[ Harald sent three short letters.
 [ #1 - 26 Jul 2000 23:56:45

I cannot believe it!  When, just for fun, I play a ragtime tune,
I play this melody on the piano -- it comes to my fingers just
naturally as if I'd written it.  I've played it for at least 10 years
now, "just so".  My children know it, my wife could probably whistle
it, and *I don't know what it is!*

I have a gut feeling that (a) I once knew who wrote it; (b) it is
_not_ from the "ragtime period" (roughly 1900-1918) but from the 1930s;
(c) that it is from some early musical or some other larger musical
unit.  But maybe I'm wrong on all of that.  _Please_ tell me (too)
what I've played forever!

 [ #2 - 27 Jul 2000 00:16:29

I've listened to it now about 20 times, and suddenly, in this
state of nirvana, from the back of my brain, there comes a title:
"Alexander's Ragtime band".   I'm quite certain -- no, I'm sure that's
it!  Now a search on the Internet should turn up its composer in a
minute or so ...

 [ #3 - 27 Jul 2000 00:22:10

Sorry -- I shouldn't "think" via email.  You probably knew immediately
that this was wrong.  "Alexander's Ragtime Band", by Irving Berlin from
around 1911, is a different melody altogether.  :-(  :-(  Next time,
I'll check out my "nirvana ideas" before sending emails like the above.

Harald M. Mueller <harald.m.mueller@bigfoot.com>

 [ That's the same excitement I felt as clues led us toward "Ida and
 [ Dot", Harald!  Furthermore, several fans of ragtime music assured
 [ me, "I've heard that tune before, Robbie; it should be easy to find
 [ the title!"  But it's like searching for the end of the rainbow...
 [
 [ The songs by F. H. Losey are all fine "ragtime" tunes, but only a
 [ couple were published as piano music.  In recent years the term
 [ "ragtime music" has been narrowly associated with only piano
 [ performances.  'Tis a shame, because this attitude dismisses the
 [ wonderful one-steps and two-steps recorded by bands in the golden
 [ years of acoustic recordings.  Therefore I am now concentrating
 [ the search efforts within the fans of military band music, also
 [ performed in the city park by a concert band.
 [
 [ So -- now that the "Unknown Rag" is firmly planted in your head --
 [ keep your ears alert: you just might hear it played by a fine brass
 [ band in Europe!  -- Robbie