton (1890 – 1945), "Agitation Rag"
- Scott HaydenScott HaydenScott Hayden was an African-American composer of ragtime music.Born in Sedalia, Missouri, he was the son of Marion and Julia Hayden...
(1882 – 1915), "Pear Blossoms" - Abe HolzmannAbe HolzmannAbe Holzmann was a German/American composer, who is most famous today for his march Blaze-Away!Abraham Holzmann was born in New York City. His parents were Jacob Holzmann, a Hungarian immigrant and Isabella Holzmann, a native of Louisiana. The young Holzmann learned music in Germany...
(1874 – 1939), "Smoky Mokes" - Ernest HoganErnest HoganErnest Hogan was the first African American entertainer to produce and star in a Broadway show and helped create the musical genre of ragtime....
(1865 – 1909) "La Pas Ma La" and "All Coons Look Alike to Me" - Charles Hunter (1876 – 1906), "Tickled to Death"
- Harry Jentes (1887 – 1958), "Bantam Step"
- Charles L. JohnsonCharles L. JohnsonCharles Leslie Johnson was an American composer of ragtime and popular music. He was born in Kansas City, Kansas, died in Kansas City, Missouri, and lived his entire life in those two cities...
(1876 – 1950), "Dill Pickles" - James P. JohnsonJames P. JohnsonJames P. Johnson was an American pianist and composer...
(1894 – 1955), "Carolina Shout" - Scott JoplinScott JoplinScott Joplin was an American composer and pianist. Joplin achieved fame for his ragtime compositions, and was later dubbed "The King of Ragtime". During his brief career, Joplin wrote 44 original ragtime pieces, one ragtime ballet, and two operas...
(1867 – 1917), "Maple Leaf RagMaple Leaf RagThe "Maple Leaf Rag" is an early ragtime musical composition for piano composed by Scott Joplin. It was one of Joplin's early works, and is one of the most famous of all ragtime pieces, and became the model for ragtime compositions by subsequent composers. As a result Joplin was called the "King...
" and "The Entertainer (rag) The Entertainer" - Joe JordanJoe Jordan (musician)Joe Jordan was an African American musician and composer. Jordan was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, grew up in St...
(1882 – 1971), "Pekin Rag" - Sadie KoninskySadie KoninskySadie G. Koninsky was an American composer, music publisher, and music teacher who lived most of her life in Troy, New York. A prolific composer, she is thought to have authored over 300 pieces of music, including waltzes and marches...
(1879 – 1952), "Eli Green's Cake Walk" - Reverend Gary DavisReverend Gary DavisReverend Gary Davis, also Blind Gary Davis, was an American blues and gospel singer and guitarist, who was also proficient on the banjo and harmonica...
(1896 – 1972), "Italian Rag" and "Soldier's March" - William Henry Krell (1868 – 1933), "Mississippi Rag" (1897) and "Shake Yo' Dusters", or "Piccaninny Rag" (1898)
- Joseph F. Lamb (1887 – 1960), "American Beauty Rag"
- Henry Lodge (1884 – 1933), "Temptation Rag"
- Marie Louka (18?? – 19??), "The Rajah" (1902), "Karmara" (1903)
- Arthur MarshallArthur Marshall (ragtime composer)Arthur Marshall was an African-American composer and performer of ragtime music.Marshall was born on a farm in Saline County, Missouri, but a few years later his family moved to Sedalia, Missouri...
(1881 – 1968), "Kinklets" - Artie MatthewsArtie MatthewsArtie Matthews was a songwriter, pianist, and ragtime composer.Artie Matthews was born in Braidwood, Illinois; his family moved to Springfield, Illinois in his youth. He learned to play piano, mostly popular songs and light classics, until he heard ragtime played by a pianist named Banty Morgan...
(1888 – 1958), "Pastime Rag No. 5" - Kerry MillsKerry MillsKerry Mills was an American composer of popular music during the Tin Pan Alley era. His stylistically diverse music ranged from ragtime to cakewalk to marches. He was most prolific between 1895 and 1918....
