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David Reffkin : The American Ragtime Ensemble
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A six piece ensemble playing rare ragtime orchestrations from the early 1900's.
Genre: Classical: Orchestral
Release Date: 2004
The American Ragtime Ensemble
David Reffkin
Record Label: Crazy Otto Music, Inc
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Preview Song Name Time Buy
1. Black Cat Rag 2:49 Album Only
2. Avaition Rag 3:03 Album Only
3. Tickle Toes 2:28 Album Only
4. Castle House Rag 2:58 Album Only
5. Cotton Babes 2:50 Album Only
6. Gladiolus Rag 3:37 Album Only
7. Powder Rag 3:04 Album Only
8. Wall Street Rag 3:53 Album Only
9. Louisiana Rag 2:49 Album Only
10. Russian Rag 2:58 Album Only
11. Valley Flower 2:56 Album Only
12. Bowery Buck 3:26 Album Only
preview all songs

Album Notes

David Reffkin is a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. He is a violinist and has played in concert and theater pit orchestras, chamber groups, and as a soloist around the country and in Canada. His many performing activities included four years as first violinist with the New England Ragtime Ensemble (conducted by Gunther Schuller), as a founder and co-director of the Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival, where he directed the All-Star Orchestra for ten years.

He appears on numerous of recordings either as a soloist or ensemble member. Among these recordings are as the \"fiddler\" with Doc Severinsen. For 12 years he led a trio in a major hotel, performing the salon music of the turn of the century, just as it was during the original era.

Since 1981 David has been the producer and host of \"The Ragtime Machine\" (\"Music from the concert halls and barrooms of America\"), a weekly program of ragtime music, news and interviews, on KUSF-FM, San Francisco. This long-running program is the only one of its type in the world. He also produces classical radio programs, and a series of programs wherein he interviews important researchers in astrophysics (another of his passions).

David is also contributing editor of, and reviewer for, The Mississippi Rag, the leading journal of ragtime and traditional jazz. He is often consulted on ragtime-related projects as a contributor, draft reviewer, and proofreader for books and articles written by the country\'s leading authors on the subject.

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REVIEWS

a unique and authentic recording
author: M. Blaine Miller
                            
This cd is such a wonderful recording of early twentieth century ragtime, so much more authentic than almost anything out there. If you want to hear music as it was played in the lobby of a grand hotel or cakewalking a grand ballroom, this is the style it would have been played in. This is not St. Louis saloon music or the small bands that played in new orleans storyville; but the sound of leisure and the grand new world that existed at the turn of the century. ragtime was really introduced to america at large in the 1904 worlds fair and lasted a scant 12 years until it morphed into the more "modern" sounds of the jazz age. A delightful musical time capsule!

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Classical Ragtime plus other goodies
author: Ellis Carter
                            
Ragtime is usually played on the piano, but with a small orchestra it is classical.  This is ragtime for the champagne and crowd.

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Wonderful!
author: Bryan Wright
                            
How refreshing to hear this disc after so many "honky-tonk" ragtime albums. This is elegant ragtime played by a string quintet (2 violins, viola, 'cello, and bass) with piano. The recording is clear and warm-sounding, and the musicianship is top-notch. The arrangements are creative and really show off these classic rags. The booklet is beautiful with great notes and full-color reproductions of original sheet music covers. My only complaint is that the CD isn't long enough--only 35 minutes. Still, this is fast becoming one of my all-time favorite ragtime recordings.

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