Ragwagon
Damning the torpedoes, Ragwagon forges ever forward in it's quest for Folk 'n Roll Nirvana, with Hargus Piano, Piedmont 12-String, Torchy Jug Jazz, Skiffle Swin
2
songs
952
plays
Sadie, Dan, & Ida Sadie, Dan, & Ida
The ongoing saga of Sadie Green and Friends. Retold exactly the way we heard it in 1903 from 12-String O'Keefe, who was notoriously unreliable.
Ukulele Ragtime Blues Ukulele Ragtime Blues
Amy Hanish Anderson, Gil 'Hambone' Hager, Handsome John Garrick, Dave Anderson, Bob 'The Kid' Colonna, and Lonesome Red Riley
----------Old-time Folk 'n Roll! --------
Hargus Piano, Piedmont 12-String, Torchy Jug Jazz, and Damn Fine Songwriting from the band that really ought to be old enough to know better.
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Damning the torpedoes and flying in the face of conventional wisdom, Ragwagon forges forward in it's quest for Old Time Folk 'n Roll Nirvana. We've saved you a seat, climb on board.
Y'look good today. You really do.
From The Ragwagon,
Red Riley
Red@Ragwagon.comBand/artist history
THE EARLY YEARS
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Amy Hanish Anderson dropped out of the Rhode Island School of Design shortly after The Summer of Love, creating cosmic space for her momentous meeting with Ragtime and Blues enthusiasts "D. Douglas" Red Riley and Gilby Hager. Riley declared her a singularly gifted singer and Hager heartily agreed. Shortly thereafter, the three hooked up with fledgling violinist Diane Orson and stride-piano maniac Handsome John Garrick and the Ragwagon Band was born.
Ragwagon became known for their musically adept, enthusiastic, free-wheeling shows and soon found themselves in demand on the New England folk club and coffeehouse circuit. Fondly remembered gigs include Salt in Newport, RI, an extended run at Cape Cod's Beachcomber Inn, and regular visits to the infamous Jolly Beggar Saloon in Mystic, Connecticut, a venue Red now grudgingly admits Diane was far too young to patronize.
The mid '70s brought important changes as Diane moved on to college, and John was given the opportunity to further his promising acting career.
Gilby, Amy, & Red, performing with bass player Gary Macdonald, developed a tight blend of ragtime jug band music, blues, folk rock and country while turning themselves into veteran performers, clearly at home with an audience and each other. A favorite audience quote: "We loved going to see you at The Jolly Beggar, you seemed to have such a good time performing that we'd catch your mood and always leave smiling.."
Toward the end of the decade, with Gil feeling the need to continue his education, and both Amy and Red developing a strong interest in theater, Ragwagon decided on a short break from performing to pursue these and other interests. It was mutually agreed that this step would enable each individual to develop as an artist, and bring back to the group influences that would make the total Ragwagon experience more enjoyable for all concerned.
This short break lasted approximately twenty-five years.
========= KEEPING THE FLAME =========
========== (A Letter From Red) =========
Hiya,
Well, OK then. It's probably all my fault. Blame me.
Y'see, when I heard, coupla years back, rumors of an upcoming picnic weekend being hosted by our favorite little theater troupe, I might well have kept still. A simple "Why yes, I'd love to attend" would have been more than sufficient. No need to go phoning, e-mailing, postcarding, and generally making a nuisance of oneself. Why get folks all excited, trying to do something "clearly quite impossible?" Better, one should think, to maintain the quiet dignity and comportment befitting a man nearly, (cough, gasp!) ... forty-plus years of age, no?
Well now, ..... that's the main point, right there.
This whole "prime-of-ones'-life" thing, don'cha know?
Good, legitimate, grown-up job, satisfactory salary plus benefits, nice enough living quarters in the Capital of the Entire Civilized World.
Lots to do, places to go, people to meet, etc.
BUSY!
Still.... something was missing... Big Time.
I missed the music, and I'd missed it for far too long. The communal camaraderie of musicians and fans from back in the days before impersonal PCs and innumerable CDs, unfathomable amounts of data comin' atcha, and instant digital-anything-you-can-imagine. I missed the acoustic guitars and the vintage blues. I missed Amy's sweet, smoky singing, with John playing his stride piano, Diane's incendiary Jazz violin, and Gilby blowing bass rhythm on that old moonshine jug he picked up God-Knows-Where.
Did anyone still remember the Y-Not, The Mouthpiece, Folk City, The Family Owl, or The Sword in The Stone?
I did, and I lamented their long-time passing.
I missed Sadie Green and Basin Street, The Blind Lemon and Club 47, The Gaslight, The Stone Church, Big Mother, The Yellow Door, and Salt.
I missed Ragwagon. Go tell it on the mountain.
So blame me, if you will. It turned out that I was not alone in my fond remembrances and, while we did have to move a mountain across an ocean to do it, we presented The Ragwagon Reunion Concert at that picnic, had a terrific time, and then were not smart enough to let it go at that.
We really ought to be old enough to know better.
Thankfully, we are not.
We hope you enjoy our music.
Ya look good today, you really do.
Write if you get the chance.
From The Ragwagon,
Lonesome Red Riley
red@ragwagon.com
www.ragwagon.com
**********************************************Have you performed in front of an audience?Being scattered as we are, (from Newburyport, Massachusetts to Kailua, Hawaii) live performance is something of a blessed event for us. We've presented a small number of well attended concerts in unusual locations, the Maine seacoast and a southern New England forest campground being notable among them.
Your musical influences
Tom Rush, Jim Kewskin, The Band, John Sebastian, Paul Geremia, Mark Spoelstra, Mississippi John Hurt, Tom Waits, Tracy Nelson, Alan Toussant, Dylan, Miles, Mose, Elvis, The Beatles, Maria Muldaur, Geoff Muldaur, Garrison Keillor, Hargus Robbins, George Gershwin, George Burns, Stan & Ollie, Jerry ColonnaWhat equipment do you use?
6 & 12 string guitars, Chickering Grand Piano, Violin, Fiddle, Farfisa and Hammond B-3 organs, drums, lap steel guitar, ukuleles, bongo drums. kazoo, electric and acoustic fretless and fretted basses, Harmonicas, Irish pipes, Psaltry and many more.Anything else?
It's THE RAGWAGON BAND! Our new CD on the Eventual Records label. find out more at http://www.ragwagon.com
NOTES FROM THE DJs:
"I featured it last week, playing four cuts in a row....It's a great CD and I'm pleased to have it" ...
--- Mike Kelsey "These Friends of Mine," WFHB
"I rcvd the CD today---just great. Love the sound--will be playing it this Sunday. Only wish I knew which track I like the best---they are all good..."
-- Bill Hahn 'Traditions" WFDU
"The Ragwagon Band CD is wonderful...we were struck by how much fun emanated from the loudspeakers. Musically tight and focused, spiritually a hoot! Thanks for sending it along." -- Stephen Snyder WGBH
"This is a delightful CD -- just rough enough around the edges to convey a sense of fun. I'll be playing more of it on "Acoustic Eclectic." ---Otto Bost, WDIYContact
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