DESCRIPTION:
This Charles L. Johnson million-selling hit was first published in 1906 by Carl Hoffman of Kansas City, then the rights were bought the following year by the Jerome H. Remick company of Detroit (a deal made by Chas. Daniels, who published Scott Joplin's first rag). It was that republication that became the first million-seller out of Tin Pan Alley, as Remick also had an office in New York City.

The rag was the first to use what's known as "three-over-four", i.e., a repeated three-note figure spread out over groups of four notes, thus a different note is accented each time. This was later used in such rags as "12th Street Rag" and "Black & White Rag".

From left to right are Patrick Aranda, Frederick Hodges, and Tom Brier.

This was the penultimate performance of the "Three Pianos on Fire" set during the 2009 Sutter Creek Ragtime Festival. Tom and Patrick end up turning it into a bit of a cutting contest...

http://www.suttercreekragtime.com