New Orleans Ragtime Festival

[jeffcrom]

A couple of months ago, after listening to the great Panorama Jazz Band at the Spotted Cat in New Orleans, the band's virtuoso banjoist, Patrick Mackey, told me about the first New Orleans Ragtime Festival, which he was organizing for the first Saturday in April. It sounded intriguing, and I realized that I would be there for at least the first few hours, as my wife had a conference in New Orleans that ended that day.

I heard three performances at the Old Mint before I had to leave for the airport. Tom McDermott, my favorite New Orleans pianist, opened with an all-Joplin program. He said that he wanted to make a point of opening with "Maple Leaf Rag," the piece that started the ragtime craze at the turn of the century. His version was wild and improvisatory, and wonderful. Half of his ten numbers were played straight, but the other five were heavily "McDermott-ized." It was a great set.

I also heard Mackey's own Silver Swan Ragtime Quartet (banjo, clarinet, cello, tuba) playing arrangements of classic rags. I enjoyed them thoroughly, even though none of the other musicians was really on Mackey's level. But this was just the kind of small ensemble that might have played these rags around 1910 or so.

This was followed by Opera Creole's presentation of excerpts from Treemonisha. Joplin's compositional and lyrical warts and all, this was exciting and moving music.

I wish I could have stayed longer - the next group was a recreation of John Robichaux's Orchestra. Robichaux was the politer rival of Buddy Bolden, and I happen to know that some of his sheet music exists, 110 years later.

Patrick announced that plans for next year are well under way. April 1, 2017 will be the 100th anniversary of Scott Joplin''s death, and the festival will be dedicated to him next year. For those interested in ragtime and the roots of jazz, this should be on your radar.

[medjuck]

Do you mind if I forward this to Tom McDermott?  (Or have you already told him how much you liked his playing?) 

[paul secor]

Thanks for that report, Jeff. Sounds like it was a good festival with fine music.

[jeffcrom]

10 hours ago, medjuck said:

Do you mind if I forward this to Tom McDermott?  (Or have you already told him how much you liked his playing?) 

I don't mind. There were so many folks crowded around him after his set that I didn't try to talk to him.