Ragtime Skedaddlers

The Ragtime Skedaddlers continue the long tradition of ragtime music played on string instruments, working from original arrangements published during the ragtime era. 

Ragtime has been played on string instruments from its beginnings in the 1890's. Seth Weeks, a black man, became possibly the first to record ragtime on the mandolin in the 1890's. In 1906, the Ossman-DudleyTrio was the first string band to record rags. Immediately after the ragtime era, in the 1920's and 30's, the tradition was carried on mostly by rural groups in the Midwest and south. After that, it languished until being resurrected by Dave Van Ronk's Ragtime Jug Stompers in the early 1960's. In the wake of the ragtime revival of the early 70's. the Etcetera String Band formed to carry on the tradition until its demise in the late 90's.