Scott Joplin, born in Linden, Texas, in 1867, was a pianist and the most popular artist of ragtime music, the forerunner of jazz. Only Joseph Lamb, among ragtime performers, could rival Joplin’s omnipotence. At the height of ragtime’s popularity, print was the only medium for mass distribution of music, and ragtime compositions proved very popular among amateur musicians. “Maple Leaf Rag,” first published in 1899, sold over seven million copies and remains Joplin’s most popular work.
As a visionary composer and absolute master of syncopated rhythm, Joplin fundamentally transformed the landscape of turn-of-the-century American music. He merged the formal structures of European classical composition with the rich, polyrhythmic textures of African-American folk traditions to create a vibrant, completely unique art form. His complex, multi-strain piano works captivated the global imagination, laying down the rhythmic and harmonic foundations that directly triggered the birth of the modern jazz age.
As player pianos became widely available in the early 1900s, piano rolls became another way of distributing ragtime music. Piano rolls, which were fed into the player piano, triggered the motion of the piano keys and allowed a performance to be accurately reproduced on any player piano at any time. Joplin made a number of piano rolls in 1916 with the selections “Maple Leaf Rag,” “Magnetic Rag,” “Pleasant Moments,” “Something Doing,” and “Weeping Willow Rag.” Through these piano rolls, it is possible to hear the music just as Joplin played it at the time they were produced.
Joplin considered himself a classical composer and sought to elevate ragtime to the status of a respectable art form. Fortunately, pianists such as Jelly Roll Morton and James P. Johnson would pull it back by improvising variations that defied Joplin’s limitations for the music. This improvisation ultimately led to the creation of jazz.
Joplin died in 1917, just as jazz was first being recorded and beginning its infiltration of the American mainland.
Joplin’s music can be heard on several compilations of piano roll recordings, such as "Entertainer."
Essential Historical Collection: Scott Joplin - King of Ragtime Writers (From Piano Rolls)
This invaluable archival audio document preserves the absolute core of Joplin's artistic legacy, utilizing original, authentic 1916 hand-played piano rolls. Because audio recording technology was too primitive during his lifetime to accurately capture a piano, these physical rolls serve as a pristine, high-fidelity window into Joplin's actual playing style. The tracking beautifully reveals his precise articulation, rhythmic swing, and nuanced syncopation, serving as an irreplaceable historical textbook for classical ragtime performance.
- Compilation Era: 1916 (Archival Release)
- Label: Biograph Records / Legacy
- Producer: Arnold S. Caplin
- Core Personnel: Scott Joplin (Piano Rolls)
- Key Historical Tracks: "Maple Leaf Rag", "Magnetic Rag", "Weeping Willow Rag"
Essential Compilation Review: The Entertainer - Classic Ragtime From Rare Piano Rolls
This comprehensive audio compilation gathers together a diverse selection of mechanical and hand-cut piano rolls that brought Joplin's genius into early twentieth-century living rooms. The collection expertly charts his rapid compositional evolution from the lighthearted ragtime style of his early Midwestern years to the sophisticated, melancholic movements of his late operatic works. It stands as a flawless entry point for evaluating how his complex sheet music translated into acoustic reality.
- Released: 1974 (Archival Compilation)
- Label: Olympic Records
- Producer: Archival Assembly
- Core Contributors: Scott Joplin (Composer / Performer)
- Key Tracks: "The Entertainer", "Pleasant Moments", "Something Doing"
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