List of ragtime composers explained

A list of ragtime composers, including one or more famous or characteristic compositions.

Pre-1940

• Felix Arndt (1889–1918),"Desecration Rag" (1914), "Nola" (1916),^[1] "Operatic Nightmare" (1916)
• May Aufderheide (1888–1972), "Dusty Rag" (1908)^[2]
• Roy Bargy (1894–1974), "Pianoflage" (1922)^[3]
• Harry Belding (1882–1931), "Good Gravy Rag" (1913)^[4]
• Theron C. Bennett (1879–1937), "The St. Louis Tickle" (1904)^[5]
• Irving Berlin (1888–1989), "Alexander's Ragtime Band" (1911)
• Mike Bernard (1875-1938), "The Ragtime King" (1899), "The Battle of San Juan Hill" (1912), "Tantalizing Tingles" (1913)
• Charlotte Blake (1885–1979), "That Poker Rag" (1909)^[6]
• Eubie Blake (1887–1983), "Charleston Rag" (1903),^[7] "Chevy Chase" (1914), "Fizz Water" (1914)
• Rube Bloom (1902–1976), "That Futuristic Rag" (1923), "Soliloquy" (1926)^[8]
• Blind Boone (1864–1927), "Southern Rag Medley No. 2" (1909)^[4]
• George Botsford (1874–1949), "Black and White Rag"^[9] (1908), "Grizzly Bear Rag" (1910)
• Euday L. Bowman (1887–1949), "Twelfth Street Rag" (1914)^[10]
• Fleta Jan Brown, (1882–1938), "Tanglefoot Rag" (1907)^[11]
• Brun Campbell (1884–1952), "Barber Shop Rag"^[12]
• Hughie Cannon (1877–1912), "(Won't You Come Home) Bill Bailey" (1902)
• Louis Chauvin (1881–1908), "Heliotrope Bouquet" (1907)^[13]
• Axel Christensen (1881–1955), "The Ragtime Wedding March (Apologies to Mendelssohn)" (1902),^[14] "Cauldron Rag" (1909)
• Edward B. Claypoole (1883-1952), "Alabama Jigger" (1913), "Ragging the Scale" (1915), "Spooky Spooks" (1916)^[15]
• George L. Cobb (1886–1942), "Rubber Plant Rag" (1909) "Russian Rag" (1918)^[16]
• Nellie Weldon Cocroft (1885–1986), "The Pinywoods Rag" (1909)^[17]
• Zez Confrey (1895–1971), "Kitten on the Keys" (1921)^[18]
• Les C. Copeland (1887–1942), "French Pastry Rag" (1914)^[19]
• Irene Cozad (1888–1970), "Affinity Rag" (1910)^[20]
• Cecil Duane Crabb (1890–1953), "Fluffy Ruffles" (1907)^[4]
• Ford Dabney (1883–1958), "Oh! You Devil!" (1910)^[21]
• Reverend Gary Davis (1896–1972),^[22] "Italian Rag"
• Claude Debussy (1862–1918),^[23] "Golliwogg's Cakewalk" and "Général Lavine"
• James Reese Europe (1880–1919), "Castle House Rag"^[4]
• Libbie Erickson (1875–1938), "Topsy: Two Step" (1904)^[24]
• Ernst Fischer (1900–1975),^[25] "Pretty Baby"
• George Gershwin (1898–1937), "Rialto Ripples" (1917)
• Irene Giblin (1888–1974), "Columbia Rag" (1910)^[26]
• Lucian Porter Gibson (1890–1959), "Jinx Rag" (1911)^[4]
• George Hamilton Green (1893–1970), "Ragtime Robin"^[27]
• Gene Greene (1877–1930), "King of the Bungaloos" (1911)^[28]
