July Features
Continued: The Ragtime Machine
DR: Yes, Etilman, a name that distinguishes it right there. Tell me more about the original inspiration you had from Bunk Johnson.
CR: It was when I was 11 years old. I had a schoolmate who played 45 RPM Decca recordings of "Maryland, My Maryland" and "Alexander's Rag Time Band." That was a long time ago, and I'm still hooked.
DR: And I see on your business card, since you are a doctor, that you work at Bunk Johnson Memorial Hospital!
CR: It started about 20 years ago when I attended the American Heart Association convention in Atlanta. You had to get your name registered so they could send you articles, and so on. In front of me was a sign with the names of some hospitals, like Sloane-Kettering and I thought, Bunk Johnson will never have a hospital named after him. All of a sudden, when I came up to the desk and the woman asked me where to send things, I said send it to the Bunk Johnson Memorial Hospital in Sundsvall, Sweden. She didn't raise an eyebrow, it seemed quite normal for her. Then I went on to New Orleans, and I told this to Bill Russell and he laughed and said it was a very good idea. Some months later when I was at the Sundsvall Hospital, I met the director and he asked me "What's this? I have a lot of letters to the Bunk Johnson Memorial Hospital." I said that he had hired a PR man for a lot of money to get this hospital on the map. I, for no fee, had made it so the whole traditional jazz world knows about it. He thought it was a good idea. He was disappointed that Bunk Johnson was not a famous heart surgeon.
DR: But he helped a lot of hearts!
CR: Yes he did, he truly did.
DR: It seems that Sweden has taken somewhat of a lead in Europe for producing ragtime piano players and researchers, and, of course, there's the Swedish Ragtime Homepage.
CR: I think Norway is about the same. We have excellent piano players. At my age, we loved it from the beginning. But this is not getting the youth involved, unfortunately.
DR: How much work are you doing in musical research, looking up composers and so forth?
CR: I used to get to New Orleans at least once a year, but after Katrina that changed. I still have correspondence with various people. Every now and then I contact Sam Charters. He lives in Sweden several months of the year. He came one year to our annual meeting of the Bunk Johnson Society, giving lectures. He lived for eight years in New Orleans. We had Orange Kellin also.
DR: It is amusing that there are a number of people from foreign countries who come over here and research our music for us.
CR: We are a little bunch in Sweden, but we are devoted!
DR: How much work are you doing with your band, the Barfota Jazzmen?
CR: We have never been to America, so far. We have toured England France, Scotland and elsewhere in Europe. But that's mostly playing traditional jazz. The festivals mostly do not want ragtime. We have some domestic festivals in Sweden. In June there's a big festival. For some of these people, it's the straw hats and jackets that are the image. I don't think they're ready for ragtime yet. Our recording of ragtime is very well received, however.
DR: There's a piece on your CD I Want to Be a Birdman called "My Creole Babe" by M. Meretzle. Who is that?
CR: I bought that at an auction some years ago. It was composed in Detroit, probably in 1901. I cannot find out if this is a man or a woman, or anything at all. It's not in the discographies, apparently never recorded before.
DR: Everybody open up the piano benches, let's help him out! When did you start your band?
CR: We started it in 1973, but since 1978 we've kept the same members exactly. That is 30 years and may be some kind of record.
DR: Likewise, I started the American Ragtime Ensemble in 1973.
CR: None of us are professionals, and we have other jobs so we are not depending on the music.
DR: How often do you play?
CR: Every Monday we rehearse.
DR: I beg your pardon. During the broadcast of The Ragtime Machine? (Discounting the time difference for the moment!) How many recordings do you have?
CR: We have six CDs.
DR: Were you making LPs before that?
CR: No, we started with a cassette, and then went right to CDs.
DR: It seems just about everyone until recent times started with a cassette. Are you planning your next disc?
CR: It takes a long time to plan, but we're playing through pieces we are considering.
DR: Do you play newer rags, also?
CR: One of the pieces on the Birdman CD is Gunther Schuller's "Sandpoint Rag." We had to remake it a bit because, since he was a horn player himself, it includes horn parts. So, we put that into the cornet. Another one is David Thomas Roberts's "Roberto Clemente." Our tuba player has done a beautiful arrangement of it. I love that tune.
DR: Is the arrangement for improvising or is it written out?
CR: There is no improvising. All the parts are written.
DR: Isn't it tempting to take off and start wailing on something like "Elite Syncopations?"
CR: Maybe, but we do them more or less the way they're written.
July 2008 issue | © 2008 The Mississippi Rag
P.O. Box 19068, Minneapolis, MN 55419.