Ragtime Gems

Here is a choice selection of 25 of the most famous rags, several of which cannot be found elsewhere. Written during ragtime's golden age from 1904 to 1910, these melodies include three of Scott Joplin's finest works — Searchlight Rag, Rose Leaf Rag, and Fig Leaf Rag — plus songs by Tin Pan Alley's hottest composers of the day: George Botsford, Harry Armstrong, and Egbert Van Alstyne.


Reprinted from the original editions, the songs in this value-packed volume were selected by David Jasen, a noted ragtime performer as well as a composer and historian of popular music. A splendid array of sheet music accompanies the full musical texts, offering glimpses of popular art from a century ago that range from the serenely beautiful to the eccentric.