SACRAMENTO RAGTIME SOCIETY NEWSLETTER Merv Graham, Editor pro tem August 2008 APerfect Ten for Sutter Creek's www.SacramentoRagtime.com Tenth Anniversary [email protected] Festival (916) 457-3324 Left: Two pals setting the Ice Cream Parlor on fire! NEXT MEETING Right: Adam Swanson acknowledging The August meeting will be held the applause. on Sunday, August 31st, in J.B.'s Lounge at the by Chris Bradshaw piece, Ghosts of Sutter Creek, and continu- he stars must have been in proper ing with some Gil Lieby crowd pleasers, Red Lion Sacramento Inn Talignment, and the cosmos in perfect the festival was off to a great start. In- 1401 Arden Way, Sacramento order, because Sutter Creek’s 10th annual cluded in this set were surprise guests from 1:00 to 4:00 P.M. ragtime festival, held August 8-10, was an Vicki Cox on trumpet and banjoist Curtis There is no charge for out-of-this-world, stellar celebration. But Williams from Oregon who joined up admission or membership. how could it be otherwise when you bring with Keith on a swinging Alexander’s Rag- together all that good music, performed by time Band. Throughout his many sets and some of the best in ragtime performers, accompaniment to the the silent movie for some of ragtime’s most devoted fans! “7th Heaven,” (1927) starring Charles Far- This small but mighty festival, located in rell and Janet Gaynor, Keith once again In This Issue the quintessential location of Victorian- proves that there is no finer combination quaint Sutter Creek, takes the gold. From of talents than an ear player who also Thursday evening’s pre-festival event at the reads. Dots or no dots, this man knows Sutter Creek Festival, APerfect Ten...1 Greenhorn Creek Resort in Angels Camp how to work that piano. on through to the very last note of the fest- Raspberries' Concert A Hit.................1 And speaking of movie night and per- ival finale concert, Sutter Creek rocked formers par excellence, Frederick Hodges SRS 27 July Session.......................... 2 the Mother Lode Foothills with ragtime, thrilled the audience with his apt accompa- Orange County Tagtime Festival........ 4 stride, and boogie. See Sutter Creek Continued on page 3 Scott Kirby Returns.............................4 Beginning with the pre-festival event, held at the Greenhorn Creek Resort in An- The Ragtime Calendar....................... 6 gels Camp, a tidy bunch of festival players Raspberry Jam Band Pier 23 and Straw Hat Pizza Sched- that included Nan Bostick, Jack and ules.....................................................6 Chris Bradshaw, Stevens Price, and oth- House Concert SRS Welcomes Larisa Magachoyov.. 6 ers who joined host Gentleman Keith for Whimsy Meets Musicianship a “Taylor” made evening. Relaxed dining By Bonnie Gonzalez in the splendor of the lodge, combined magine moving all your furniture into with a happy convivial crowd of ragtime Ithe garage and hosting a 6-piece band players and enthusiasts enjoying the tinker- for a house concert? Well, that’s just what ings of the 7-foot Yamaha grand, set the Kitty and Allan Wilson did. The Rasp- tenor for the entire weekend–A playful berry Jam Band played to a sold-out house start to a party perfect festival. on Saturday and Sunday, August 16 & 17. The audience was delighted with the The festival officially began Friday, on- group. These accomplished musicians are the-dot at 4:00P.M., as it does every year, in entertaining and downright fun! The pro- the Ice Cream Emporium, the festival gram was varied not only in repertoire, but headquarters, with Keith Taylor present- ing the opening set. Premiering his new See Raspberries Continued on page 5 Page 2 SACRAMENTO RAGTIME SOCIETY August 2008 July 27, 2008 SRSSession By Tom Brier he July session started with a touching and well-attended re- Billie Menz, piano and *vocal Tmembrance of Colin MacDonald, who was largely an un- Kansas City Rag James Scott, 1907 sung hero of our club, in that his major contribution was City Limits Jack Rummel, 1991 maintaining our presence on the wild and woolly frontier of cyber- *Pollution Tom Lehrer, 1965 space. The turnout to the memorial showed very clearly, though, that he had made his mark and that he will be missed by many. Virginia Tichenor, piano; Tom Brier, upright piano The music at the memorial blended seamlessly with the start of The Easy Winners Scott Joplin, 1901 the July meeting, with the continuation of much music by Scott Elite Syncopations Scott Joplin, 1902 Joplin (a special request for the musicians performing at the me- That Eccentric Rag J. Russel Robinson, 1912 morial), and the appearance at the meeting of a number of musi- Stevens Price Tom Brier cians who have not been seen here in quite a while, including , piano; * , upright piano Nan Bostick, Stevens Price, and Alan Ashby. Also notable is the Traintown Blues Gil Lieby, 1970 debut performance