Henry W. Ragas (January 1, 1891 – February 18, 1919) was a

jazz pianist Jazz piano is a collective term for the techniques pianists use when playing jazz. The piano has been an integral part of the jazz idiom since its inception, in both solo and ensemble settings. Its role is multifaceted due largely to the instru ...

who was a member of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, the first jazz band to record commercially.

Background

Barnyard Blues ODJB Aeolian Vocalion 78 B1205

He played piano with the

Original Dixieland Jass Band The Original Dixieland Jass Band (ODJB) was a Dixieland jazz band that made the first jazz recordings in early 1917. Their " Livery Stable Blues" became the first jazz record ever issued. The group composed and recorded many jazz standards, the ...

on their earliest recording sessions. As such, he is the very first jazz pianist to be recorded (not counting piano rolls), although his contributions are barely audible due to the primitive recording equipment available. His role in the band was to fill out the chords and to provide a bass line. He did not play solos on the recordings. Ragas gained experience as a solo pianist during the period from 1910 to 1913. He traveled with Johnny Stein's band to Chicago in 1916 and left the group to form the Original Dixieland Jazz Band the first jazz group to record. Ragas was on the band's first 21 recordings including "Bluin' the Blues", which he composed. He also wrote "Lazy Daddy", "

Dixieland Jass Band One-Step "Dixieland Jazz Band One-Step" also known as "Dixie Jass Band One-Step" and "Original Dixieland One-Step" is a 1917 jazz composition by the Original Dixieland Jass Band released as an instrumental as a Victor 78. The song is a jazz milestone as the ...

", " Clarinet Marmalade Blues", and " Reisenweber Rag". He played on many Original Dixieland Jass Band classics and standards such as " Livery Stable Blues", regarded as the first jazz recording, "Tiger Rag", one of the most recorded songs in jazz history, " Clarinet Marmalade", "Fidgety Feet", " At the Jazz Band Ball", "

Sensation Rag "Sensation Rag" or "Sensation" is a 1918 jazz instrumental by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band. It is one of the earliest jazz recordings. It is not related to Joseph Lamb (composer), Joseph Lamb's 1908 "Sensation Rag", which is a ragtime piano ...

", "Bluin' the Blues", and "

". He died in the

Spanish flu pandemic The 1918–1920 influenza pandemic, commonly known by the misnomer Spanish flu or as the Great Influenza epidemic, was an exceptionally deadly global influenza pandemic caused by the H1N1 influenza A virus. The earliest documented case was ...

of 1919. He was replaced by

J. Russel Robinson Joseph Russel Robinson (July 8, 1892 – September 30, 1963) was an American ragtime, dixieland, and blues pianist and composer who was a member of the Original Dixieland Jass Band. Career Robinson was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. In his teen ...

Grammy Hall of Fame

Darktown Strutters' Ball "Darktown Strutters' Ball" is a popular song by Shelton Brooks, published in 1917. The song has been recorded many times and is considered a popular and jazz standard. There are many variations of the title, including "At the Darktown Strutters' ...

" (1917) by Original Dixieland Jass Band was inducted into the

Grammy Hall of Fame The Grammy Hall of Fame is a hall of fame to honor musical recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance. Inductees are selected annually by a special member committee of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of ...

in 2006

References

External links

U.S. Library of Congress, National Jukebox, featuring original ODJB recordings on Victor.
* Wilbur Sweatman's Original Jazz Band's recording of Henry Ragas' compositio
"Bluin' the Blues"
(December 5, 1918) at the Internet Archive. {{DEFAULTSORT:Ragas, Henry 1891 births 1919 deaths 19th-century American pianists 20th-century American pianists American jazz pianists American male pianists Deaths from the Spanish flu pandemic in New York (state) Jazz musicians from New Orleans Original Dixieland Jass Band members 20th-century American male musicians 19th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians