Ragtime Refreshments

Nora Hulse, piano

The Bluffton Carnival Rag / Ragtime Showers / Neome / ‘Lasses / Trifler Two Step / Automobile / Curly / The White Seal Rag / Red Peppers / Fire Fly / The Georgia Cracker / Razzle Dazzle / Who’s Got The Lemon? / Lemons And Limes / Paprika / The Cinder-Ella Rag / Red Head Rag / Broadway Rag / Big Pow Wow / Smash Up Rag / All Around Town / Baby Blues / The Nora Bayes Fox Trot / Metropolitan Rag / Jubilee Rag.

Research in the late 20^th and early 21^st centuries is uncovering more and more ragtime by women composers and Nora Hulse deserves credit for much of what is being brought to light. This is her fourth recording featuring rags by women and it is filled with forgotten delights. There is no question that, during the early years of ragtime, women had just as good a grasp of the genre as men; why the majority of them remained in obscurity is not an issue that is addressed in this CD.

The compositions date from 1899 to 1917 (and one from 1952 for good measure) and they are presented chronologically, which affords an opportunity to observe how the selections become richer musically as time progresses. There is no unifying theme except gender, for the styles are all over the map and give lots of variety. The tempos are mostly in the medium range and the syncopation is generally simple. While much originality is displayed, there are also many clichés of the period to be found. A trait that was also noted in Hulse’s previous recording is the key selection: seventy-five percent of the compositions are in the keys of G, C or F.

Three selections topped my list. Neome, a syncopated waltz by L.V. Gustin, shows some nice complexities, and Red Head Rag by Irene Franklin and Burt Greene gives us a B-section that cleverly cycles through all twelve keys, but it was Curly, a slower, richly chorded romantic rag by Charlotte Blake, that got my vote as a rare classic gem. Others worthy of note are ‘Lasses (Lucy Thomas), Automobile (Rose De Haven), Red Peppers (Imogene Giles), Paprika (Luella Lockwood Moore), Smash Up Rag (Gwendolyn Stevenson) and Metropolitan Rag (Anna Case). There is no danger that any of these composers will knock Joplin, Scott or Lamb off their lofty perches, but none of them deserve obscurity either.

Nora Hulse is a skilled pianist with a wide range of dynamics at her disposal. Where latitude exists within her chronological format, she has created a playlist laced with many contrasts. The sound is clear and intimate and the liner notes give a thumbnail sketch of each artist where salient facts are known. Her discovery process is an ongoing labor of love and the fruits of her research are worthy of your consideration.

Available for $17.00 postpaid from Nora Hulse, P.O. Box 1247 , Lake Ozark , MO 65049 , or on the web at www.nora.hulse.com.