Honey Moon Rag (1916) - James Scott (With Score / Sheet Music)

Описание: An elegant yet rarely played gem by modern standards, Scott's "Honey Moon Rag" bears a few indicators that it was actually written much earlier than it's 1916 publication date.

For starters, the work begins with a variation of Scott Joplin's "Maple Leaf Rag," a common inspiration used by budding Ragtime composers. Yet considering Scott's more complex line up of work from 1914-18, Honey Moon stands out as an oddity. Adding to these indicators is the B section's exclusive 1-run pattern that sees no reiteration until the very end of the work.

All this is not to downplay Honey Moon's overall quality however, as the work still retains the vital elements of classic rags. Not to mention it's rather euphonic trio, which places a handful of work in the performer's lap to accurately create it's joyous theme.

Outside of just musical makeup however, Honey Moon would also be one of the last Scott rags printed in the traditional full four-page format. (10"x13" paper sheets.) This came to be following the U.S. intervention in World War I a year later, calling for conservation of valued resources including paper. As such, all Scott rags from 1917 up until his final work in 1920 were printed in a two-page format, making it difficult to arrange & read measures in the end.

With jazz music steadily making way into mainstream popularity, the new two-page format would do little to hinder it's growth as it relied more on improvisation than typeset music. This however will be a topic best saved for when we cross over to year 1917 and above, offering more topical context on the decline of Ragtime music.
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"Honey Moon Rag" - Classic Piano Rag - Pattern: A A B A Trio Trio Trans B B
Music by James Scott, published by the Stark Music Co. in 1916
Cover Artist: Unknown

Description information provided & researched by Bill Edwards.
( https://ragpiano.com/comps/jscott.shtml )

Music performed by Guido Nielsen with his album "James Scott: The Complete Works (Rags, Waltzes & Songs)"

℗ 2000 Basta Audio-Visuals
Producer: Piet Schreuders
Music Publisher: Basta Music
Performer: Guido Nielsen