(1869 – 1948), "At a Georgia Camp Meeting" - Jelly Roll MortonJelly Roll MortonFerdinand Joseph LaMothe , known professionally as Jelly Roll Morton, was an American ragtime and early jazz pianist, bandleader and composer....
(1890 – 1941), "Frog-I-More Rag" - Julia Lee Niebergall (1886 – 1968), "Horseshoe Rag"
- Theodore Havermeyer Northrup (1866 – 1919), "Louisiana Rag" (1897)
- Paul Pratt (1890 – 1948), "Colonial Glide"
- Arthur PryorArthur PryorArthur Willard Pryor was a trombone virtuoso, bandleader, and soloist with the Sousa Band. In later life, he was an American Democratic Party politician from New Jersey, who served on the Monmouth County, New Jersey Board of Chosen Freeholders during the 1930s.Pryor was born on the second floor of...
(1870 – 1942), "A Coon Band Contest" (1899), "Razzazza Mazzazza" (1906) - Luckey RobertsLuckey RobertsCharles Luckeyeth Roberts, better known as Luckey Roberts was an American composer and stride pianist who worked in the jazz, ragtime, and blues styles.-Biography:...
(1887 – 1968), "Junk Man Rag" - J. Russel Robinson (1892 – 1963), "Eccentric" and "Sapho Rag"
- Paul SarebresolePaul SarebresolePaul Sarebresole was an early composer of ragtime music.Sarebresole was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. His French ancestors spelled the family name "Sarrebresolles"....
(1875 – 1911), "Roustabout Rag" - James ScottJames Scott (musician)James Sylvester Scott was an African-American ragtime composer, regarded as one of the three most important composers of classic ragtime, along with Scott Joplin and Joseph Lamb....
(1885 – 1938), "Frog Legs RagFrog Legs Rag"Frog Legs Rag" is a classic rag composed by James Scott and published by John Stillwell Stark in December 1906. It was James Scott's first commercial success. Prior to this composition Scott had published marches...
" - Arthur S. Shaw (1878 – 1949), "Rag-Ma-La" (1897)
- Adaline Sheppard (1885 – 1950), "Pickles and Peppers"
- Russell Smith (1890 – 1969), "That Demon Rag"
- Ted SnyderTed SnyderTheodore Frank Snyder , was a U.S. composer, lyricist, and music publisher . His hits include "The Sheik of Araby" and "Who's Sorry Now?" . In 1970, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame...
(1881 – 1965) "Ramshackle Rag" - John Philip SousaJohn Philip SousaJohn Philip Sousa was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era, known particularly for American military and patriotic marches. Because of his mastery of march composition, he is known as "The March King" or the "American March King" due to his British counterpart Kenneth J....
(1854 – 1932), "With Pleasure" (1912), "Willow Blossoms" (1916) - Etilmon J. StarkEtilmon J. StarkEtilmon Justus Stark was a prolific ragtime composer and arranger, the eldest son of ragtime publisher John Stark....
(1868 – 1962), "Billiken Rag" - Charley StraightCharley StraightCharles Theodore Straight , better known as Charley Straight, was an American pianist, bandleader and composer. He started his career in 1909 accompanying singer Gene Greene in Vaudeville. In 1916 he began working at the Imperial Piano Roll Company in Chicago were he recorded dozens of piano rolls...
(1891 – 1940), "Rufenreddy" - Igor StravinskyIgor StravinskyIgor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ; 6 April 1971) was a Russian, later naturalized French, and then naturalized American composer, pianist, and conductor....
(1882 – 1971), "Piano-Rag-MusicPiano-Rag-MusicPiano-Rag-Music is a composition for piano solo by Igor Stravinsky, written in 1919.Stravinsky, who had, by that time, emigrated to France after his studies with Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov in Russia, was confronted with American jazz combos actively influential in Europe...
" - Wilber Sweatman (1882 – 1961), "Down Home Rag"
- Charles Hubbard ThompsonCharles Hubbard ThompsonCharles Hubbard Thompson was a ragtime pianist and composer.Born in St. Louis, Missouri, he was given some piano lessons in his youth, though he later described himself as self-taught. He left St. Louis in 1911 to tour in Ohio and Indiana. In 1912, he met James P. Johnson in either Washington D.C...
