Fifteen years after
the New England Ragtime Ensemble's initial recording,
Gunther Schuller brought the group back into the studios to perform a well-rounded set of ragtime-oriented music. The ensemble (consisting of up to five brass, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, a string quartet and a four-piece rhythm section) interprets classic ragtime (including "Maple Leaf Rag"), pieces associated with Jim Europe and
Eubie Blake, a bit of 1920s jazz (a couple of
Jelly Roll Morton tunes), novelty ragtime (
Zez Confrey's "Dizzy Fingers") and five much later, "modern" rags. The memorable program concludes with "Castle House Rag," which features a rare ragtime drum solo. Recommended.