of Larisa Migachyov, a delightful composer *Sodajerk Rag Stevens Price, 2003 and pianist who is visiting the West Coast over the summer. The St. Louis Rag Tom Turpin, 1903 Chris and Jack Bradshaw, four-hand piano; Robyn Drivon, tuba; TOM BRIER AND THE SALOON SWEETIES Steve Drivon, percussion; Bub Sullivan, cümbüsh; Petra Sulli- Julia Riley, flute and *vocal; Allan Rogers, gutbucket; Kitty van, violin Wilson, washboard; Tom Brier, piano Cleopha Scott Joplin, 1902 Jelly Roll (Fox Trot) Henry W. Santly & Pete Wendling, 1915 *There’ll Be Some Changes Made Petra Sullivan, piano; Bub Sullivan, mandolin; Robyn Drivon, Billy Higgins (rev. Julia Riley) – W. Benton Overstreet, 1923 tuba; Steve Drivon, percussion Larisa Migachyov Weeping Willow Scott Joplin, 1903 , piano Pleasant Moments Scott Joplin, 1909 Purple Chicken Rag Larisa Migachyov, 2006 The Flying Tomato Rag Larisa Migachyov, 2007 Julia Riley, flute; Allan Rogers, gutbucket; Kitty Wilson, wash- board; Tom Brier, piano THE PORCUPINE RAGTIME ENSEMBLE Elliott Adams Robyn Drivon Steve Drivon Rialto Ripples George Gershwin & Will Donaldson, 1917 , piano; , tuba; , percus- Bub Sullivan Petra Sullivan Memories Of You Andy Razaf – Eubie Blake, 1930 sion; , cümbüsh and *vocal; , violin Red Pepper (A Spicy Rag) Henry Lodge, 1910 Pepper Sauce (A Hot Rag) H. A. Fischler, 1910 *Because My Baby Don’t Mean “Maybe” Now! Alan Ashby, piano Walter Donaldson, 1928 A Blues Improvisation Alan Ashby, 2008 John Partridge Contentment (A Rag) Joseph F. Lamb, 1915 , piano The Lake Superior Rag (A Superior Stroll) John Partridge, 2003 Bernie LoFaso, piano Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out Jimmy Cox, 1923 Medley: I Can’t Believe That You’re In Love With Me Petra Sullivan Bub Sullivan Robyn Clarence Gaskill & Jimmy McHugh, 1926 , piano; , cümbüsh and *vocal; When You’re Smiling Drivon, tuba; Steve Drivon, percussion Mark Fisher, Joe Goodwin, & Larry Shay, 1928 Harvest Hop (Barn Dance) Charles L. Johnson, 1908 Falling For Ragtime Bernie LoFaso, 2008 *The 20th Century Rag Grant Clarke & Edgar Leslie – Maurice Abrahams, 1914 Elliott Adams, piano Elliott Adams Tom Brier Kismet Rag Scott Joplin & Scott Hayden, 1913 , piano; , upright piano Jazz Pizzicato Leroy Anderson, 1939 The King’s Horses (And The King’s Men) Silver Swan Rag Scott Joplin, c. 1914 Noel Gay & Harry Graham, 1930 Buffoon Zez Confrey, 1932 Nan Bostick, piano Moxie Dennis J. Shea – Norman Leigh, 1930 Dance Of the Brownies Effie F. Kamman, 1895 Nan Bostick, piano; Chris and Jack Bradshaw, four-hand upright piano; Robyn Drivon, tuba; Steve Drivon, percussion The Gravel Rag Charlotte Blake, 1908 Sutter Creek Strut Gil Lieby, 2000 August 2008 SACRAMENTO RAGTIME SOCIETY Page 3 Sutter Creek Continued from page 1 held at this year’s festival featuring eleven up with the Drivons, Steve on percussion nying of two comedy shorts starring Stan players ranging in age from 11-17. Playing and Robyn on tuba, as the newest group Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Frederick could to a packed venue with standing room on the block, The Ragnolia Ragtette be seen and heard often throughout the only, these junior performers gave us a played their first performance to a packed festival, giving the impression of being al- glimpse of ragtime’s future and it looks crowd in the Ice Cream Emporium. Jack most everywhere at once. A popular so- bright. Bright brings to mind Patrick could also be found on his solo sets, loving loist, he also was heard in various duo Aranda and his shiny trombone playing the pianos in both The Foxes and The combinations to the enjoyment of festival some of those menacing Henry Fillmore Hanford House. goers. Whether serving as Ann Gibson’s trombone rags with Tom Brier grabbing Stevens Price, when not dishing up accompanist for her delightful vocal num- the right notes out of thin air. As if trom- ice cream, or running one of the festival bers (Everybody Rag with Me being at the bone-ing isn’t enough, Patrick plays a concerts, could be found pounding pianos top of my list), or in the company of two mean piano and even meaner when he with the best of ‘em throughout the week- other festival favorites, Tom Brier, or teams up with cohort, Carl Sonny Ley- end. His number on the finale concert Adam Swanson in the Ice Cream Empori- land, who also worked his boogie magic with Keith Taylor, whose “Look, Mom, no um, festival concerts and the after hours on the crowd. Whether performing alone hands” approach to piano playing, took sessions, Frederick was noticed having a (Shout for Joy, an Albert Ammons tune, was the audience by surprise on a wild fun wonderful time. out of this world) or with Tom (Blame it on ride. the Blues was sensational), or kicking it in- Tom Brier playing Tom Brier was a Big thanks go to Larisa Migachyov to high gear with Patrick on such numbers huge hit.