Knockout Drops

Paragon Ragtime Orchestra | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 12, 1998)
• Original Release Date: May 11, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• ASIN: B00004Y6CA
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #130,067 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Knockout Drops, A Trombone Jag (1910).

2. At A Georgia Campmeeting, Cakewalk (1897).

3. The Persian Lamb Rag (1908).

4. Cornetski, A Trumpet Tantrum (1914).

5. Peg O' My Heart, One Step (1913).

6. The Kansas City Blues (1915).

7. Liberty Bell March (1893).

8. Glances, Gavotte (1914).

9. Some Jazz Blues, Fox Trot (1917).

10. The Peacherine Rag (1901).

11. Drumology, Characteristic Drum Solo (1914).

12. Stop It!, One Step (1919).

13. 'Till the Clouds Roll By, Fox Trot (1917).

14. Alkali Ike Rag, A North Dakota Misunderstanding (1915).

15. Waiting for the Robert E. Lee Medley (1912).

16. The Teddy Bear's Picnic (1907).

17. Lucy's Sextette, A Ragtime Travesty on Donizetti (1913).

18. I Ain't Got Nobody Medley Foxtrot (1916).

19. Scott Joplin's New Rag (1912).

20. Meet Me Tonight In Dreamland, Waltz Intermezzo (1909).

See all 21 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly Infectious Music, March 4, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Knockout Drops (Audio CD)

It's difficult to explain the feeling one gets when they first listen to that perfect period recording. It's a split between true happiness, excitment, and subtle comfort, the feeling as if you have been propelled into the past, the feeling as if you can see what has long been forgotten, just by closing your eyes. It's pretty difficult for an orchestra to achieve this, but I think it is safe to say that the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra or 'PRO' does.

The PRO embodies the essence of the era in which it's music (a colaboration of marches, rags, cakewalks, one steps, waltzs, and so on) came from. All of the music preformed was written for ragtime orchestra (including Pine Apple Rag, for all of you Scott Joplin fans out there) and are part of the Arthur Pryor music collection that was recently rediscovered in Atlantic City by the founder of the orchestra, Rick Benjamin.(Arthur Pryor was a member of the Sousa band, and the conductor of his own orchestra at the turn-of-the-century)

Utilizing superb training, enthusiastic sound, and chamber orchestra polish, the PRO succeeds in bringing a long forgotten musical genre back into light. And rest asured this is not a Dixieland recording, this is not a brashy, low class, bordello band. It is what can only be described as the band that would perform in the park every Sunday after church, at a high class social event, or the departure of the latest luxury liner. It is the embodiment of an era that will never come again, but is still firmly implanted in our memories.

I strongly recommend Knockout Drops to any music fan who is looking for an extraordinary ragtime recording that dosen't have a hint of piano in it. This also goes for the orchestras other recordings (That Demon Rag!, The Whistler and His Dog, and On the Boardwalk) and their video (Charlie Chaplin Moving Picture Show).

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars foot stomping great ragtime, November 9, 2001

By 

Tom Nelson (Puyallup, WA. USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Knockout Drops (Audio CD)

From first to last, this is the best cd of ragtime played by people who know ragtime. Unfortunately, the tunes continue to play in my head for hours after.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Music as heard in the 2004 film The Deserter!, October 21, 2004

By 

Jonathan Edward Jones "Jon" (United States of America) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Knockout Drops (Audio CD)

This is a great album for anyone who like ragtime music. For people who have seen the 2004 film The Deserter by Eric B. Borgman and wondered where you could find the music, some of these exact tunes can be heard in it! Borgman cut a deal with Rick Benjamin and used several tunes from this CD and That Demon Rag!

This CD is highly recommended by me I truly believe that this is the best ragtime orchestra going on the planet!