| Ragtime is a style that developed from the | | | | style, though he incorporated other musical genres |
| roughest of neighborhoods and was originally | | | | into his playing. As a boy of four or five, he |
| performed in brothels. A precursor to jazz, it is | | | | climbed onto an organ bench while shopping with |
| enjoying a resurgence in popularity today. There | | | | his mother. Blake started fooling around with the |
| are quite a few famous ragtime pianists, though | | | | instrument, causing the store owner to proclaim |
| many of the originators of the genre died before | | | | him a genius. His parents bought a pump organ, |
| audio recording was widely available. | | | | and he received lessons from his neighbor. He also |
| Though not famous purely for his piano playing, | | | | played in a bordello before moving on to play in |
| Scott Joplin remains the most influential ragtime | | | | proper bands. |
| composer. Joplin wrote the first instrumental | | | | Blake composed the song Charleston Rag, which |
| ("Maple Leaf Rag") to sell over one million copies. | | | | became a huge crossover hit. He went on to |
| Though he never recorded a note, famous friends | | | | write one of the first Broadway musicals written |
| bore witness to his skills, saying that he played | | | | and directed by African Americans. |
| slowly but with perfect execution. | | | | Sometimes referred to as New York Ragtime, |
| Joplin created several piano rolls for companies, | | | | stride piano developed from traditional styles into |
| some of which survive today. Unfortunately, the | | | | its own form of playing. Developed during World |
| illness that eventually killed him also caused his | | | | War I by Luckey Roberts and James Johnson, it |
| later playing to suffer, which is why there is | | | | relies heavily on the left hand playing a bass line |
| debate as to his technical skill. Still, Joplin's mastery | | | | and the right hand playing chords on alternating |
| of ragtime composition laid the groundwork upon | | | | beats. Though it is often related more to jazz |
| which later pianists would embellish. | | | | playing, stride was given birth through ragtime. |
| Another ragtime composer noted for his piano | | | | Modern pianists continue to keep ragtime in the |
| skills was Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton. Beginning his | | | | public eye. Butch Thompson was an integral part |
| training at a young age in a local brothel, Morton | | | | of A Prairie Home Companion between 1974 and |
| developed both great technical skills and a rather | | | | 1986, serving as both the house pianist and band |
| infamous ego. He brought the techniques he had | | | | leader. Thompson began playing at the age of |
| learned from playing ragtime piano to Chicago, | | | | three, taking up lessons a few years later. After |
| where he wrote the first jazz song, "Jelly Roll | | | | playing the clarinet in high school, he went to |
| Blues." Morton brought traditions from New | | | | college and joined a local jazz group. After this, he |
| Orleans to the rest of the world and turned piano | | | | traveled to New Orleans to learn from the |
| playing, and music in general, completely upside | | | | masters of jazz and ragtime. He currently tours |
| down. | | | | the world and hosts a jazz program on the radio |
| Eubie Blake was yet another practitioner of the | | | | in Minneapolis. |