FOLIO REVIEW

By

Jack Rummel

Prairie Ragtime: The Music of Tom Shea

Transcribed by Barry Morgan

Morgan Publishing, St. Louis , MO

Along The Tar / Black Mike’s Curse / Brun Campbell Express / Corinthian Rag / Corncracker Rag / Detroit Rags / Hasty Pudding / Johnny Walker Rag / Julie’s Jellies / Little Wabash Special / Mag’s Rag / The Old North State / Oliver Road Rag / Pegtown Patrol / Prairie Queen / R.F.D. / Robin’s Ribbons / Rosebud Rag / Spasm Rag / Storyville Sport / Trillium Rag / Venial Sin.

     I was never privileged to know Tom Shea.  Born in the Illinois prairie country in 1931, he came to ragtime via Max Morath’s PBS series and the book, They All Played Ragtime, from which he learned the Maple Leaf Rag.  Frustrated in his search for other ragtime scores, he began writing his own tunes, which he referred to as “prairie ragtime.”  This ultimately led to two solo LPs in 1964 (long since out of print) and many performances aboard the Goldenrod Showboat in St. Louis .  By the time I discovered the Missouri ragtime festival scene, he had passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack.

     Shea had been influenced by the pioneer folk ragtimer, Brun Campbell, as had many others (myself included), and we longed to learn and perform Shea’s rags.  A scant few photocopies of manuscripts were floating around and we could also try to learn from his recordings, but it was generally slim pickings and less than half a dozen of his tunes ever made it into mainstream records and festivals.

     Thus, you can imagine my surprise and excitement when I pulled this folio out of its mailing envelope.  There they were, the Shea rags – all 22 of them!  Beautifully typeset, and with an introduction by Trebor Tichenor, this slender volume instantly became one of my most valued possessions.  His compositions are all in 2/4 time, the keys range from one sharp to four flats and all are within the grasp of the intermediate pianist.  Each rag has also been given a metronome speed, taken from Shea’s own recordings.  The folio has a spiral binding, allowing the pages to lie flat against the piano’s music stand.

     This publication fills a long-standing gap in the literature of contemporary ragtime and will be welcomed with open arms by lovers of folk ragtime in general and Shea’s rags in particular.  Kudos to Barry Morgan for transcribing these valuable compositions and making them generally available.  Tom Shea is no longer a ghostly name to be whispered among the ragtime cognoscente; he can come alive on your piano!  Highly recommended.

     Available for $25.00 postpaid from Barry Morgan, 4667 Heege Road , St. Louis , MO 63123 .