FOLIO REVIEW

By

Jack Rummel

A Ragtime Aviary: 9 Contemporary Classic Rags
Jim Nelson Smith, composer
NowThat’sCool! Music

Suncatcher Rag / The Carolina Wren / Ragtime Warbler / Midnight Swan Rag / Ragtime Bluejay / Flamingos / Pelican Sunset / Ragtime Goldfinch / Ragtime Cardinal.

Jim Nelson Smith has been writing rags off and on since 1985, when his initial composition won first place in a composition contest held in Strasburg, PA.  Two years later, his Suncatcher Rag took second place in the (by then) annual Strasburg contest.  Following a lengthy time out devoted to writing Country songs which achieved notable success, in 2016 he was motivated to return to writing rags and this folio is the result.

Key signatures range from one sharp to three flats, modulating to the subdominant key for the trios.  All are within the scope of the intermediate pianist.  The single-note melody lines are appropriately punctuated with rich chords.  Recommended beats per minute are given for each piece, as are suggested dynamics.  The scores are set using computer software, giving a clean, sharp appearance to each page.

Suncatcher is upbeat and happy with touches of James Scott’s influence, while Carolina Wren is slow and introspective.  The unusual A-section of Ragtime Warbler with its 22-bar length divided unevenly into 13- and 9-measure phrases is an attention grabber.  The B- and C-sections conform to the 16-bar norm.

Midnight Swan, as the title hints, is slow and has minor tonalities scattered throughout, but that is balanced by the up-tempo jocularity of Ragtime Bluejay which, in turn, is countered by the stately Joplinesque Flamingos.

The final three rags all share a medium-slow tempo.  Pelican Sunset is intended to evoke the surprisingly graceful gliding these ungainly-appearing birds routinely display.  Ragtime Goldfinch pays tender homage to this beautiful little bird, and to close out the collection, the composer borrows ideas from Joseph Lamb to turn Ragtime Cardinal into a true “bird call” rag.

All of Jim Nelson Smith’s compositions are well-crafted and any one of them could easily become your personal favorite.  The folio is available for $18.59 from Amazon by searching the title.  Or if you prefer, a $25.00 check sent to Jim Nelson Smith, 620 Blue Point Drive, Wilmington, NC 28411 will get you the folio postpaid along with a CD of the rags.