Joe Lamb's Nightingale and Other Ragtime Birds

Released in November of 2013, this is the third in a series by the Neighborhood Music School's Faculty Ragtime Ensemble, with material from spring concerts in 20012 and 2013. The instrumentation is violin, cello, flute/recorder, clarinet, piano and tuba. The arrangements are all my own. The 2012 concert featured works by Joseph F. Lamb (1887 - 1960), generally considered to be among the "big three" of ragtime composers, the others being Scott Joplin and James Scott. Although his ragtime had fallen out of fashion by 1920, Lamb continued to compose and perform for another fifty years. Some of the pieces which he developed and polished during that period were not written down or given titles until late in his life. Our 2013 concert featured more of Lamb's works, including his famous "Ragtime Nightingale". That brought to mind several other rags about birds, pets that chase birds, horses with bird-like wings, and one by a man who called himself "Turkey". Before I knew it I had a complete ragtime program about birds. While arranging these pieces one of them struck me as a natural for concert band. The final number on this CD is the result, as performed in the spring of 2013 by the Connecticut Symphonic Band, conducted by Charles DePaul. This recording is respectfully dedicated to Patricia Lamb Conn, who first called my attention to her father's compositions and has faithfully attended our annual ragtime concerts. I am also grateful to the Neighborhood Music School for supporting this ragtime project for the past eleven years. To hear or download sample tracks in MP3 format click on "Little John's Rag" and "Spanish Fly" in the tune list below: -Art Hovey-

Little John's Rag . . . . . . Turk Murphy (1949)
Rapid Transit . . . . . . . . . Joseph Lamb (1959)
Lorne Scots on Parade . . . . . Joseph Lamb (1904)
Mignonne, Valse Lente . . . . . Joseph Lamb (1901)
Catnip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Percy Wenrich (1911)
Patricia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joseph Lamb (1916)
The Ragtime Special . . . . . Joseph Lamb (1959)
Champagne . . . . . . . . . . . Joseph Lamb (1910)
Joe Lamb's Old Rag . . . . . Joseph Lamb (1959)
The Beehive . . . . . . . . . . . Joseph Lamb (1959)
Weeping Willow . . . . . . . . . Scott Joplin (1903)
Greased Lightning . . . . . . . Joseph Lamb (1959)
Bird Brain (2013) . . . . . . . Joseph Lamb (1959)
The Ragtime Bobolink . . . . Joseph Lamb (1960)
The Ragtime Oriole . . . . . . . Joseph Lamb (1911)
The Ragtime Nightingale . . . Joseph Lamb (1915)
Mockingbird Rag . . . . . . . . Charles T. Straight (1912)
Pegasus, a Classic Rag . . . . . James Scott (1920)
Silver Swan Rag . . . . . Attributed to Scott Joplin (1914)
Spanish Fly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joseph Lamb (1912)
Lorne Scots for Concert Band . . . Joseph Lamb 1904)

The price is $15; paypal accepted. (postage is free.)
Send payment to: ahovey2@gmail.com
or to Art Hovey
35 Housatonic Avenue
Milford, CT 06460-3417

Note: This CD may not play on older DVD players,
nor will it play in your VCR or toaster.
It works best in CD players.

The Second NMS Ragtime CD, pictured at the right, is also still available.

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