Customer Reviews

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This album is a lot of fun.

The Dawn of the Century Ragtime Orchestra consists of a cornet, a trumpet, a clarinet, a trombone, two violins, a tuba, a piano, and drums. Together the performers have recorded their own arrangements of an assortment of popular music from the first 25 years of the 20th century - cakewalks, marches, waltzes, "coon songs," vaudeville and other novelty numbers, etc., even the occasional rag. In the liner notes they refer to all of it as "ragtime." This may irritate some listeners who think of ragtime as a certain kind of music written for and traditionally performed on the piano. However, at the time, the term was often used more broadly than that. Irving Berlin, for example, complained about what he considered to be an overly restrictive definition. He insisted that Alexander's Ragtime Band was ragtime. (Alexander's Ragtime Band appears on this album.)

It's interesting to compare this recording with the recordings of the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra, another present-day group that has recorded a lot of similar material from the same period. The Paragon has more instruments - a viola, a cello, a string bass in place of the tuba, and a flute (but no piano). In addition to the more rambunctious stuff, they perform ballads by the likes of Jerome Kern, and "serious" music written by black composers of the 1920's.

Someone listening to the PRO is likely to be impressed by their attempts at subtlety and refinement. The DCRO, by contrast, seems not to be overly concerned about these things. Because of that, after awhile, the tunes on this album all begin to sound alike.

The group's leader is the cornet player. He and the trumpet player are front and center on virtually every number. Along with the tuba player, they dominate the album; much of the time it seems like the other musicians are just along for the ride. This is especially true of Richard Zimmerman, the pianist, an accomplished performer of traditional ragtime who is billed here as "featured" but can seldom be heard. When you can hear him, the instrument he has been given to play sounds as if it has sat for a long time in the wet part of somebody's basement.

On the PRO's recordings, the execution is flawless, and the horns are always in tune. Not so here.

In my estimate, a little more musicianship would have made this a five-star album. However: maybe it's unfair to criticize the album for failing to be something it doesn't try to be. The tunes are well chosen; the arrangements are inventive. The music is spirited and infectious. There is a lot here to like.

I have heard both the Dawn of the Century Ragtime Orchestra and their chief competitor, the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra and I would have to say that deciding which is greater would be the toss of a coin. Both are fantastic and a poignant reminder of a (in some ways) better day for our country and the world.

This CD is pure fun. I enjoyed all of the selections but bought the item because it was one of the few CDs out there that contain the brilliant Repasz Band March. I have the old New World LP of the Pryor Band doing this piece and, much as I enjoy the DofC Orch. I would say on this one they do not come within spittin distance of the stunning record the Pryor turns in (on which the trumpet of cornet carries the melody all the way through. He (or she) must have had some sore chops after that recording was made).

One small drawback (at least for me) was that some of the titles of the songs are clearly racially offensive by today's standards. However, that was 1900 for you. Emancipation was less than 50 years past and TR was in the White House and typified the racial schizophrenia of a nation by dining with Booker T. Washington while speaking of the superiority of the Anglo-Saxon "race" on the other. Like I said, it was a simpler and better time to be an American in only SOME ways. I would not have wanted to be an African-American (especially in Dixie) at this time. However, this aside, the music is brilliantly played and the tunes are all hummable (is that even a word?). It is well worth the few extra dollars to get it while it is still available.

Enjoy!

Steven Dotson