Glenn Jenks (February 9, 1947 – January 21, 2016) was an American

ragtime Ragtime, also spelled rag-time or rag time, is a musical style that had its peak from the 1890s to 1910s. Its cardinal trait is its Syncopation, syncopated or "ragged" rhythm. Ragtime was popularized during the early 20th century by composers ...

pianist,

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

and

music historian Music history, sometimes called historical musicology, is a highly diverse subfield of the broader discipline of musicology that studies music from a historical point of view. In theory, "music history" could refer to the study of the history of ...

Career and life

Jenks was a "prolific ragtime composer, teacher and performer from Maine who fused traditional ragtime with classical music themes". He attended the

New England Conservatory The New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) is a Private college, private music school in Boston, Massachusetts. The conservatory is located on Huntington Avenue along Avenue of the Arts (Boston), the Avenue of the Arts near Boston Symphony Ha ...

before going on to receive a degree in music from

Earlham College Earlham College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Richmond, Indiana. The college was established in 1847 by the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) and has a strong focus on Quake ...

, graduating Phi Beta Kappa. Jenks toured with singer-songwriter

Jud Strunk Justin Roderick Strunk Jr. (June 11, 1936 – October 5, 1981), better known as Jud Strunk, was an American singer-songwriter and comedian. Biography Early years Born in Jamestown, New York, United States, he was raised in Buffalo, New York ...

between 1975 and 1978. He also performed with such acts as Manhattan Transfer,

Dick Hyman Richard Hyman (born March 8, 1927) is an American jazz pianist and composer. Over a 70-year career, he has worked as a pianist, organist, arranger, music director, electronic musician, and composer. He was named a National Endowment for the Arts ...

Gordon Bok Gordon Bok (born October 31, 1939) is an American folklorist and singer-songwriter, who grew up in Camden, Maine and is associated with music from New England. Career Bok's first album, self-titled, was produced by Noel Paul Stookey (Paul of ...

Doc Watson Arthel Lane "Doc" Watson (March 3, 1923 – May 29, 2012) was an American guitarist, songwriter, and singer of bluegrass, folk, country, blues, and gospel music. He won seven Grammy awards as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. His ...

and

Andy Williams Howard Andrew Williams (December 3, 1927 – September 25, 2012) was an American singer. He recorded 43 albums in his career, of which 15 have been gold certified and three platinum certified. He was also nominated for six Grammy Awards. He hos ...

. In 1978, Jenks began his solo performing career and in 1979 released his first album entitled ''Antidote'' on the Bonnie Banks record label. Throughout the 1980s, Jenks served as pianist for the New England Vaudeville Review, the New Vaudeville Revival, and husband and wife dance duo

Tony Tony may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tony the Tiger, cartoon mascot for Frosted Flakes cereal * Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer * ...

and Karen Montanaro. Jenks was an original founding member of numerous ragtime festivals and between 1989 and 2000 he produced the Harvest Ragtime Revue in

Camden, Maine Camden is a town in Knox County, Maine, United States. The population was 5,232 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. The population of the town more than triples during the summer months, due to tourists and summer residents. Camden is ...

. Jenks was a noted

ornithologist Ornithology, from Ancient Greek ὄρνις (''órnis''), meaning "bird", and -logy from λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study", is a branch of zoology dedicated to the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related discip ...

and botany specialist on roses who conducted tours of gardens throughout the Camden area. He founded the annual Rose Day celebration at the Merryspring Nature Center. Jenks was commissioned by Down East Singers to compose ''Heaven and Earth are Full of Thy Glory'' for their concert tour of Russia. His ''String Quartet in Ragtime'' has been recorded and performed by several string quartets including the Laurentian Quartet, Vancadium Quartet and the Halcyon Quartet. Jenks died on January 21, 2016, in Portland, Maine.

Legacy

In 2019, the Glenn Jenks Ragtime Revue premiered at the Camden Opera House in

. The Revue revived a tradition that Jenks started 30 years prior which brought nationally-known artists together in "song, dance, humor and ragtime." The Revue has presented awards to various ragtime performers including

Sue Keller Sue Keller (born July 7, 1952 in Allentown, Pennsylvania) is an American ragtime pianist and singer, who has released several albums. As a child, she had flute and singing lessons, and also played guitar. She attended DePauw University. She pla ...

Edward A. Berlin Edward A. Berlin (born June 26, 1936) is an American author and musicologist, known for his research, writings, and presentations on ragtime and the composer Scott Joplin. He has written three books on these topics, and has also written and spoke ...

and

Max Morath Max Edward Morath (October 1, 1926 – June 19, 2023) was an American ragtime pianist, composer, actor, and author. He was best known for his piano playing and is referred to as "Mr. Ragtime". He was a touring performer as well as being various ...

. It also sponsors the "Glenn Jenks Future in Music Prize" in association with the

Bay Chamber Concerts {{Use mdy dates, date=April 2025 Bay Chamber Concerts is a non-profit organization located in downtown Rockport, Maine. Bay Chamber Concerts plays a principal role in bringing music, particularly classical music, to the Mid Coast area. During th ...

and Music School in

Rockport, Maine Rockport is a town in Knox County, Maine, United States. It is 35 miles (56.3 km) southeast of Augusta. The population was 3,644 at the 2020 census. Rockport is a popular tourist destination and art colony. History Rockport, or "the River ...

. In 2020, a collection of Jenk’s complete rags for piano was released. In May 2024, American pianist Corte Swearingen released the album ''The Complete Ragtime Works for Piano by Glenn Jenks - Vol. 1''. The Scott Joplin International Ragtime Festival in

Sedalia, Missouri Sedalia is a city located approximately south of the Missouri River and, as the county seat of Pettis County, Missouri, Pettis County, Missouri, United States, it is the principal city of the Sedalia Micropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 ...

posthumously awarded Jenks their 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award.

Discography

Music publications

* Jenks, Glenn (1993). ''A Garden of Ragtime'', Squanlake Music. 68 pages. *Jenks, Glenn (2020). ''The Complete Ragtime Works For Piano by Glenn Jenks''. 265 pages.

References

External links

*
Maine Public Radio: An Exploration of Ragtime - Glenn Jenks

List of Piano Compositions

Glenn Jenks
at YouTube {{DEFAULTSORT:Jenks, Glenn 1947 births American male classical composers American classical composers Ragtime composers People from Camden, Maine Musicians from Maine Boston Conservatory at Berklee alumni Earlham College alumni American music historians 2016 deaths