Same theme, new segments at history conference

By JENNIFER BRUMMETT
Staff Writer

It was just so good last year, and there was still so much subject matter to cover. So the bigwigs with the 1998 Conference on American Band History decided to continue the ragtime theme with The Ragtime Era II, this year's conference title.

``We had a good time with it last year,'' said program chairman Frank Cipolla, a professor emeritus at the State University of New York, Buffalo. ``This year, we have these people talk with a little different idea'' but still continuing with the ragtime theme, he added.

``Ragtime has certain characteristic rhythms,'' Cipolla noted. ``It's an early version of jazz. There are a lot of popular sounds to it and it goes over very well. It's a real good entertainment thing.''

After Cipolla's opening remarks at 9 a.m., author/scholar Edward Berlin will present ``The Queen City Cornet Band: A Town Band in Scott Joplin's Sedalia.''

Scott Joplin, the most famous of the ragtime composers, grew up in Sedalia, Mo. Joplin is famous for a number of classic ragtime tunes, including ``The Sting'' and ``Maple Leaf Rag.''

Then, pianist Scott Kirby is back for a session on piano ragtime music. ``Piano music in the 1920s is so important for everything,'' Cipolla said.

``This is sort of a precursor of the jazz period, because jazz is an improvised kind of music. (The musician's) making up the line, following a certain format, improvising on a melody.''

David Reffkin next presents ``Ragtime Orchestration: Classic Rags in 3-D.''

``He's a very interesting guy,'' Cipolla said of Reffkin. ``He's done a lot of ragtime orchestra work. He lives in San Francisco and has a ragtime orchestra and a radio program on ragtime that he's done for years. He's quite an authority on ragtime music, especially for the orchestra.''

The New Walnut Street All-Star Orchestra, led by David Reffkin, plays next.

``This will be a ragtime orchestra,'' Cipolla explained. ``The New Walnut Street All-Star Orchestra has one or two trumpets, violin, cello - a couple of strings, woodwinds, drums, piano, brass. It's about an 11- or 12-piece orchestra. They will play and give some idea of how ragtime music sounds.''

Vintage Dance Specialists Renee Camus and Edward Stanford, both of Baltimore, are back this year to perform ragtime dances after the lunch break. The next segment is titled ``James Reese Europe and the `Battling 369th' Band,'' which will be presented by T. Dennis Brown, a professor of music at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

``He was an important black musician during World War I,'' Cipolla said of Europe. ``He was a very good musician. During World War I he had a band, the 369th regiment band. He did a lot of entertaining for the troops. He was a real good composer himself, and a bandmaster.''

Cipolla added Europe-composed music for The Castles, a dance team of the 1920s. ``He did a lot of the music for them. They were a brother and sister who were a very popular dance duo before Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers.''

Next up is ``Razzazza Mazzazza: The Rags of Arthur Pryor,'' by Raoul Camus, professor emeritus of the City University of New York.

``He was one of soloists, a trombone soloist, from the Sousa Band,'' Cipolla explained. ``He wrote a lot of marches and he also wrote a lot of rags. He was an important musician. `Razzazza Mazzazza' is a tune by Pryor.

Wrapping up the day will be ``Thatsum Rag: Selections from The New Compact Disc,'' by the New Columbian Brass Band, and conducted by George Foreman.

``The New Columbian Brass Band has several CDs out. In the band are some fine band musicians that come from different universities and professional work. They've done some tours and things.

``They just did a recording of ragtime music and they're going to play in the afternoon.''

This year's conference, and The Great American Brass Band Festival experience at large, are part of the Elderhostel program, a special organization for people aged 55 and older. Titled ``America's Greatest Band Concert in the Park: The `Insiders' Experience,'' the program lasts June 10-15, giving attendees time to soak up the GABBF and pre-GABBF atmosphere.

``On Thursday there are some lectures and things geared to the Elderhostel people,'' Cipolla said. ``There's an overview of American bands, a talk on John Philip Sousa. Ed Berlin and Scott Kirby will be doing something on ragtime. And on Friday, they will be involved and coming to the conference.''