Novelty ragtime was big for a few years in the 1920's. Virtuosic pianists played and occasionally recorded complex and nearly-impossible-to-perform originals that impressed listeners. This Folkways LP from 1980 contains 13 rare recordings, mostly from the 20's. None of the pianists are famous today (
Willard Robison
and
Billy Mayerl
are best-known) and, with the exception of
"Pianoflage,"
"Nickel in the Slot" and "Nola," the tunes have been mostly forgotten. However vintage jazz and ragtime collectors will be interested in hearing these frequently exciting if mostly unknown performances. ~ Scott Yanow