Awesome Ragtime

When is a bass guitar not a bass guitar? When it’s a piano, of course. Musician Charles Berthoud demonstrates what that sounds like with a fingerstyle bass rendition of Scott Joplin’s ragtime classic The Entertainer, incorporating some insane flourishes.

Scott Joplin’s The Entertainer is the most recognizable example of ragtime music. But what if it came out in the 1600s instead of the 1900s? Vinhetiero dons his best powdered wig for this lively harpsichord version of Joplin’s upbeat tune. Be sure to check out Vin’s more faithful rendition played on a 1915 piano.

The Pocket Piano is a modular music-making system that lets you carry an entire 88-key piano in your backpack. Musician Jordan Rudess and his pal Maddi had a little fun with the magnetic keyboard modules by gradually removing octaves in the middle of a performance.

Ever since The Wellerman collaboration blew up on TikTok, we’ve heard a number of covers of the folk sea shanty. Pianist and arranger Scott Bradlee put his spin on the tune by turning it into an old-timey ragtime song. Bonus points for sliding in the Gorillaz and Darude references.

Pianist Vinheteiro demonstrates just how important it is to play music on period-correct instruments. Listen and you’ll be transported to an old timey saloon with this medley of Scott Joplin ragtime tunes, performed on an Barthol & Berlin upright piano made that dates back to 1915.

If the Nintendo Entertainment System came out in the 1920s instead of the 1980s, the music its games played might have sounded a bit like the ragtime jazz piano arranged and played brilliantly here by musician Scott Bradlee.

Pianist and self-proclaimed redneck Leslie Blake makes his fingers fly across 88 keys like few other musicians. Here, he performs a sped-up ragtime arrangement of The Chordettes 1958 classic Mr. Sandman designed to wake you up more than to put you to sleep.