• Albert Gumble (1883–1946), "Bolo Rag" (1908)^[29]
• Harry P. Guy (1870–1950), "Echoes from the Snowball Club" (1898)^[4]
• Robert Hampton (1890–1945), "Cataract Rag" (1914), "Agitation Rag" (1915)
• W.C. Handy (1873-1958), "Yellow Dog Rag" (1914), "Ole Miss Rag" (1916)
• Ben Harney (1871–1938), "You've Been a Good Old Wagon but You Done Broke Down" (1896)^[4]
• Scott Hayden (1882–1915), "Something Doing" (1903)^[30]
• Wallie Herzer (1885–1961), "Everybody Two-Step"
• Ernest Hogan (1865–1909),^[31] "La Pas Ma La" and "All Coons Look Alike to Me"
• Abe Holzmann (1874–1939), "Smoky Mokes" (1899)^[4]
• Charles Hunter (1876–1906), "Tickled to Death" (1899)^[32]
• Harry Jentes (1887–1958), "Bantam Step" (1916)^[33]
• Charles L. Johnson (1876–1950), "Dill Pickles" (1906)^[34]
• James P. Johnson (1891–1955), "Carolina Shout" (1925)^[35]
• Scott Joplin (1868–1917), "Maple Leaf Rag" (1899), "The Entertainer" (1902),^[36] "Pineapple Rag" (1908), "Magnetic Rag" (1914)
• Joe Jordan (1882–1971), "That Teasin' Rag" (1909)^[37]
• Verdi Karns (1882–1925), "Bluffton Carnival Rag" (1899)
• F. Henri Klickmann (1885-1966), "Knockout Drops" (1910), "The Squirrel Rag" (1913), "Hysterics Rag" (1914)^[38]
• Sadie Koninsky (1879–1952), "Eli Green's Cake Walk" (1898)
• Max Kortlander (1890–1961), "Deuces Wild" (1923)^[39]
• William Krell (1868–1933), "Mississippi Rag" (1897)
• Joseph Lamb (1887–1960), "American Beauty Rag" (1913),^[40] "Ragtime Nightingale" (1915), "Top Liner Rag" (1916), "Bohemia Rag" (1919)
• Dominic LaRocca (1889-1961), "Tiger Rag" (1917), "The Original Dixieland One Step" (1917)
• Grace LeBoy^[41] (1890–1983), "Everybody Rag With Me"^[42] (1914)
• Grace Walls Linn (1874–1940), "Automobile Spin"^[43] (1899)
• Henry Lodge (1884–1933), "Temptation Rag" (1909)^[44]
• George Lyons (1889–1958), "Spaghetti Rag" (1910)^[45]
• Arthur Marshall (1881–1968), "Ham And!" (1908),^[46] 'The Pippin'' (1908)
• Artie Matthews (1888–1958), "Pastime Rag No. 3" (1916)^[47]
• Billy Mayerl (1902–1959), "The Jazz Master" (1925)^[48]
• Blind Willie McTell (1898–1959)^[49] "Southern Can Is Mine" (1931)
• Kerry Mills (1869–1948), "At a Georgia Campmeeting" (1897)^[4]
• Luella Lockwood Moore (aka "Marion Arlington") (1864–1927), "Flamingo: Two-Step" (1910)^[50]
• Jelly Roll Morton (1890–1941), "Frog-I-More Rag" (1918)^[51]
• Julia Lee Niebergall (1886–1968), "Hoosier Rag" (1907)
• Theodore Havermeyer Northrup (1866–1919), "Louisiana Rag" (1897)^[4]
• Phil Ohman (1896–1954), "Dixie Kisses"^[52]
• Muriel Pollock (1895–1970), "Rooster Rag" (1917)^[53]
• Paul Pratt (1890–1948), "Colonial Glide" (1910), "Hot House Rag" (1914)^[54]
