American Ragtime Ensemble - Essays in Ragtime: The Music of Brun Campbell

Brun Campbell (1884-1952) was an itinerant pianist of the early ragtime era who spearheaded ragtime revival efforts in the 1940s. Known for his many articles on ragtime, Campbell also composed a number of rags and ragtime songs in the '40s, some of which he recorded himself on privately-issued 78 rpm records (several of his 78s are included as bonus tracks on this CD). Campbell's ragtime music is marked by it's jaunty rhythms and strong "folk" flavor. For this CD, released in conjunction with Larry Karp's new revelatory biography of Campbell ("Brun Campbell, The Original Ragtime Kid," McFarland, 2016), violinist David Reffkin has arranged many of Campbell's works for his American Ragtime Ensemble. Richard Egan, widely hailed as one of today's foremost "folk ragtime" pianists, contributes eight piano solos. The result is a fascinating and highly entertaining look into the tuneful, quirky, and very charming music of one of ragtime's most colorful characters. The 32-page illustrated booklet includes a biography of Campbell and discussion of the pieces by David Reffkin. Vocals by Carol Ann Parker and Sean Sharp. Recorded 2014-2015 (Bonus tracks recorded late 1940s). 83 minutes.