Temptation Rag by Elizabeth Hutchison Bernard

Temptation Rag is the story of the people who brought Ragtime to the mainstream, fueled its epic rise, and for a while glided on the coattails of faddism until the next big thing came along--Jazz.

It is the story of racism and Anti-semitism, the quest for fame and the fickleness of the public, the entertainment industry's birth, and the growing power of women over the early 20th c.

In the Gay Nineties, no one knew how big Ragtime would become, how Tin Pan Alley would be filled with white songwriters cashing in, appropriating African Americans' music that sprang right out of the rhythms of Africa.

Southern and white, Ben Harney was credited as the originator of Ragtime. Tom Strong gave Ben his talisman ring; soon afterward Ben saw Tom hanging from a tree. Ben took the sounds he heard and brought them to Tony Pastor's New York City vaudeville house where respectable white audiences soon embraced this new sound.

"Said I was the only whitey he ever knew who could play music to stir a black man's soul." ~from Temptation Rag

When classically trained, nineteen-year-old pianist Mike Bernard was hired as Pastor's music director and heard Harney perform he imitated his sound and perfected it, his fame eventually outshining Harney.

Mike always wanted Harney's ring. Sure, he was the Ragtime King, but he knew he copied from Harney. Mike wanted everything Ben had--his girl, his career, his fame, and that ring.

Readers met the forgotten stars of a hundred years ago, like Will Marion Cook, a classically trained black violinist. "No black man ever got what he got on account of luck," Cook tells Strap who is hoping to ride Harney's coattails to fame. J. Rosamond Johnson's African American operas caused rioting in the streets. Mentioned are the early sheet music publishers like E. T. Paull and Waterson, Berlin, and Snyder (Yes, THAT Berlin--Irving). Scott Joplin, today famous, was only known by a few musicians as the  authentic 'real deal.'

Then there are the women who loved these men, who were betrayed by these men. The wealthy May who loved and lost Mike and went on to become a suffragette and to challenge racism. The Ziegfield star Dolly who slept her way to the top. The long-suffering and loyal Jessie.

Elizabeth Hutchison Bernard has written a terrific read in terms of plot and characters that also incorporates the great American themes of class, race, and the fleeting nature of fame.

And if you love music, it's a must-read.

"...the first thing you need is a good, strong, left hand. That's important, 'cause the bass is what draws the listener in, makes him feel that powerful rhythm all the way down in his bones."..."The Melody accents fall between the beats" ~from Temptation Rag

I purchased an ebook.

Temptation Rag
by Elizabeth Hutchison Bernard
Publisher: Belle Epoque Publishing (December 3, 2018)
Publication Date: December 3, 2018
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B07HYJMTXX