• Arthur Pryor (1870–1942), "Razzazza Mazzazza" (1905)^[4]
• Luckey Roberts (1887–1968), "Junk Man Rag" (1913)^[55]
• Bess E. Rudisill (1884–1957), "The Eight O'Clock Rush" (1911)^[56]
• J. Russel Robinson (1892–1963), "Sapho Rag" (1909)^[57]
• Alma Sanders (1882–1956), "Hong Kong" (1917)
• Paul Sarebresole (1875–1911), "Roustabout Rag" (1897)
• Arthur Schutt (1902–1965), "Bluin' the Black Keys" (1926)^[58]
• James Scott (1885–1938), "Frog Legs Rag" (1906), "Grace and Beauty" (1909),^[59] "Hilarity Rag" (1910), "Ragtime Oriole" (1911)
• Adaline Shepherd (1883–1950), "Pickles and Peppers" (1906)
• Willie "The Lion" Smith (1897–1973), "Rippling Waters"^[60]
• Ted Snyder (1881–1965), "Wild Cherries Rag" (1909), "Ramshackle Rag" (1911)^[4]
• John Philip Sousa (1854–1932), "With Pleasure" (1912) and "Willow Blossoms" (1916)
• Etilmon J. Stark (1867–1962), "Billiken Rag" (1913)^[4]
• Nellie Stokes (1880–1914), "Razzle Dazzle: Rag" (1909)^[61]
• Pauline B. Story (1870–1952), "Keep A Shufflin’ Ragtime Dance" (1905)^[62]
• Charley Straight (1891–1940), "Red Raven Rag" (1915), "Black Jack Rag" (1917), Rufenreddy" (1917/1922)^[63]
• Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971), "Piano-Rag-Music" (1919)
• Robert Morrison Stults (1861–1933), "Walkin' on de Rainbow Road" (1899)^[64]
• Wilbur Sweatman (1882–1961), "Down Home Rag" (1911)^[4]
• Charles Hubbard Thompson (1891–1964), "The Lily Rag" (1914)^[65]
• Harry Tierney (1890–1965), "Uncle Tom's Cabin" (1911)^[66]
• Tom Turpin (1873–1922), "Harlem Rag" (1897), "St. Louis Rag" (1903),^[67] "Buffalo Rag" (1904)
• Fats Waller (1904–1943), "Valentine Stomp" (1929)^[68]
• Percy Wenrich (1880–1952), "Peaches and Cream" (1905),^[4] "Skeleton Rag" (1911)
• Clarence C. Wiley (1883–1908), "Car-Barlick Acid" (1901)^[4]
• Carlotta Williamson (1869–1957), "The Pickaninny Cakewalk: Two Step" (1901), "Wild flower Rag" (1910)^[69]
• Clarence Woods (1888–1956), "Slippery Elm Rag" (1912),^[70] "Sleepy Hollow Rag" (1918)
• Calvin Woolsey (1884–1946), "Medic Rag" (1910)^[71]
• Bob Yosco (1889–1958), "Spaghetti Rag" (1910)^[45]
• Bob Zurke (1912-1944), "Hobson Street Blues" (1938)^[72]

Modern ragtime composers (since 1940)

• William Albright (1944–1998), "Brass Knuckles"
• Luca Allegranza (born 2003), "Grotesque Dreams Rag"
• Peter Andersson (born 1968), "Commonplace Rag"
• James F. Andris (born 1938), "The St. Louis Zoo Rag"^[73]
• Donald Ashwander (1929–1994), "Business in Town", "Old Streets", etc.^[74]
• Winifred Atwell (1914–1989), "Britannia Rag", "Let's Have a Party", her version of "Black and White Rag", etc.
