Scott Joplin: The Life and Legacy of the King of Ragtime
Written by Charles River Editors
Narrated by Bill Hare
4.5/5
()
About this audiobook
Despite a general dearth of African American names rising to musical prominence during the years of Reconstruction, black talent existed in good measure for both popular and classical genres, and among the most notable musicians celebrated in the present day is composer Scott Joplin, who in his day earned the moniker “King of Ragtime.” Joplin’s use of ragtime as a piano genre was as natural to African American dances as the waltz was to Europeans. The new African-based musical language grew to such popularity that piano rags were programmed on formal classical programs. Originally employed as a verb, as in to “rag” a rhythm, the genre was first referred to as the “jig-piano” style. Ragtime features off-beat rhythms, a heavily accented first beat with the left hand making fast leaps to include the harmony. Pieces of the genre are as visually distinctive as they are in sound. Popular with honky-tonk pianists working along the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, ragtime became the “predominant style of American popular music” by the end of the 19th century. Dance steps like the cakewalk, inspired by minstrel shows featuring modes of black banjo playing, were unlikely to be incorporated into white dance for many years to come, but white musicians incorporated the sound into their own daily repertoires as a pleasing style of melody and rhythm. The days of minstrel performances, in which white performers costumed themselves in black face without societal backlash, were eventually replaced by black performers such as Joplin and others like him. Once free from such mockery, black artists were free to produce musical offerings from the authentic culture. The term “rag,” according to Joplin’s use of the term, represented a musical evolution, an abrupt, edgy approach to the musical phrase, suggesting a “ragged movement.”
Scott Joplin: The Life and Legacy of the King of Ragtime profiles how he became one of 20th century music’s most influential figures.
More audiobooks from Charles River Editors
Gnosticism: The History and Legacy of the Mysterious Ancient Religion Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The East India Company: The History of the British Empire's Most Famous Mercantile Company Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Rape of Nanking: The History and Legacy of the Notorious Massacre during the Second Sino-Japanese War Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Ur: The History and Legacy of the Ancient Sumerian Capital Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Project MK-Ultra: The History of the CIA’s Controversial Human Experimentation Program Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Nineveh: The History and Legacy of the Ancient Assyrian Capital Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Legends of the West: Deadwood, South Dakota Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Arnold Rothstein and Meyer Lansky: The Lives and Legacies of the Gangsters Who Reformed Organized Crime in America Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMysteries of the South: Ghosts, Legends, and Unexplained Phenomena in Dixie Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Mossad: The History and Legacy of Israel’s National Intelligence Agency Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5J. Robert Oppenheimer: The Life and Legacy of the Father of the Atomic Bomb Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Life and Trial of Lizzie Borden: The History of 19th Century America's Most Famous Murder Case Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung: The Pioneering Lives and Works of History’s Most Influential Psychologists Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Battle of Hamburger Hill: The History and Legacy of One of the Vietnam War's Most Controversial Battles Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Mysterious Midwest: Mysteries, Legends, and Unexplained Phenomena in America's Heartland Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Denisovans: The History of the Extinct Archaic Humans Who Spread Across Asia during the Paleolithic Era Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related to Scott Joplin
Related audiobooks
Miles and Me Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Delta Blues: The Life and Times of the Mississippi Masters Who Revolutionized American Music Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller: The Lives and Careers of America’s Most Famous Big Band Leaders Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummertime: George Gershwin's Life in Music Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDreams to Remember: Otis Redding, Stax Records, and the Transformation of Southern Soul Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Help!: The Beatles, Duke Ellington, and the Magic of Collaboration Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Satchmo Blows Up the World: Jazz Ambassadors Play the Cold War Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Irving Berlin: New York Genius Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Billie Holiday and Etta James: The Lives and Legacies of the Famous Jazz Singers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The History of Rock & Roll: Volume 1: 1920-1963 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Just around Midnight: Rock and Roll and the Racial Imagination Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Benny Goodman: The Life and Legacy of the King of Swing Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Jazz Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5American Latin Music: Rumba Rhythms, Bossa Nova, and the Salsa Sound Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5American Epic: When Music Gave America Her Voice Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Rhythm Man: Chick Webb and the Beat that Changed America Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAmerica’s Most Influential Jazz Artists Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhy Bob Dylan Matters Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Skydog: The Duane Allman Story Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A New Day Yesterday: UK Progressive Rock & The 1970s Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5That Thin, Wild Mercury Sound: Dylan, Nashville, and the Making of Blonde on Blonde Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The History of Rock & Roll, Volume 2: 1964–1977: The Beatles, the Stones, and the Rise of Classic Rock Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dylan Goes Electric!: Newport, Seeger, Dylan, and the Night That Split the Sixties Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5American Country: Bluegrass, Honky-Tonk, and Crossover Sounds Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLevon: From Down in the Delta to the Birth of The Band and Beyond Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Music Is History Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Can't Give It Away on Seventh Avenue: The Rolling Stones and New York City Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5CSNY: Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Andrews Sisters: The Lives and Legacy of the Famous Singing Trio during the Swing Era Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Artists and Musicians For You
Like a River: Finding the Faith and Strength to Move Forward after Loss and Heartache Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Adversity for Sale: Ya Gotta Believe Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Woman in Me Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5My Effin' Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die: Musings from the Road Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5My Love Story: A Memoir Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Dolly Parton: The Life of a Legendary American Singer, Actor, and Businesswoman Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Rememberings Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Scar Tissue Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Me: Elton John Official Autobiography Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Leonardo da Vinci Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating, and Dusting Off Your Boots Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5More Myself: A Journey Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Gold Dust Woman: The Biography of Stevie Nicks Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Marathon Don't Stop: The Life and Times of Nipsey Hussle Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Summary: Greenlights: by Matthew McConaughey: Key Takeaways, Summary & Analysis Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Storyteller: Expanded: ...Because There's More to the Story Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mercury and Me Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Chronicles: Volume One Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin): A Memoir Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Robin Williams: When the Laughter Stops 1951 - 2014 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Heart: Frida Kahlo in Paris Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sounds Like Me: My Life (So Far) in Song Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Killing the Legends: The Lethal Danger of Celebrity Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Share My Life: A Journey of Love, Faith and Redemption Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Chita: A Memoir Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Autobiography of Gucci Mane Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Reviews for Scott Joplin
3 ratings0 reviews