(1891 – 1964), "The Lily" - Harry TierneyHarry TierneyHarry Austin Tierney was a successful American composer of musical theatre, best known for long-running hits such as Irene , Broadway's longest-running show of the era , Kid Boots and Rio Rita , one of the first musicals to be turned into a talking picture .Born...
(1890 – 1965), "The Bumble Bee" - Tom TurpinTom TurpinThomas Million John Turpin was an African-American composer of ragtime music.Tom Turpin was born in Savannah, Georgia, a son of John L. Turpin and Lulu Waters Turpin. In his early twenties he opened a saloon in St...
(1873 – 1922), "Harlem Rag" - Percy WenrichPercy WenrichPercy Wenrich was a United States composer of ragtime and popular music.Born in Joplin, Missouri, he left for Chicago in 1901 and moved on to New York City around 1907 to work as a Tin Pan Alley composer, but his music retains a Missouri folk flavor...
(1880 – 1952), "Peaches and Cream" - Fats WallerFats WallerFats Waller , born Thomas Wright Waller, was a jazz pianist, organist, composer, singer, and comedic entertainer...
(1904 – 1943), "Valentine Stomp" - Clarence C. Wiley (1883 – 1908), "Car-Bahlick Acid Rag"
- Clarence WoodsClarence WoodsClarence Homer Woods was an early and somewhat influential American ragtime composer.- Formative years :...
(1888 – 1956), "Slippery Elm Rag" - Calvin Lee Woolsey (1884 – 1946), "Medic Rag"
Modern ragtime composers (since 1940)
- William AlbrightWilliam Albright (musician)William Albright was an American composer, pianist and organist.Albright was born in Gary, Indiana, and began learning the piano at the age of five, and attended the Juilliard Preparatory Department , the Eastman School of Music and the University of Michigan , where he studied composition with...
(1944 – 1998), "Brass Knuckles" - Peter Andersson (born 1968), "The River Boat Slow Drag"
- James F. Andris "The St. Louis Zoo Rag"
- Neil Blaze "Rosewood Rag"
- William BolcomWilliam BolcomWilliam Elden Bolcom is an American composer and pianist. He has received the Pulitzer Prize, the National Medal of Arts, two Grammy Awards, the Detroit Music Award and was named 2007 Composer of the Year by Musical America. Bolcom taught composition at the University of Michigan from 1973–2008...
(born 1938), "The Graceful Ghost" - Sune "Sumpen" Borg (1931 – 2002), "Ylva Rag"
- Tom Brier "Goldeneye Rag"
- Lou BuschLou BuschLouis Ferdinand Busch was a music producer, musician and songwriter who was best known for performing as a pianist under the nickname Joe "Fingers" Carr.-Biography:...
(1910 – 1979) "Carr's Hop" - Elena Kats-CherninElena Kats-CherninElena Kats-Chernin is an Australian composer.Elena Kats-Chernin was born in Tashkent , and migrated to Australia in 1975.-Europe:...
(born 1957), "Russian Rag" - Bob Darch "Suicide Table Rag"
- Bill Edwards "The Hanon Rag"
- Richard EganRichard Egan (composer)Richard Allen Egan Jr. is a ragtime pianist, composer, transcriber, and arranger.-Bio:From the ages of 8 to 12 Richard took rudimentary piano lessons from a local church organist, reaching the second year level of studies by his fourth year...
(born 1959), "Campbellmania" - Keith EmersonKeith EmersonKeith Noel Emerson is an English keyboard player and composer. Formerly a member of the Keith Emerson Trio, John Brown's Bodies, The T-Bones, V.I.P.s, P.P. Arnold's backing band, and The Nice , he was a founder of Emerson, Lake & Palmer , one of the early supergroups, in 1970...
(born 1944), "Barrelhouse Shakedown" - Frank French "Belle of Louisville"
- Ragnar Hellspong (born 1944), "Rag's Rag"
- Dick HymanDick HymanRichard “Dick” Hyman is an American jazz pianist/keyboardist and composer, best-known for his versatility with jazz piano styles. Over a 50 year career, he has functioned as pianist, organist, arranger, music director, and, increasingly, as composer...
