Terry Waldo & the Gotham City Band: Treasury, Volume 2

Like any other handiwork you can name, contemporary jazz did not emerge from a vacuum. It sprang forth from a variety of sources, including but not limited to bebop, cool jazz, swing, trad jazz (Dixieland), blues, stride and perhaps the granddaddy of them all, ragtime. Yes, ragtime. Before there was King Oliver or Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington or Woody Herman, Charlie Parker or Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Peterson or John Coltrane, there was ragtime. And for those who surmise that ragtime died with its godfather, Scott Joplin, in 1917, pianist Terry Waldo and the Gotham City Band have some breaking news: far from being deceased, ragtime today remains very much alive and well—at least in their enthusiastic and capable hands.

Treasury, Volume 2 is the second entry in a three-part anthology devoted to ragtime, a genre wherein Waldo is one of the leading exponents and historians. Not only does Waldo believe that ragtime is viable and relevant today, he practices what he preaches, presenting the music to new and younger audiences through recordings and concert performances with his New York-based Gotham City Band. The core of ragtime lies in its harmonic diversity and rhythmic exuberance, hallmarks that infuse and animate this charming album.

Yes, ragtime is "old-fashioned"—its roots can be traced to the late nineteenth century—but that does not mean it can not be enjoyed on its own terms as much as, say, an extended improvisation by Coltrane or Keith Jarrett. It is not distasteful, simply different. Listening requires an open mind, one to which music of all styles and eras is honest and meaningful. Using that as his compass, Waldo has assembled a series of ragtime favorites, nimbly performed by the band, that are designed to entice and charm the listener's ear. Guest singer Veronica Swift is delightful on the sunny opener, "Guess Who's in Town," as is vocalist Molly Ryan on the cheerful "Get Out and Get Under the Moon."

Elsewhere, banjo, cornet, bass saxophone and clarinet play prominent roles, as does Waldo's piano, on such ragtime classics as "Snake Rag," "Wabash Blues," "The Smiler," "Sweet Sue" and "Original Rags." Banjoist Jerron "Blind Boy" Paxton sings on "Wabash Blues" and "Since My Best Gal Turned Me Down," trombonist Jim Fryer on the closing "Viper Mad." There are vocal duets by Waldo and guitarist Arnt Arntzen on "Smiles," Waldo and bassist Brian Nalepka on "Sweet Sue." Paxton, Waldo and Nalepka make a charming instrumental trio on "The Smiler."

Besides showcasing individual and collective artistry in music that is by no means easy to master, a primary goal of ragtime seems to be having fun while doing so. Waldo and the band reach that target with ease, unwrapping a Treasury of bright and happy music that has withstood surprisingly well the passage of so much time.

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