David Thomas Roberts (born January 16, 1955) is an American composer and musician, known primarily as a modern ragtime composer. Roberts is also a painter in a primitivist style. Born in Moss Point, Mississippi, United States, his first recording, "Music For a Pretty Baby", appeared in 1978. Pieces such as "The Early Life of Larry Hoffer", "Roberto Clemente", "Pinelands Memoir", "Through the Bottomlands", and the suite, "New Orleans Streets" have caused Roberts to be considered one of the leading contemporary ragtime-based composers. The New Orleans historian Al Rose called him "the most important composer of this half of the century in America." Roberts coined the term "Terra Verde" (meaning "green earth") as a label for compositions which can not be considered as conventional ragtime, mostly by contemporary ragtime writers such as himself, Frank French, Scott Kirby, Hal Isbitz and others. Roberts also works as a writer and visual artist, and is currently writing a critical history of New Ragtime. His mixed-media art appears in the magazine of visionary art, ''Raw Vision'', and his poetry has been anthologized in ''Another South'', a collection of experimental writing published in 2003 by the University of Alabama Press.

Selected discography

From ''Discovery'' (2005)

(All original compositions, except where noted.) # Discovery (2004) # Charbonneau (2000) (Kirby) # Mariana's Waltz (2003) # Ice Floes in Eden (1986) (Budd) # Memories of a Missouri Confederate (1989) # Fantasy in D (2000–01) # Chorale-Prelude (1989) # Chorale No. 2 (1990) # Frederic and the Coast (1979) # Cynthia (2003–04) # Babe of the Mountains (1997–98) # Nancy's Library (2004–05)

From ''American Landscapes'' (1998)

(All original compositions, except the track "Dixon.") # Pinelands Memoir (1978) # The Girl Who Moved Away (1981–82) # Back to Marion County (1981) # Through the Bottomlands (1980) # Muscatine (1979) # Kreole (1978) # Dixon (1983) # The Girl On the Other Side (1979) # Franklin Avenue (1981–85) # Fontainebleau Drive (1981–85) # Napoleon Avenue (1981–85) # Madison Heights Girl (1979) # Anna (1978) # Roberto Clemente (1979) # For Kansas City (1980)

From ''Early Tangoes to New Ragtime'' (1994)

(Mostly compositions by others. Roberts' compositions include ''For Molly Kaufman, Memories of a Missouri Confederate,'' and ''The Queen of North Missouri.'') # Odeon # Matuto # Rapid Transit # Bee Hive Rag # The Naked Dance # For Molly Kaufmann # The Show-me Rag # The Nonpareil # Mississippi River Boulevard # Show Fly # Memories of a Missouri Confederate # Belle of Louisville # Morelia # Esta' Chumbado # Escovado # The Big Man # Mississippi Soul # The Queen of North Missouri # Ravenna

From ''Scott Joplin the Complete Piano Music, Vol. 1''

(All compositions by Scott Joplin.) # Original Rags # Leola # Pleasant Moments # Peacherine Rag # Sunflower Slow Drag # Maple Leaf Rag # Weeping Willow (rag), Weeping Willow # Bink's Waltz # Elite Syncopations # The Favorite # Swipesy # Antoinette # The Nonpareil # Gladiolus Rag # The Easy Winners

From ''15 Ragtime Compositions''

(All original compositions by Roberts.) # Waterloo Girls # Camille # Kreole # Frederic and the Coast # Madison Heights Girl # Poplarville # Through the Bottomlands # Pinelands Memoir # For Kansas City # The Girl Who Moved Away # Mississippi Brown Eyes # The Early Life of Larry Hoffer # The South Mississippi Glide # Roberto Clemente # Maria Antonieta Pons

From ''New Orleans Streets''

(All original compositions by Roberts.) # Introduction # Decatur Street # Burgundy Street # Franklin Avenue # Jackson Avenue # Waltz # Napoleon Avenue # Magazine Street # Toulouse Street # Annunciation Street # Broad Avenue # Interlude # Fontainbleau Drive # Revenge # Farewell

From ''New Orleans Ragtime Piano''

(Roberts plays compositions by others.) # Pretty Baby # Kansas City Stomps # Mamanita # Fat Frances # Honky Tonk Music # Stratford Hunch # The Pearls # Tom Cat Blues # Mr. Jelly Lord # New Orleans Joys # The Naked Dance # Sponge

From ''Folk Ragtime: 1899-1914''

(Roberts plays compositions by others.) # Blue Blazes # Tennessee Tantalizer (a Southern Tickler) # A Tennessee Jubilee # Tickled to Death # Poison Rag # Scizzor Bill # The Dockstader Rag # Camp Meeting Melodies # John William Boone, Blind Boone's Southern Rag Medley No.2 (strains From Flat Branch) # Felix Rag (a Phenomenal Double Ragtime Two Step) # The Pirate Rag # Medic Rag # Just Ask Me # Why We Smile # Cotton Bolls # Possum and 'Taters (A Ragtime Feast) # The Black Cat Rag # X.L. Rag # A Barn Dance Shuffle # Whittling Remus # Lover's Lane Glide

Other David Thomas Roberts compositions / recordings

* ''To Nita'' and ''Raul Casso in Laredo'' appear on the CD ''Terra Verde''. * ''For Robin Holtz Williams'' appears on the album ''Frontiers''.

References

External links

Roberts' websiteThe Terra Verde CornerInterview on NPR
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roberts, David Thomas 1955 births 20th-century American composers 20th-century classical composers 21st-century American composers 21st-century classical composers American classical composers American classical musicians American male classical composers Living people Ragtime composers 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians