American Ragtime Ensemble Essays In Ragtime: The Music Of Brun Campbell CD

Brun Campbell (1884-1952) was an itinerant pianist of the early ragtime era who spearheaded ragtime revival efforts in the 1940s. Known for his many articles on ragtime, Campbell also composed a number of rags and ragtime songs in the '40s, some of which he recorded himself on privately-issued 78 rpm records (several of his 78s are included as bonus tracks on this CD). Campbell's ragtime music is marked by it's jaunty rhythms and strong "folk" flavor. For this CD, released in conjunction with Larry Karp's new revelatory biography of Campbell ("Brun Campbell, The Original Ragtime Kid," McFarland, 2016), violinist David Reffkin has arranged many of Campbell's works for his American Ragtime Ensemble. Richard Egan, widely hailed as one of today's foremost "folk ragtime" pianists, contributes eight piano solos. The result is a fascinating and highly entertaining look into the tuneful, quirky, and very charming music of one of ragtime's most colorful characters. The 32-page illustrated booklet includes a biography of Campbell and discussion of the pieces by David Reffkin. Vocals by Carol Ann Parker and Sean Sharp. Recorded 2014-2015 (Bonus tracks recorded late 1940s). 83 minutes.

1. Grandpa Stomps 2. Lulu White 3. Brun's Slow Drag 4. You Are Mama's Baby Doll / Mama's Little Baby Doll 5. Barber Shop Rag 6. Campbell Cakewalk 7. Barrel House Rag 8. He's That Hard Hearted Revenue Man 9. Reminiscences 10. Maple Leaf Rag 11. Ginger Snap Rag 12. Frankie and Johnnie Rag 13. Your Sweet Mama's Headin' for Another Town 14. Essay in Ragtime 15. Salome's Slow Drag 16. Slow and Easy 17. Dream in My Arms / Guess Who's in Love 18. Variations on a Theme By Joplin 19. Twelfth Street Rag 20. Chestnut Street in the '90S 21. Blue Rag 22. You Are the One I Want the Rest of My Life 23. Sapphire 'Blue' Rhythm 24. Brun Campbell Medley 25. Grandpa Stomps 26. Salome's Slow Drag 27. Lulu White 28. Hal Nichols Introduces 'Maple Leaf Rag' 29. Maple Leaf Rag