was an African American Composer
and Pianist of Ragtime and Classical
Music who wrote three operas
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Celebrate the Music (& birthdays) of Scott Joplin & W.C. Handy on Saturday, Nov. 8 at the ONSLRG Gallery
On Saturday, November 8 at 2 p.m., the Ragged Blade Band will perform at the Old North St. Louis Restoration Group Gallery (2700 N. 14th Street) to celebrate the lives and legacies of Scott Joplin, the “King of Ragtime” and W.C. Handy,
known as the “Father of the Blues.” This month we celebrate the 141st
anniversary of Handy’s birth (Nov. 16, 1873) and perhaps the 146th
anniversary of Joplin’s birth. Although Joplin’s actual birth date is
unknown, the marker at his gravestone lists it as Nov. 24, 1868.
This year also marks the centennial of the publication of “Saint Louis Blues,”
which Handy said was inspired by a woman he saw on the streets of St.
Louis. First played and published in 1914, “Saint Louis Blues” has been
called the “most influential song of all time” by Ted Gioia, author of The History of Jazz (as reported in the June 2014 issue of The Atlantic:
“The most exciting development in modern music is the multicultural mixture of old sounds into new hybrids. And no one mixed them up better than W. C. Handy in “St. Louis Blues,” which brought together the 12-bar blues, Latin rhythms, and the American popular song in one of the biggest hits of all time.”
Joplin’s most famous piece, “The Entertainer,” which was composed and published during his St. Louis years, has also earned a spot among the classics of American music. The Recording Industry Association of America ranked it #10 on its “Songs of the Century” list.
So, come on out to celebrate a couple of American classics in the
heart of a neighborhood not far from where the streets of where one of
the songs was inspired and just blocks away from the home where the
composer of the other lived. As an added bonus, you’ll have the
satisfaction of knowing that funds raised at this concert will go to
support the work of Old North St. Louis Restoration Group. Admission is
just $10, payable at the door.
Arts programming throughout the year, including at the ONSLRG
Gallery, has been generously supported by the Regional Arts Commission
and the Arts & Education Council of Greater St. Louis, and other
events in the gallery have been funded by Missouri Humanities Council -
and we do thank them all for making it possible for ONSLRG to bring
community enriching programming to Old North.
Comments by email:
1) Thanks, Bill. We greatly appreciate your assistance in helping to promote this event. Sean Sean Thomas, Executive Director, Old North St. Louis Restoration Group
2) Yep thanks very much! Jerry Rabushka, Ragged Blade Band
Comments by email:
1) Thanks, Bill. We greatly appreciate your assistance in helping to promote this event. Sean Sean Thomas, Executive Director, Old North St. Louis Restoration Group
2) Yep thanks very much! Jerry Rabushka, Ragged Blade Band
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