• Rami Bar-Niv "Blue-Rag" "Drag-Rag" "Breezy Rider Rag"
• Tom Brier (born 1971) "Wellington Rag" (1991), "Redneck Rag" (2008)^[75]
• William Bolcom (born 1938), "The Graceful Ghost"^[76]
• Sune "Sumpen" Borg (1931–2002), "Ylva Rag"^[77]
• Dave Brubeck (1920–2012), "It's a Raggy Waltz" (1961)
• Lou Busch (1910–1979), "Carr's Hop" (1952)^[78]
• Bill Edwards (born 1959), "Hanon Rag", "Blood on the Keys", etc.^[79]
• Keith Emerson (1944–2016), "Barrelhouse Shakedown"
• Stephen Flaherty (born 1960), Ragtime
• Frank French (born 1952), "Belle of Louisville"^[80]
• Ragnar Hellspong (born 1944), "Rag's Rag"^[81]
• Dick Hyman (born 1927), "Ragtime Razz Matazz" (1958)^[82]
• Hal Isbitz (born 1931), "Chandelier Rag"^[83]
• Glenn Jenks, "The Harbour Rag"^[84]
• Billy Joel (born 1949), "Root Beer Rag" (1974)
• Elena Kats-Chernin (born 1957), "Russian Rag"
• Sue Keller (born 1952), "Cranberry Stomp"
• James LeGrand King III (born 1968), "Biltmore Syncopations", "Zig-Zag Alley Rag", "Professor King's Celebrated All-Purpose Exceptional Invigorating Effectactious Good-Time Spirited Composition for the Modern Piano-Forte"^[85]
• Koji Kondo (born 1961), "Athlete's Rag" (1990)
• Bill Krenz (1899–1980), "Mud Cat Rag" (1953),^[86] "Poodle Rag" (1954)
• Florian Krueger (born 1993), "Hok Him Rag", "Futuristic Kitten", "Inshoku-ten"
• Tom Lehrer (born 1928), "The Vatican Rag"
• Peter Lundberg (born 1942), "Gothenburg Rag"^[87]
• Johnny Maddox, "Friday Night Stomp"
• Paul McCartney (born 1942), "Martha My Dear", "Honey Pie" (1968), "You Gave Me the Answer" (1975)
• Oleg Mezjuev (born 1966), "Café Parisién"^[88]
• Max Morath (1926–2023), "One for Amelia", "The Golden Hours", etc.
• Gary Noland (born 1957), "Grand Rag Brillante", "Nerdfox Rag", "Ragbones" ^[89]
• Carter Pann (born 1972), "The Bills"
• David Thomas Roberts (born 1955), "Roberto Clemente"
• Aaron Robinson (born 1970), "Bluet Rag"
• Reginald Robinson (born 1972), "The Strong Man"
• Cameron Lee Simpson (born 2001) "Watermelon Rag" (2017), "Wild Cherries Rag" (2019), "Christmas Rag" (2020)^[90]
• Thomas Shea (1931–1982),^[91] "Little Wabash Special"
• Joakim Stenshäll (1962–2009), "Entropy Rag"^[92]
• Trebor Jay Tichenor (1940–2014), "Bucksnort Stomp"
• Hiromi Uehara (born 1979), "The Tom and Jerry Show" (2003)
• Nobuo Uematsu (born 1959), "Spinach Rag" (1994), "Dark City Treno" (2000)
• Kjell Waltman (born 1960), "Orange Blossoms"^[93]
• Chris Ware (born 1967), "Farewell"^[94]
• Ian Whitcomb (1941–2020), "Lawns of Louisiana", "Marzipan" and others
• Vincent Wilson (born 2007), "Morning Glories" (Lost Scott Joplin Rag completed in 2021), "Lundenburg Rag" (2021), "Vanilla Rag" (2021)^[95]
• Dick Zimmerman (born 1937), "Lost And Found Rag"

References

• Book: Jacobs, Arthur . A New Dictionary of Music . Penguin Books . 1967 . Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England . Jacobs.
• Book: Jasen. David A.. Tichenor. Trebor Jay. Rags and Ragtime: A Musical History. Dover Publications, Inc.. 1978. Dover Books on Music. New York, NY. 0-486-25922-6. J&T. registration.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Felix Arndt. February 18, 2013. The Unconservatory.
2. [#J&T|Jasen]
3. [#J&T|Jasen]
4. Web site: Male Ragtime Composers Biographies and Information. Bill Edwards. https://web.archive.org/web/20180223192456/http://www.perfessorbill.com/ragtime4.shtml. 23 February 2018. live. February 18, 2013.
5. [#J&T|Jasen]
6. Web site: Female Ragtime Composers Biographies and Information. Bill Edwards. https://web.archive.org/web/20120922051734/http://www.perfessorbill.com/ragtime4a_alt.shtml. September 22, 2012. dead. February 18, 2013.
