List of ragtime composers

A list of ragtime composers, including a famous or characteristic composition.

Pre-1940

• Felix Arndt (1889–1918), "Nola" (1916)[1]
• 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)
• Charlotte Blake (1885–1979), "That Poker Rag" (1909)[6]
• Eubie Blake (1887–1983), "Charleston Rag" (1917)[7]
• Rube Bloom (1902–1976), "Soliloquy" (1926)[8]
• Blind Boone (1864–1927), "Southern Rag Medley No. 2" (1909)[4]
• George Botsford (1874–1949), "Black and White Rag"[9]
• 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]
• George L. Cobb (1886–1942), "Russian Rag"[15]
• Nellie Weldon Cocroft (1885–1986), "The Pinywoods Rag" (1909)[16]
• Zez Confrey (1895–1971), "Kitten on the Keys" (1921)[17]
• Les C. Copeland (1887–1942), "French Pastry Rag" (1914)[18]
• Irene Cozad (1888–1970), "Affinity Rag" (1910)[19]
• Cecil Duane Crabb (1890–1953), "Fluffy Ruffles" (1907)[4]
• Ford Dabney (1883–1958)
• Reverend Gary Davis (1896–1972),[20] "Italian Rag"
• Claude Debussy (1862–1918),[21] "Golliwogg's Cakewalk" and "Général Lavine"
• James Reese Europe (1880–1919), "Castle House Rag"[4]
• Libbie Erickson (1875–1938), "Topsy: Two Step" (1904)[22]
• Ernst Fischer (1900–1975),[23] "Pretty Baby"
• George Gershwin (1898–1937), "Rialto Ripples" (1917)
• Irene Giblin (1888–1974), "Columbia Rag" (1910)[24]
• Lucian Porter Gibson (1890–1959), "Jinx Rag" (1911)[4]
• George Hamilton Green (1893–1970), "Ragtime Robin"[25]
• Gene Greene (1877–1930), "King of the Bungaloos" (1911)[26]
• Harry P. Guy (1870–1950), "Echoes from the Snowball Club" (1898)[4]
• Robert Hampton (1890–1945), "Agitation Rag" (1915)[4]
• 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)[27]
• Wallie Herzer (1885–1961), "Everybody Two-Step"
• Ernest Hogan (1865–1909),[28] "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)[29]
• Harry Jentes (1887–1958), "Bantam Step" (1916)[30]
• Charles L. Johnson (1876–1950), "Dill Pickles" (1906)[31]
• James P. Johnson (1891–1955), "Carolina Shout" (1925)[32]
• Scott Joplin (1867–1917), "Maple Leaf Rag" (1899) and "The Entertainer" (1902)[33]
• Joe Jordan (1882–1971), "That Teasin' Rag" (1909)[34]
• Verdi Karns (1882–1925), "Kentucky Rag" (1898)[35]
• Sadie Koninsky (1879–1952), "Eli Green's Cake Walk" (1898)[6]
• Max Kortlander (1890–1961), "Deuces Wild" (1923)[36]
• William Krell (1868–1933), "Mississippi Rag" (1897)[4]
• Joseph Lamb (1887–1960), "Top Liner Rag" (1916) and "American Beauty Rag" (1913)[37]
• Grace LeBoy[38] (1890–1983) "Everybody Rag With Me"[39] 1914
• Henry Lodge (1884–1933), "Temptation Rag" (1909)[40]
• George Lyons (1889–1958), Spaghetti Rag (1910)[41]
• Arthur Marshall (1881–1968), "Ham And!" (1908)[42]
• Artie Matthews (1888–1958), "Pastime Rag No. 3" (1916)[43]
• Billy Mayerl (1902–1959), "The Jazz Master" (1925)[44]
• Blind Willie McTell (1898–1959)[45] "Southern Can Is Mine"
• Kerry Mills (1869–1948), "At a Georgia Campmeeting" (1897)[4]
• Luella Lockwood Moore (aka "Marion Arlington") (1864–1927), "Flamingo: Two-Step" (1910)[46]
• Jelly Roll Morton (1890–1941), "Frog-I-More Rag" (1918)[47]
• Julia Lee Niebergall (1886–1968), "Hoosier Rag" (1907)[6]
• Theodore Havermeyer Northrup (1866–1919), "Louisiana Rag" (1897)[4]
• Phil Ohman (1896–1954), "Dixie Kisses"[48]
• Muriel Pollock (1895–1970), "Rooster Rag" (1917)[49]
• Paul Charles Pratt (1890–1948), "Colonial Glide" (1910)[50]
• Arthur Pryor (1870–1942), "Razzazza Mazzazza" (1905)[4]
• Luckey Roberts (1887–1968), "Junk Man Rag" (1913)[51]
• Bess E. Rudisill (1884–1957), "The Eight O'Clock Rush" (1911)[52]
• J. Russel Robinson (1892–1963), "Sapho Rag" (1909)[53]
• Alma Sanders (1882–1956), "Sleepytime Rag: Pickaninny Lullaby" (1914)[54]
• Paul Sarebresole (1875–1911), "Roustabout Rag" (1897)
• Arthur Schutt (1902–1965), "Bluin' the Black Keys" (1926)[55]
• James Scott (1885–1938), "Frog Legs Rag" (1906) and "Grace and Beauty" (1909)[56]
• Adaline Shepherd (1883–1950), "Pickles and Peppers" (1906)[6]
• Willie "The Lion" Smith (1897–1973), "Rippling Waters"[57]
• Ted Snyder (1881–1965), "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)[58]
• Charley Straight (1891–1940), "Rufenreddy" (1921)[59]
• Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971), "Piano-Rag-Music" (1919)
• Robert Morrison Stults (1861–1933), "Walkin' on de Rainbow Road" (1899)[60]
• Wilbur Sweatman (1882–1961), "Down Home Rag" (1911)[4]
• Charles Hubbard Thompson (1891–1964), "The Lily Rag" (1914)[61]
• Harry Tierney (1890–1965), "Uncle Tom's Cabin" (1911)[62]
• Tom Turpin (1873–1922), "Harlem Rag" (1897)[63]
• Fats Waller (1904–1943), "Valentine Stomp" (1929)[64]
• Percy Wenrich (1880–1952), "Peaches and Cream" (1905)[4]
• Clarence C. Wiley (1883–1908), "Car-Barlick Acid" (1901)[4]
• Caroltta Williamson (1869–1957), "The Pickaninny Cakewalk: Two Step" (1901), "Wild flower Rag" (1910)[65]
• Clarence Woods (1888–1956), "Slippery Elm Rag" (1912)[66]
• Calvin Woolsey (1884–1946), "Medic Rag" (1910)[67]
• Bob Yosco (1889–1958), Spaghetti Rag (1910)[41]