(born 1927), "Ragtime Razz Matazz" - Mattias Högberg (co-composer) "Bowler Hat Rag"
- Benjamin Intartaglia "Ghost Castle Rag"
- Dave Jasen (born 1937), "Raymond's Rag"
- Daniel Jencka "Frederick's Royal Rag"
- Glenn Jenks "The Harbour Rag"
- Vincent M. Johnson "Octopus On The Keys"
- Max Keenlyside "Deep Fried Rag"
- Sue Keller (born 1952), "Cranberry Stomp"
- Scott Kirby "Ravenna"
- Bill Krenz "Mud Cat Rag"
- Tom LehrerTom LehrerThomas Andrew "Tom" Lehrer is an American singer-songwriter, satirist, pianist, mathematician and polymath. He has lectured on mathematics and musical theater...
(born 1928) "The Vatican Rag" - Peter Lundberg (born 1942), "Gothenburg Rag"
- Johnny MaddoxJohnny MaddoxJohnny Maddox is a ragtime pianist and collector of ragtime memorabilia.His interest in the era of ragtime and blues was fueled by his Aunt Zula Cothron. She played ragtime piano at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, and taught Johnny to play...
"Friday Night Stomp" - Eric Marchese "The Grape Vine"
- Oleg Mezjuev (born 1966), "Café Parisién"
- Larisa MigachyovLarisa MigachyovLarisa Migachyov is a Russian-born composer and ragtime enthusiast. Having 27 ragtime compositions to her credit, she is now the most prolific female composer in the history of ragtime. She started piano lessons when she was 5 and continued with her music education learning musical theory, music...
, "The Purple Chicken Rag" - Max MorathMax MorathMax Morath is an American ragtime pianist, composer, actor and author. He is best known for his piano playing, and is referred to as "Mr. Ragtime". He has been a devoted and prolific performer, writing several plays and productions, as well as being variously a recording artist, actor and radio...
(born 1926), "One for Amelia" - David Thomas RobertsDavid Thomas RobertsDavid Thomas Roberts is an American composer and musician, known primarily as a modern ragtime composer. Roberts is also a painter in a primitivist style....
(born 1955), "Roberto Clemente" - Ron O'Dell (born 1970) "Mad Scientist Rag"
- Andrew O'Donnell "The Rag of A Thousand Terrors"
- Reginald RobinsonReginald RobinsonReginald R. Robinson is a noted composer and performer of ragtime music. In 2004, he received a MacArthur Genius Grant. He was raised by working class parents in Chicago, for many years living in the Henry Horner Homes, a South Side housing project...
(born 1972), "The Strong Man" - Ron Ross "Digital Rag"
- PJ Schmidt (1944-1999) "French Vanilla, Mathilda's Waltz & Father Martin's Song"
- Thomas SheaThomas Shea (composer)Thomas William Shea was an American ragtime composer.Born in Mattoon, Illinois, United States, Shea studied piano briefly as a child, but later became interested in ragtime after hearing the "Maple Leaf Rag." After learning some ragtime by ear, he started composing his own rags...
(1931 – 1982), "Little Wabash Special" - Joakim Stenshäll (1962 – 2009), "Entropy Rag"
- Trebor Tichenor (born 1940), "Bucksnort Stomp"
- Nobuo UematsuNobuo Uematsuis a Japanese video game composer, best known for scoring the majority of titles in the Final Fantasy series. He is considered as one of the most famous and respected composers in the video game community...
(born 1959), "Spinach Rag" - Kjell Waltman (born 1960), "Orange Blossoms"
- Brent Watkins "Cedar River Ramble"
- Dick ZimmermanDick ZimmermanRichard "Dick" Zimmerman is a professional magician known for contributing many signature illusions. He was born in Charleston, West Virginia, United States.He has also acted as magic consultant for magicians, including David Copperfield....
(born 1937), "Lost And Found Rag"