7. [#J&T|Jasen]
8. [#J&T|Jasen]
9. [#J&T|Jasen]
10. [#J&T|Jasen]
11. http://www.ragtimepiano.ca/rags/women.htm Women Composers of Ragtime
12. [#J&T|Jasen]
13. [#J&T|Jasen]
14. Web site: Axel Waldemar Christensen . Ragpiano.com . 2016-12-05.
15. Web site: Edwards . Bill . RagPiano.com - Male Ragtime Composers Biographies and Information (Page 2) . 2023-11-21 . RagPiano.com . en.
16. [#J&T|Jasen]
17. http://www.ragtimepiano.ca/rags/women.htm Women Composers of Ragtime
18. [#J&T|Jasen]
19. [#J&T|Jasen]
20. http://www.ragtimepiano.ca/rags/women.htm Women Composers of Ragtime
21. Web site: Edwards . Bill . RagPiano.com - Male Ragtime Composers Biographies and Information (Page 2) . 2023-11-21 . RagPiano.com . en.
22. Web site: Rev. Gary Davis. February 18, 2013. AllMusic.
23. [#Jacobs|Jacobs]
24. http://www.ragtimepiano.ca/rags/women.htm Women Composers of Ragtime
25. Web site: Fischer, Ernst. February 18, 2013. University of Magdeburg. Magdeburg Biographical Dictionary.
26. http://www.ragtimepiano.ca/rags/women.htm Women Composers of Ragtime
27. Web site: George Hamilton Green. Fairchild. Frederick D.. The Percussive Arts Society. https://web.archive.org/web/20100620090542/http://pas.org/experience/halloffame/HamiltonGreenGeorge.aspx. June 20, 2010. dead. February 18, 2013. mdy-all.
28. Web site: Gene Greene--Singer of "King of the Bungaloos". Tim Gracyk. February 18, 2013.
29. Book: Jasen, Dave. Ragtime: An Encyclopedia, Discography, and Sheetography. 2020. Taylor & Francis. 9781000143843.
30. [#J&T|Jasen]
31. Web site: Ernest Hogan. February 28, 2013. American Vaudeville Museum.
32. [#J&T|Jasen]
33. [#J&T|Jasen]
34. [#J&T|Jasen]
35. [#J&T|Jasen]
36. [#J&T|Jasen]
37. [#J&T|Jasen]
38. Web site: Edwards . Bill . RagPiano.com - Male Ragtime Composers Biographies and Information (Page 2) . 2023-11-22 . RagPiano.com . en.
39. [#J&T|Jasen]
40. [#J&T|Jasen]
41. Book: ASCAP Biographical Dictionary of Composers, Authors, and Publishers. registration. ASCAP. 1966. Third. 377. 7 February 2018.
42. Web site: Everybody Rag with me. Digital Sheet Music Collection. 1 February 2018.
43. Web site: Category:Sandy, Grace Linn - IMSLP . 2023-07-23 . imslp.org.
44. [#J&T|Jasen]
45. Web site: Spaghetti rag. Lyons . George . Yosco. Bob . University of Colorado Boulder Music Library . 25 September 2016 .
46. [#J&T|Jasen]
47. [#J&T|Jasen]
48. [#J&T|Jasen]
49. Encyclopedia: "Blind Willie" McTell (1898–1959). New Georgia Encyclopedia. February 18, 2013.
50. http://www.ragtimepiano.ca/rags/women.htm Women Composers of Ragtime
51. [#J&T|Jasen]
52. [#J&T|Jasen]
53. http://www.ragtimepiano.ca/rags/women.htm Women Composers of Ragtime
54. [#J&T|Jasen]
55. [#J&T|Jasen]
56. http://www.ragtimepiano.ca/rags/women.htm Women Composers of Ragtime
57. [#J&T|Jasen]
58. [#J&T|Jasen]
59. [#J&T|Jasen]
60. [#J&T|Jasen]
61. http://www.ragtimepiano.ca/rags/women.htm Women Composers of Ragtime
62. Web site: Female Composers of Ragtime by Ted Tjaden. 2021-11-09. www.ragtimepiano.ca.
63. [#J&T|Jasen]
64. Web site: Walkin' on de Rainbow Road (Stults, Robert Morrison) - IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library: Free Public Domain Sheet Music . Imslp.org . 2011-09-22 . 2016-12-05.
