by Robbie Rhodes (001121 MMD)
The name of the unknown ragtime tune heard on the Ruth style 38 fairground organ in Holland has been discovered. The song is
"Ragtime Jim"
(A Jumpy Rag)
composed by A. Fred Phillips,
(C) 1912 Jerome H. Remick & Co.
The identification was by ragtimer Tom Brier, a resident of Merced in the central California valley. This young man is a talented performer and composer of ragtime piano music. His collection of sheet music is not large, but he performs almost all the ragtime music in his collection. I think that's the reason why he immediately recognized the melody when I sang it, and why he could correlate the melody and the title. Tom graciously gave me a photocopy of the sheet music.
After I learned the title I asked several music collectors if they knew of other ragtime songs composed by A. Fred Phillips. They all said "No." Some said that a piano roll of the song exists.
Ragtime historian Nan Bostick suggested that it is a "vanity publication." She noted that many book publishers offer services to an author who wants to publish his own book. Of course, the author pays all the expenses.
Nan says that around this era (1912) the Jerome H. Remick company in Detroit, Michigan, offered vanity publishing services to aspiring composers; the composer was assisted by a gifted staff musician, Harry P. Guy. Of course, the composer paid all expenses, while Remick retained all publishing rights. Read Nan's article about Harry P. Guy and ragtime in Detroit in the thick occasional journal, "The Rag-Time Ephemeralist", Vol. 1 No. 2 (1999), published. by Acme Novelty Library, Chicago IL, URL: http://www.wwa.com/~weese
The musical arrangement of "Ragtime Jim" for the big Ruth fairground organ is very well executed; it's a pity the noteur's name is not known. The new CD which includes the song is "Kermisorgel 38er A. Ruth & Sohn" (cd Clar. 53370), and it is available from the KDV store: visit http://www.travel.to/kdv.nl Track 14 includes "Ragtime Jim". An MPEG file of the fairground organ performance may be downloaded at /Sounds/unkRuthRag.mp3
Images of the original sheet music, courtesy Tom Brier:
ragtimeJim1.jpg (296 kb)
ragtimeJim2.jpg (333 kb)
ragtimeJim3.jpg (319 kb)
MIDI file for calliope, sequenced by Jon Guy, Arnett, OK: ragtimeJim1.mid (20 kb)
21 November 2000, 24 November 2000