Rich Berry was presented with the 2008 Outstanding Achievement in Ragtime Award for his long-time service as festival photographer, occasional performer and ragtime dance participant.

Continued: Joplin Festival

Rounding out the concert were the Barnharts with Nashville-based percussionist Danny Coots, performing as the ensemble Ivory and Gold in a set of their own. In addition to tasteful treatments of Joplin's 1908 "Pine Apple Rag" and Charles Johnson's 1916 "Blue Goose Rag," and a big treatment of Irving Berlin's 1911 "Alexander's Ragtime Band."

The threesome also electrified the house playing Glenn Jenks's original tune, "Planxty." The slow hymn-like piece based on a five-note pattern was dedicated to the memory of John Arpin. Adding to that, Coots repeatedly dragged his thumb across the top of his drum, like a military drum roll, a haunting, piercing effect.

Friday's "Legacy of Joplin" concert provided straight interpretations of 15 Joplin pieces by Tulsa's Don Ryan, British pianist Phillip Dyson, Susan Cordell from Carthage, Missouri, festival regular John Remmers, and Brian Holland.

The ragtime dance, held Friday night on the Missouri State Fairgrounds, brought back the Sunflower Ragtime Orchestra from Olathe, Kansas, playing two dozen one-steps, two-steps, waltzes, tangos, and other dance numbers in period and original orchestrations.

The last full day of festival activities began with the costume contest and parade through downtown Sedalia.

The Saturday afternoon "Ragtime Revelations" concert focused on newer compositions and unknown performers. Young pianists stole the show this year. Eleven-year-old Morgan Sever, and Larisa Migachyov, a law student at the University of Pennsylvania, each offered delicate and tasteful selections. Eleventh-grader Max Keeleyside was bolder in his approach, emphatically barreling through Jelly Roll Morton's "Kansas City Stomp." Fifteen-year-old Wesley Reznicek from Dixon, Mo.,  closed the concert with breathtaking performances of Mark Janza's 1913 "Lion Tamer," with flying phrases and wild rolling notes, and George Cobb's "Russian Rag."

Also appearing in this concert was accordion player Bill Brown. An optometrist and ichthyologist by trade, Brown played works by Arthur Marshall, Tom Turpin and Joplin on the accordion. Don Ryan played "Tulsey Town Rag" by Hal Isbitz, earning a hearty round of applause for the composer, who was in the audience.

The Music Hall concert closed Saturday. Arranged as a revue in the somewhat dubious Black Cat Cabaret, the concert featured a full gamut of styles. The fearless pianist Mimi Blais appeared in a negligee as a "working girl," performing a duet with Danny Coots on Joseph Lamb's "Patricia Rag." Sue Keller appeared in a cabaret outfit with Terry Waldo and sang "Temporary Baby, Don't You Try to Permanent Me."

Other performers included Ivory and Gold, Jeff Barnhart and Brian Holland individually and on two-piano showpieces, Terry Waldo, Neville Dickie, Dave Majchrzak, and the Ragtime Rebels. As a final salute to Arpin, Keller and Blais offered a tender, two-piano reading of "Last of the Ragtime Pioneers" by contemporary composer Galen Wilkes.

Mornings at the festival offered hour-long scholarly presentations. Terry Waldo talked at length about his 15-year association with Eubie Blake. Neville Dickie demonstrated a range of stride piano music. The daughter and niece of composer Donald Ashwander, who died in 1994, provided an overview of his work. Other presentations were made about novelty piano masters Frank Banta and Billy Mayer, ragtime on different instruments, and silent movie music.

A standing ovatoin was earned by fresh young talent at this year's Ragtime Revelations concert. From left, concert host John Partridge, Morgan Sever, Max Keenlyside, Larisa Migachyov, accordion player Bill Brown and Wesley Reznicek.

August 2008 issue | © 2008 The Mississippi Rag

P.O. Box 19068, Minneapolis, MN 55419.