65. [#J&T|Jasen]
66. [#J&T|Jasen]
67. [#J&T|Jasen]
68. [#J&T|Jasen]
69. http://www.ragtimepiano.ca/rags/women.htm Women Composers of Ragtime
70. [#J&T|Jasen]
71. [#J&T|Jasen]
72. http://www.ragpiano.com/ragtime4b.shtml Later Composers of Ragtime
73. Web site: James F. Andris. Oleg Mezjuev. https://web.archive.org/web/20160617041625/http://www.ragtime.nu/andris.htm. 2016-06-17. live. 2016-12-05.
74. [#J&T|Jasen]
75. Web site: 2023-01-04 . Tom Brier - Ragtime Pianist and Composer . 2023-11-22 . Tom Brier . en.
76. [#J&T|Jasen]
77. Web site: Sune "Sumpen" Borg. Oleg Mezjuev. https://web.archive.org/web/20190127205829/http://www.ragtime.nu/borg.htm. 2019-01-27. live. 2016-12-05.
78. [#J&T|Jasen]
79. Web site: Contemporary Ragtime . ragpiano.com . 2020-06-22.
80. Web site: Frank French. Oleg Mezjuev. https://web.archive.org/web/20160910070006/http://www.ragtime.nu/french.htm. 2016-09-10. live. 2016-12-05.
81. Web site: Ragnar Hellspong. Oleg Mezjuev. https://web.archive.org/web/20160910073427/http://www.ragtime.nu/hellspong.htm. 2016-09-10. live. 2016-12-05.
82. [#J&T|Jasen]
83. Web site: Hal Isbitz. Oleg Mezjuev. https://web.archive.org/web/20160910075935/http://www.ragtime.nu/isbitz.htm. 2016-09-10. live. 2016-12-05.
84. Web site: Glenn Jenks. Oleg Mezjuev. https://web.archive.org/web/20160617032450/http://www.ragtime.nu/jenks.htm. 2016-06-17. live. 2016-12-05.
85. Web site: Search Results for "ragtime" – Alijam Music. https://web.archive.org/web/20200402165433/https://alijammusic.com/?s=ragtime&post_type=product&title=1&excerpt=1&content=1&categories=1&attributes=1&tags=1&sku=1&ixwps=1. 2020-04-02. April 2, 2020.
86. [#J&T|Jasen]
87. Web site: Peter Lundberg. Oleg Mezjuev. https://web.archive.org/web/20160617031754/http://www.ragtime.nu/lundberg.htm. 2016-06-17. live. 2016-12-05.
88. Web site: Oleg Mezjuev. Oleg Mezjuev. https://web.archive.org/web/20160617060843/http://www.ragtime.nu/mezjuev.htm. 2016-06-17. live. 2016-12-05.
89. Web site: Selected Music from Venge Art by Gary Noland. 2022-01-22.
90. Web site: Category:Simpson, Cameron Lee - IMSLP . 2023-11-21 . imslp.org.
91. [#J&T|Jasen]
92. Web site: Joakim Stenshäll. Oleg Mezjuev. https://web.archive.org/web/20160910011757/http://www.ragtime.nu/stenshall.htm. 2016-09-10. live. 2016-12-05.
93. Web site: Kjell Waltman. Oleg Mezjuev. https://web.archive.org/web/20160617041841/http://www.ragtime.nu/waltman.htm. 2016-06-17. live. 2016-12-05.
94. Web site: Rags Stomps and Stride | Access Contemporary Music . Acmusic.org . 2016-12-05.
95. Web site: UrFavRagtimeGuy - YouTube . 2023-11-22 . www.youtube.com.