• Home
  • About Vi
    • Bio
      • Short Bio
      • Full Bio
    • Resume
    • Testimonials
    • Fiddle Lessons
    • Workshops
  • Projects
    • Fritto Misto
    • The Band
    • Fiddle Whamdiddle
    • String Theory Project
    • New Tune Challenge
  • Blog
    • Fiddle Tune a Day
    • Quick Tip of The Week
    • Videos
    • Workshops
  • Shop
    • Albums
    • Singles
    • Digital Downloads
      • Armadillo On a Hot Tin Roof
      • Fiddle Tune a Day
      • I’d Love to Live in Loveland – Digital Download
      • Long Time Comin’
      • Old School Old Time
      • Someone Like You
      • ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas
    • Books
    • Sheet Music
    • Tickets
    • Violins
  • Calendar
  • Contact
    • YouTube
    • Facebook
    • Linkedin
    • Twitter

Vi Wickam

Champion Fiddler, Inspired Performer

You are here: Home / Fiddling / Fiddle Tune a Day / Black and White Rag – Fiddle Tune a Day – Day 25

January 25, 2012

Black and White Rag – Fiddle Tune a Day – Day 25

When I first learned Black and White Rag, it was off of the 4 World Champion Fiddlers album that featured Jim “Texas Shorty” Chancellor, Mark O’Connor, Terry Morris, and Benny Thomas. Terry was the one that played Black and White, and I still think love the endings he put on the A Part (2 of the endings I play on this tune were more or less copied from his version.) I played this tune quite a bit in my contest rounds back when I was still in high school, and it usually served me well. I knew that it was a piano tune originally, but up until today I was under the impression that it was a Scott Joplin tune.

I have learned lots of cool things already doing the fiddle tune a day about the history of these tunes, and it turns out the Black and White Rag was written by George Botsford and made famous by a lady by the name of Winifred Atwell. And, at some point it became one of the most popular rags played by contest fiddlers.

 

The History of Black and White Rag according to Wikipedia

Black and White Rag is a 1908 ragtime composition by George Botsford.

The first known recording of this piece was by Albert Benzler, recorded on Lakeside/U.S.Everlasting Cylinder #380 in June 1911. This recording is somewhat rare (Lakeside/U.S.Everlasting cylinders, though molded celluloid on a wax/fiber core, were made in small batches), and significant. Edison featured the Black & White Rag on one of his Early Diamond Disc Records (50116)from 1913 played by a Brass Orchestra.

One of the best known versions of this piece of music was recorded in 1952 by pianist Winifred Atwell, and helped her to establish an international profile. Originally the B-side of another composition, Cross Hands Boogie, Black and White Rag was championed by the popular disc jockey Jack Jackson, and started a craze for Atwell’s honky-tonk style of playing. The recording became a million selling gold record, and in the UK was later used as the theme tune for the long-running BBC2 television snooker tournament, Pot Black.

Black and White Rag was also later arranged for use as the music in the original 1985 BBC Computer game, Repton, and some of its sequels.

The tune has also become a fiddle standard with recordings by musicians such as Johnny Gimble and Bennie Thomasson.

Article by Vi Wickam / Fiddle Tune a Day, Fiddling, Videos / album, benny thomas, black, black and white, black and white rag, Champion, contest, Day, Disc, fiddle, fiddle tune, Fiddlers, george botsford, honky tonk, love, mark o, mark o connor, Music, recording, scott joplin tune, Shorty, thomas terry, tune, White, winifred atwell, world champion 6 Comments

online fiddle lessons

Featured Products

  • Vi "The Fiddler" Wickam CD - Long Time Comin' Long Time Comin' - CD/Digital Download COMBO $27.00 $20.00
  • Fast Fiddle Fitness Violin eBook Fast Fiddle Fitness - Violin Book $19.95
  • Old School Old Time Book - Fiddle Whamdiddle Old School Old Time - Book/eBook Combo $59.90 $44.95
  • Fiddle Tune a Day Logo Fiddle Tune a Day Audio (Full) - Download $99.00
  • Old School Old Time Book - Fiddle Whamdiddle Old School Old Time - Book/CD Combo $49.95 $44.95

Comments

  1. Danny Ellison says

    May 13, 2013 at 4:08 pm

    That was fantastic!

    Reply
    • Vi Wickam says

      May 21, 2013 at 6:50 pm

      Thanks, Danny!

      Reply
  2. Anders Schilling says

    August 10, 2013 at 1:06 pm

    Hi, hi, hi!

    Reply
  3. Vi Wickam says

    August 19, 2013 at 8:56 pm

    Hey, Hey, Hey!

    Reply
  4. Joyce Martin says

    December 1, 2014 at 2:38 pm

    WOW!

    Reply
  5. Michael Friedman says

    March 20, 2016 at 11:09 am

    Wonderful song and fantastic musical performance !

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Swinging at the Savoy

Get Swinging at the Savoy NOW.

Cart

Keep Up with Vi

    (Fiddle Tune a Day and Quick Tip Subscribers will also get periodic blog updates)
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Categories

  • Colorado Music (28)
  • Fiddling (676)
    • Contests (13)
    • Fiddle Tune a Day (367)
    • Free Fiddle Lessons (15)
    • Musician's Round Table (8)
    • New Tune Challenge (21)
    • Workshops (52)
  • Music (144)
  • Musings (13)
  • Videos (609)
    • eGreetings (4)
    • Quick Tips (124)

Popular Posts

  • Fiddle Tune a Day
  • The Difference between a Violin and a Fiddle
  • How to Put on a Fiddle Contest Successfully
  • Play any Song You’ve Ever Heard
  • Binaural Beats Music Technology of the Future
  • Home
  • About Vi
  • Projects
  • Blog
  • Shop
  • Calendar
  • Contact

Copyright © 2023 Vi "The Fiddler" Wickam | Genesis Website by Wickam Group, LLC