Ragtime Piano Solo 'Red Onion Rag' by ROY SPANGLER (1911)

" Red Onion Rag " (1911) Roy Spangler
composed by Holzmann

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Music

Tags:

• ragtime
• piano
• solo
• red
• onion
• rag
• roy
• spangler
• holzmann
• scott
• joplin
• the
• entertainer
• maple
• leaf
• joseph
• lamb

[KawhackitaRag]

If you would like to see and hear Abe Olman (the composer of this rag) play the piano, check out the interview with him posted on adamgwanson's Youtube channel. This interview was conducted by Ian Whitcomb, and although unfortunately Mr. Olman does not play any of his rags, he does play and sing several of his song hits and also plays part of his early intermezzo "Moon Face" which is related to ragtime.

[KawhackitaRag]

Further on this subject, I recently had an opportunity to listen to Mr. Spangler's super-rare (only two copies known to exist at present) recording of "Medley of Ted Snyder's Hits" also released on the Rex label like Mr. Spangler's other recordings, and probably also dating from around 1913 or so.

In this medley (which I hope to post as soon as I can get a good dub and permission from the record owner), he takes great liberties with tunes like "In My Harem" and "...Midnight Choo-Choo..."!!!

[KawhackitaRag]

@KawhackitaRag Having closely studied this recording (although I have not yet transcribed it note-for-note), I would like to officially redact my statement that Mr. Spangler "played rags very close to as-written". While he certainly does not take a great deal of liberties with the melody of this particular tune, he still adds things all over the place and does NOT play it the way it was published! If you don't believe me, get a copy of the score from an online university site and follow along!

[KawhackitaRag]

Do you have Spangler's recording of "Cannon Ball Rag" and if so, can you post it?

[KawhackitaRag]

I should add that this rag was published in 1912, and the sheet music can be printed out for free from several online sheet music sites, if anyone wants to try it.

It is not the same "Red Onion Rag" as the one by Steventon and Kidwell that I posted on my page. There are at least two or three rags with that name.

[KawhackitaRag]

Thanks for posting this great recording!

This rag was not composed by Abe Holzmann, the well-known cakewalk and march composer, but rather by Abe Olman (who passed away in 1984 having lived a very long time).

Mr. Spangler was also a ragtime composer who made two or three other recordings, but not of his own compositions, unfortunately. However, his recordings are very interesting, since they appear to indicate that he played rags very close to as-written. This was unusual for the era.