Return of Ragtime Banjo - An ambitious recording project including original arrangements of ragtime pieces by several composers from the ragtime era (late 19th-early 20th century), some written for banjo and some I adapted for banjo from piano music (e.g. Scott Joplin and James Scott pieces), and employing up to 28 or more local musicians.
Most of the selections are classic or novelty ragtime pieces from US composers. I also include some classical pieces from the same time period from European composers, and a ragtime piece from an English banjo virtuoso written in 1948, long after the Golden Age of Ragtime had ended. I'm excited to share the stories connecting these pieces as well (e.g. Russian Rag is an interpolation of Rachmaninoff's Prelude). This music has prompted an interest in history I've never felt before, and I feel compelled to share.
I've been playing banjo for about twenty years and only started playing this now-obscure style called 'classic banjo' a few years ago. If I could only tell you one thing about this style it's this: 100 years ago it was the most popular sort of music in the English-speaking world, and today it is all but forgotten. This music has its roots in African-American music that was appropriated for minstrel shows and mingled with other popular styles of European and distinctly American origin. It gave rise to ragtime, which fed into the development of jazz, etc.
My most recent release was my first album of classic banjo music, focusing on a single composer, using mostly that composer's arrangements. (Free streaming here and let me know if you'd like the extensive liner notes, I'll send you a free download.) For this next project I'm looking to broaden the sound and represent several different ragtime composers, and as it turns out it will be my most ambitious project as I am working with more musicians than I ever have before. I've written four string quartet arrangements, I'm rehearsing with a pipe organist, I have two pieces for ten-piece brass band, five for small ragtime band (banjo, uke, cello, guitar, piano, and I hope to add percussion on some pieces). I also plan to record a few with piano and banjo only, and one piece with banjo, piano, and foot percussion.
I don't have a set release schedule for any of this, and I'm not 100% sure if I'm going for a full-length album, a series of EP type releases or a series of singles or what. At this point all I know if I have a lot of material I want to record, and I'm excited to include a lot of different musicians.
My primary interest and challenge in this project (aside from musical and logistical concerns) is finding ways to make a near-dead form of music compelling and engaging in an environment where it seems like most people regard any activity involving history or looking to the past as out-of-touch or moving backward. For me this music provides a missing link in our shared cultural history. It opens doors to discussion and understanding of how we got to where we are now. In my mind, at least, I hope this experience brings people closer to understanding and accepting the racism and patriarchal colonialism that got us to where we are now, like in a gentle and entertaining way, so we can start to move forward together.
My initial rough budget came out to $45k for all expenses (except for studio costs because at the time I thought we'd have access to a space at no cost but that fell through) including paying all the musicians, recording, mixing, mastering, artwork and photos, manufacturing, video production (up to four separate videos), and promotion and publicity. I'm not prepared to do crowdfunding so I'm looking for private donors who may be willing to contribute $10-45k.