Modern ragtime composers (since 1940)

• William Albright (1944–1998), "Brass Knuckles"
• Luca Allegranza (born 2003), "Pipe Dreams Rag"[68]
• Peter Andersson (born 1968), "The River Boat Slow Drag"[69]
• James F. Andris (born 1938), "The St. Louis Zoo Rag"[70]
• Donald Ashwander (born 1929)[71]
• Rami Bar-Niv "Blue-Rag" "Drag-Rag" "Breezy Rider Rag" "Plain Ol' Rag" "Shmateh-Rag"
• William Bolcom (born 1938), "The Graceful Ghost"[72]
• Sune "Sumpen" Borg (1931–2002), "Ylva Rag"[73]
• Tom Brier (born 1971), "Blue Lampshade"[74]
• Dave Brubeck (1920–2012) "It's a Raggy Waltz" (1961)
• Lou Busch (1910–1979) "Carr's Hop" (1952)[75]
• Bill Edwards (born 1959), "Hanon Rag", "Blood on the Keys", etc.[76]
• Keith Emerson (1944–2016), "Barrelhouse Shakedown"
• Stephen Flaherty (born 1960), Ragtime
• Frank French (born 1952), "Belle of Louisville"[77]
• Ragnar Hellspong (born 1944), "Rag's Rag"[78]
• Dick Hyman (born 1927), "Ragtime Razz Matazz" (1958)[79]
• Hal Isbitz (born 1931), "Chandelier Rag"[80]
• Glenn Jenks, "The Harbour Rag"[81]
• 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," "Whitehead Street Rag," "Zig-Zag Alley Rag," "Professor King's Celebrated All-Purpose Exceptional Invigorating Effectactious Good-Time Spirited Composition for the Modern Piano-Forte," "Major-Minor Rag"[82]
• Bill Krenz (1899–1980), "Mud Cat Rag" (1953)[83]
• Tom Lehrer (born 1928), "The Vatican Rag"
• Peter Lundberg (born 1942), "Gothenburg Rag"[84]
• 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"[85]
• Larisa Migachyov, "The Purple Chicken Rag"
• Max Morath (born 1926), "One for Amelia"
• 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"
• Thomas Shea (1931–1982),[86] "Little Wabash Special"
• Joakim Stenshäll (1962–2009), "Entropy Rag"[87]
• Trebor Jay Tichenor (1940–2014), "Bucksnort Stomp"
• Hiromi Uehara (born 1979), "The Tom and Jerry Show" (2003)
• Nobuo Uematsu (born 1959), "Spinach Rag" (1994)
• Kjell Waltman (born 1960), "Orange Blossoms"[88]
• Chris Ware (born 1967), "Farewell"[89]
• Ian Whitcomb (born 1941), "Lawns of Louisiana", "Marzipan" and others
• Dick Zimmerman (born 1937), "Lost And Found Rag"
• Max Keenlyside, "Northern Lights Rag", "Amherst Rag", "Too Many Spoons"

