Scott Joplin (c. 1867/68 - April 1, 1917) was an African-American composer and pianist, who came to be known as the "King of Ragtime Writers". Joplin was born in to a family of railroad laborers in Texas, but got as much musical knowledge as he could from local teachers, and ended up  forming a vocal quartet, and teaching mandolin and guitar. He later left for the south to work as a itinerant musician, and eventually found his way up  to Chicago for the World's Fair of 1893, which contributed towards the ragtime craze. He moved to St. Louis for a time, where he composed many works, and then moved to New York City in search of a producer for his opera Treemonisha.

Wall Street Rag, which he wrote in 1909, is unlike most of his other works; it's based on a real event –– the Panic of 1907, where the New York Stock Exchange took a significant dive. Joplin included notes in this composition, beginning with "panic in Wall Street, brokers feeling melancholy." Things on Wall Street start getting better when you hear the bass line move in octaves, and by the end of the work, all the worries about finances are over. It's a classic rag, complete with syncopated rhythms and a rigid structure. It's interesting to note that Joplin indicated that this rag be slower than many of his others, which might be quite a change if you're used to hearing more famous works of his, like the Entertainer, or Maple Leaf Rag. Regardless of its tempo though, it's a great example of ragtime.

Here's a recording of this fun work for you to enjoy:

Richard Dowling