Devlin' Flowers

We only began digging thru Scott Joplin's crates recently. Beauty abounds, even in the unexpectedly beautiful language of the song titles. There's something here, we're sure, and we imagine there will something to say about them in Edward Berlin's biography of Joplin and history of the era. We are especially attracted to the rags named after exotic flowers. We are also already enamored of the word "swipsey" whatever/whoever it refers to.

But take 'em all in. They're another take on the creolization at work.

Please Say You Will, A Picture of Her Face (1895), Great Crush Collision, Combination March, Harmony Club Waltz (1896), Original Rags, Maple Leaf Rag (1899), Swipsey Cake Walk, Sunflower Slow Drag, Peacherine Rag, Augustan Club Waltz, The Easy Winners (1900), Cleopha, I Am Thinking of My Pickaninny Days, A Breeze From Alabama, Elite Syncopations, The Entertainer, March Majestic, The Strenuous Life, The Ragtime Dance (Song) (1901), Something Doing, Weeping Willow, Palm Leaf Rag, Little Black Baby (1902), Maple Leaf Rag Song, The Favorite, The Sycamore, The Cascades, The Chrysanthemum (1903), Bethena, Rosebud March, Leola, Binks' Waltz, Eugenia, Sarah Dear (1905), Antoinette, The Ragtime Dance (Rag), Good Bye Old Gal, Good Bye (1907), Lily Queen, Heliotrope Bouquet, Searchlight Rag, Gladiolus Rag, Rose Leaf Rag, Nonpariel, Snoring Sampson, When Your Hair is Like the Snow (1907), Fig Leaf Rag, Sugar Cane, Pine Apple Rag (1908), Wall Street Rag, Solace, Pleasant Moments, Country Club, Euphonic Sounds, Paragon Rag (1909) Stoptime Rag, Pine Apple Rag Song (1910) Felicity Rag (1911) Scott Joplin's New Rag (1912), Kismet Rag, Lovin' Babe (1913), Magnetic Rag, Treemonisha (which includes Frolic of the Bears and A Real Slow Drag (1914), Reflection Rag, Silver Swan Rag (Posthumus).