String Ragtime - To Do This You Got To Know How (1974)

1. Sweet Georgia Brown - Jim & Bob (The Genial Hawaiians)
2. Somethin' Doin' - Nap Hayes & Matthew Prater
3. Arizona Stomp - East Texas Serenaders
4. Banjo Rag - Chauncey C. Lee
5. Spaghetti Rag - Robert Maxwell
6. Cotton Patch Rag - John Dilleshaw & the String Marvel
7. To Do This You Got To Know How - Lonnie Johnson
8. Mandolin Blues - Dave Apollon
9. Russian Rag - Dave Apollon
10. E Rag - Walker's Corbin Ramblers
11. Banjo Rag - Herald Goodman and his Tennessee Valley Boys
12. Persian Lamp Rag - Bob Roberts
13. State St. Rag - Louie Bluie & Ted Bogan
14. Dallas Rag - Dallas String Band

In 1974, the Yazoo label put out this superb compilation, apparently in an attempt to be viewed as something other than just a pure country blues label. The theme here was "ragtime," but as the character known as "promotion director" in the liner notes' mock interview puts it, "Look, it's all just semantics." Yes, the word "ragtime" is in practically every title, but the overall impression left by this collection of 14 tracks by different artists is of an overwhelming mix of styles in which the only common factors are extreme creativity, technical prowess, and the use of stringed instruments. Even in the latter regard it is an unusual collection, as it includes one of the only recordings of ragtime ever made on the harp, Robert Maxwell's "Spaghetti Rag." There is also "Sweet Georgia Brown" played Hawaiian style on slide ukuleles, a track by influential old-time string band leader John Dilleshaw, a performance of "Russian Rag" by Dave Appolon that utilizes a quote from Rachmaninoff, a mandolin arrangement based on some Scott Joplin themes -- and a whole lot more. This is an album that simply bubbles over with ideas and inspiration. The themes the artists start with are difficult enough, yet on practically every track the actual performances go way beyond even that, turning the challenging music into personal statements ranging from hilariously kooky to extremely moving. An excellent job has been done on the selection and sequencing -- it can truly be said that there are no flabby moments. Only Lonnie Johnson, who contributes a stunning performance of the album's title track, is a performer whose name is fairly well-known in blues circles. The listener will no doubt be inspired into trying to locate other material by these somewhat more obscure performers -- not always an easy task, but worthwhile. Yazoo could have provided more information about these artists, not only for further research but for the sake of enjoying the album itself. The bogus conversation that takes up the entire back cover does include a few snippets of information about the performers, but is also packed with in-jokes and asides that only people who work for the company would probably enjoy, as well as some truly stupid remarks. "It's not as old-fashioned as you think," the promotion director says about this music and the Yazoo line in general, "We have the far-out cartoonist Robert Crumb on our sister label...doing the same kind of material." Crumb would be the first to describe this music as old-fashioned; in fact, with him that was the whole point -- escaping the noxious reality of modern music. For the sake of this nonsense, instrumental and writing credits were apparently sacrificed. ---Eugene Chadbourne, Rovi

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