Notes

1. "Felix Arndt". The Unconservatory. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
2. Jasen page 148
3. Jasen pages 222, 225
4. "Male Ragtime Composers Biographies and Information". Bill Edwards. Archived from the original on February 23, 2018. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
5. Jasen pages 46, 47
6. "Female Ragtime Composers Biographies and Information". Bill Edwards. Archived from the original on September 22, 2012. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
7. Jasen pages 190, 192
8. Jasen pages 226, 227
9. Jasen pages 139, 140
10. Jasen pages 49, 50
11. Women Composers of Ragtime
12. Jasen pages 52, 53
13. Jasen pages 101, 103
14. "Axel Waldemar Christensen". Ragpiano.com. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
15. Jasen pages 174, 175
16. Women Composers of Ragtime
17. Jasen pages 216, 218
18. Jasen pages 55, 57
19. Women Composers of Ragtime
20. "Rev. Gary Davis". AllMusic. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
21. Jacobs page 96
22. Women Composers of Ragtime
23. "Fischer, Ernst". Magdeburg Biographical Dictionary. University of Magdeburg. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
24. Women Composers of Ragtime
25. Fairchild, Frederick D. "George Hamilton Green". The Percussive Arts Society. Archived from the original on June 20, 2010. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
26. "Gene Greene--Singer of "King of the Bungaloos"". Tim Gracyk. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
27. Jasen pages 104, 105
28. "Ernest Hogan". American Vaudeville Museum. Retrieved February 28, 2013.
29. Jasen pages 34, 35
30. Jasen pages 178, 179
31. Jasen pages 38, 41
32. Jasen pages 242, 243
33. Jasen pages 82, 87, 89
34. Jasen pages 59, 60
35. Women Composers of Ragtime
36. Jasen pages 198, 199
37. Jasen pages 122, 126
38. ASCAP Biographical Dictionary of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (Third ed.). ASCAP. 1966. p. 377. Retrieved February 7, 2018.
39. "Everybody Rag with me". Digital Sheet Music Collection. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
40. Jasen pages 143, 144
41. Lyons, George; Yosco, Bob. "Spaghetti rag". University of Colorado Boulder Music Library. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
42. Jasen pages 106, 109
43. Jasen pages 182, 184
44. Jasen pages 228, 229
45. ""Blind Willie" McTell (1898–1959)". New Georgia Encyclopedia. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
46. Women Composers of Ragtime
47. Jasen pages 253, 255
48. Jasen page 231
49. Women Composers of Ragtime
50. Jasen page 180
51. Jasen pages 187, 188
52. Women Composers of Ragtime
53. Jasen pages 150, 151
54. Women Composers of Ragtime
55. Jasen page 232
56. Jasen pages 111, 113
57. Jasen pages 249, 250
58. Women Composers of Ragtime
59. Jasen pages 195, 223
60. "Walkin' on de Rainbow Road (Stults, Robert Morrison) - IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library: Free Public Domain Sheet Music". Imslp.org. September 22, 2011. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
61. Jasen pages 185, 186
62. Jasen pages 153, 154
63. Jasen pages 28, 29
64. Jasen pages 247, 248
65. Women Composers of Ragtime
66. Jasen page 156
67. Jasen pages 61, 62
68. Tuttonotizie, Redazione (April 5, 2018). "Domo, sabato sera la presentazione del primo cd di Luca Allegranza". VCO Azzurra TV (in Italian). Archived from the original on July 18, 2018.
69. "Peter Andersson". Oleg Mezjuev. Archived from the original on June 17, 2016. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
70. "James F. Andris". Oleg Mezjuev. Archived from the original on June 17, 2016. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
71. Jasen page 285
72. Jasen pages 288, 289
73. "Sune "Sumpen" Borg". Oleg Mezjuev. Archived from the original on January 27, 2019. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
74. "Tom Brier Biography From West Coast Ragtime Festival". www.westcoastragtime.com. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
75. Jasen pages 267, 268
76. "Contemporary Ragtime". ragpiano.com. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
77. "Frank French". Oleg Mezjuev. Archived from the original on September 10, 2016. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
78. "Ragnar Hellspong". Oleg Mezjuev. Archived from the original on September 10, 2016. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
79. Jasen pages 272, 273
80. "Hal Isbitz". Oleg Mezjuev. Archived from the original on September 10, 2016. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
81. "Glenn Jenks". Oleg Mezjuev. Archived from the original on June 17, 2016. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
82. 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. Retrieved April 2, 2020. Missing or empty |title= (help)
83. Jasen pages 269, 270
84. "Peter Lundberg". Oleg Mezjuev. Archived from the original on June 17, 2016. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
85. "Oleg Mezjuev". Oleg Mezjuev. Archived from the original on June 17, 2016. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
86. Jasen page 282
87. "Joakim Stenshäll". Oleg Mezjuev. Archived from the original on September 10, 2016. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
88. "Kjell Waltman". Oleg Mezjuev. Archived from the original on June 17, 2016. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
89. "Rags Stomps and Stride | Access Contemporary Music". Acmusic.org. Retrieved December 5, 2016.

References

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