![]() Weiss is credited for teaching Joplin music not only as a form of art, but also as entertainment. Given his background, Weiss was no stranger to racism, and recognizing Joplin’s situation and passion, he taught him for free for five years. He received lessons from local teachers, his most significant mentor being Julius Weiss, a German-born Jewish American. His father, a former slave, played fiddle at plantation parties his mother, a freeborn woman, played banjo and sang.īy the time Joplin was seven, he began learning to play piano, and he quickly became very serious about music. Joplin was raised in Arkansas by a family of railway workers. Details about his birth aren’t exactly agreed upon, but it known that he had a musical upbringing from the very start. Scott Joplin was born sometime in 1868 somewhere in Texas. Arguably more significantly, he was one of the first African Americans to be accepted in Western music, paving the way for other black musicians and many music genres to come. I don’t think it’s possible to have never heard “The Entertainer” or “Maple Leaf Rag” - even if some non-musicians only identify with them as ice cream truck songs or music that comes on during a bar fight in a silent movie. Scott Joplin wasn’t just an inspiration to us though, he is a commemorated figure musically and historically. But we still have good memories of those old days! We ended up closing Joplin’s Java around 2013 to focus on. Our co-founder, Mark McLeod, was a big fan of his, and he used many of Joplin’s rags as demos when tuning and selling pianos. This of course, was named after the same Scott Joplin. If you are a pianist or a ragtime fan - or into music in general - this definitely isn’t surprising.Īnd if you’ve been friends of ours for a while, you’re probably even familiar with our old side hustle as a coffee shop: Joplin’s Java. The second mention of the list was Scott Joplin. Howard Vigorita.Two weeks ago, we highlighted 6 Black Pianists You Should Know About. She currently resides in Oak Forest, IL, under her married name of Mrs. In pursuit of her endeavor to promote the ragtime form, Sue has established The Ragtime Press, devoted to the publication of original sheet music. Sue is currently working on a new pre-1920s blues CD. Also available are Ragtime Sue and I Got What It Takes, both on compact disc and cassette. Nola, released in late 1993 has also received high marks in the Rag Times, West Coast Rag, Cadence, and LA Jazz Scene. Ol' Muddy, continues in this regard and received favorable mention in Keyboard magazine. Her first CD released in 1992, KelleRIZED, includes both contemporary and traditional ragtime, old-time novelty, and stride pieces. Sue's most recent projects have employed a unique and exciting digital recording process. Appearances have included featured performances at events such as the Ragtime-Jasstime festival in Alexandria Bay, NY, the Zender's ragtime festival in Frankenmuth, MI the prestigious Scott Joplin festival in Sedalia, the World Old-Time Piano Championship in Decatur, IL., ragtime festivals in Millbridge Village and New Oxford, PA and the West Coast Ragtime Festival in Fresno, CA. Her appearances have ranged from the grand opening of Fanueil Hall Marketplace in Boston Harbor, the Mikado nightclub in Tokyo, the Neubiberg Jazz Fest in Munich, across the continent of Australia, and even to the Great Wall of China.īack in the U.S.A., Sue is gaining recognition as one of the world's top female ragtime pianists. Since then, she has treated audiences to her piano and vocal performances throughout the world. Sue Keller began her ragtime obsession in 1974, after graduating from DePauw with a degree in Music and Theater.
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