The “Black and White Rag” is a 1908 ragtime composition by George Botsford. The song was recorded widely for both the phonograph and player piano, and was the third ragtime composition to sell over one million copies of sheet music. The song was first recorded in 1909, as performed by the Victor orchestra for a Victor disc release. The first known cylinder recording of this piece was by Albert Benzler, recorded on Lakeside/U.S.Everlasting Cylinder in June 1911. This recording is somewhat rare (Lakeside/U.S.Everlasting cylinders, though moulded celluloid on a wax/fiber core, were made in small batches). Edison featured the “Black and White Rag” on one of his Early Diamond Disc Records from 1913 played by a Brass Orchestra.
Ragtime, a uniquely American, syncopated musical phenomenon, has been a strong presence in musical composition, entertainment, and scholarship for over a century. It emerged in its published form during the mid-1890s and quickly spread across the continent via published compositions.
Pianist Wally Rose revitalized interest in the song with his 1941 recording, leading to one of the best-known versions: a 1952 recording by Trinidadian pianist Winifred Atwell, which helped her to establish an international profile. she was a versatile pianist, idolised by the British public in the 1950s, before the top fifty, record sales charts were compiled. An accomplished and versatile pianist who eventually emigrated to Australia, she leaves behind, a treasure trove of sheet music successes. 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.
Winifred Atwell is perhaps best known for her recording of Black and white rag, but she was a versatile pianist, idolised by the British public in the 1950s, before the top fifty, record sales charts were compiled. An accomplished and versatile pianist from Trinidad who eventually emigrated to Australia, she leaves behind, a treasure trove of sheet music successes.
The recording became a million selling gold record, and in the United Kingdom 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 1985 BBC Computer game Repton and some of its sequels. The piece has also become a fiddle standard with recordings by musicians such as Johnny Gimble and Benny Thomasson.
