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Born on February 12, 1885 in Neosho, Missouri to former slaves, James Scott would soon go down to be known as one of the three “Kings of Ragtime“ alongside Scott Joplin & Joseph F. Lamb. In 1901 his family moved to Carthage, Missouri, where he attended Lincoln High School. In 1902 he began working at the music store of Charles L. Dumars, first washing windows, then demonstrating music at the piano as a song plugger, including his own pieces. Demand for his music convinced Dumars to print the first of Scott's published compositions, “A Summer Breeze - March and Two Step“, in 1903 and later on in 1904, two more compositions by Scott, “Fascinator March“ and “On the Pike March.“ Despite the pieces being published and sellling well, they unfortunatley not enough to keep Dumars in business and soon the company ceased publishing. However, this wasn't the end of Scott's musical career. Ragtime Historians Rudi Blesh and Harriet Janis recount that Scott went to St. Louis, Missouri in search of his idol Scott Joplin in 1905. Upon locating Joplin and asking if he would listen to one of his ragtime compositions, Joplin had introduced him to his own publisher afterwards, John Stillwell Stark, and recommended he publish the work. Stark published the rag a year later as “Frog Legs Rag“, quickly becoming a hit and had become second in sales in the Stark catalogue only to that of Joplin's own “Maple Leaf Rag“. And from that point on, Scott began his musical career as a composer & pianist, becoming a regular contributor to the Stark catalogue until 1922. In 1914 Scott moved to Kansas City, Missouri, where he married Nora Johnson, taught music, and accompanied silent movies as an organist and arranger at the Panama Theater. Those that knew him recall that theater work was a large part of his daily activity. His cousin Patsy Thomas remembers, “Everybody called him 'Little Professor'. He always walked rapidly, looking at the ground - would pass you on the street and never see you - seemed always deep in thought.“ In the last years of his life, Scott busied himself with teaching, composing and leading an eight-piece band that played for various beer parks and movie theaters in the area. With the arrival of sound movies however, his fortunes declined. He had lost his theater work, his wife died without any children, and his health had only deteriorated. Later moving in with his cousin Ruth Callahan in Kansas City, Kansas, he continued to compose and play piano, even though he was suffering from chronic dropsy. And on August 30, 1938, Scott died at Douglas Hospital at the age 52 and was peacefully laid to rest beside his wife in the Westlawn Cemetery, Missouri. In 1980, Scott had himself a wonderful granite tombstone erected on the behalf of the James Scott Memorial Society, and there rests the very words that hold true to this day. “The grace and beauty of his music will live always.“ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *Timestamps:* 0:00:00 - A Summer Breeze - March & Two Step (1903) 0:03:25 - The Fascinator - March & Two Step (1903) 0:06:53 - On the Pike - March-Two Step (1904) 0:09:47 - Frog Legs Rag (1906) 0:12:44 - Kansas City Rag (1907) 0:15:32 - Grace & Beauty (1909) 0:18:46 - Great Scott Rag (1909) 0:21:43 - The Ragtime Betty (1909) 0:25:00 - Sunburst Rag (1909) 0:27:56 - Valse Venice (1909) 0:31:15 - Hearts Longing (1909) 0:36:59 - She's My Girl From Anaconda (1909) [Lyrics by C. R. Dumars] 0:38:37 - Sweetheart Time (1909) [Lyrics by C. R. Dumars.] 0:40:40 - Hilarity Rag (1910) 0:43:35 - Ophelia Rag (1910) 0:46:04 - Princess Rag (1911) 0:48:54 - Quality - A High Class Rag (1911) 0:51:44 - Ragtime Oriole (1911) 0:55:09 - Climax Rag (1914) 0:58:07 - The Suffragette Waltz (1914) 1:02:00 - Take Me Out to Lakeside (1914) [Lyrics by Ida Miller] 1:04:10 - Evergreen Rag (1915) 1:06:53 - Honey Moon Rag (1916) 1:10:16 - Prosperity Rag (1916) 1:13:41 - Efficiency Rag (1917) 1:17:01 - Paramount Rag (1917) 1:20:11 - Dixie Dimples (1918) 1:23:25 - Rag Sentimental (1918) 1:27:20 - Springtime of Love (1918) 1:31:58 - New Era Rag - Dance (1919) 1:34:42 - Peace & Plenty Rag (1919) 1:37:57 - Troubadour Rag (1919) 1:41:59 - Modesty Rag (1920) 1:45:31 - Pegasus (1920) 1:48:24 - The Shimmie Shake (1920) [Lyrics by Cleota Wilson] 1:50:55 - Don't Jazz Me - Rag (I'm Music) (1921) 1:54:56 - Victory Rag (1921) 1:58:21 - Broadway Rag (1922) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Music composed by James S. Scott & performed by Guido Nielsen with his album “James Scott: The Complete Works (Rags, Waltzes & Songs).“ ℗ 2000 Basta Audio-Visuals Producer: Piet Schreuders Music Publisher: Basta Music Performer: Guido Nielsen This video is solely for the purposes of compiling and sharing the music of James S. Scott and in no way or means is being used for monetary purposes.
