|
Cakewalks
in the Ragtime Era
Featuring Mississippi
Rag (1897) by William Krell and other
Cakewalks and Earlier Rags
By Ted Tjaden
(originally
published June 2006 and updated periodically)
Sheet music available on this page:
|
See below to download
or view (for free) over 160 cakewalk
compositions
|
Recommended reading:
|
Morgan, Thomas. From Cakewalks to
Concert Halls: An Illustrated
History of African American Popular
Music from 1895 to 1930.
Washington, DC: Elliott & Clark Pub,
1992.
|
Cakewalks and cakewalk music
were an important and likely necessary precursor in
the late 1800's to the development of classic
ragtime piano music. Although cakewalks and ragtime
piano are technically distinct styles of music, they
are often lumped together due to their similarities
in origin and influences. Set out below on this page
are the following links with more information on
cakewalks in the ragtime era, including (free) links
to over 160 pieces of cake walk sheet music:
1) Introduction
to Cake Walks in the Ragtime Era
2) Recordings of Cakewalks
3) Online Cake Walk Sheet
Music
4) Bibliography
1)
Introduction to Cake Walks in the Ragtime Era [top]
Although the American cakewalk
dates back to the early days of slavery, the
cakewalk as a distinct music and dance style had its
formal beginning in the 1870's and reached its peak
of popularity at the end of the 19th century and
early 20th century. Unlike classic piano ragtime,
cakewalk music was meant to be danced to and often
performed by a small orchestra or band. Although
cakewalks were generally lightly syncopated, their
melodies and harmonies were generally not as
sophisticated as those found later in the classic
rags of Joplin, Scott and Lamb.
It is thought that cakewalks
were once called the "chalk-line walk," which "was a
dance done by couples along a straight path,
balancing buckets of water on their heads" (Haskins 1990:11). The form of
dance evolved into a "cake" walk based on the fact
that white slave owners awarded a "cake" to the best
dancers among their slaves:
The cakewalk originated as a
slave dance contest in the antebellum South. White
slave owners were fond of awarding cakes to the
best slave dancers at special social gatherings (Morgan and Barlow 1992:26).
The notion that prize winners
would be awarded a cake is believed to be the origin
of the sayings "that takes the cake" and it was a
"piece of cake."
As can be seen in the video below, cakewalking
involved exaggerated steps with high kicks involved
believed in part to be a "send up" by black slaves
of the elitist mannerisms of their slave owners:
The dance was invented as a
satirical parody of the formal European dances
preferred by white slave owners, and featured
exaggerated imitations of the dance ritual,
combined with traditional African dance steps. One
common form of cakewalk dance involved couples
(one male and one female, with their arms linked
at the elbows) lined up in a circle, dancing
forward alternating a series of short hopping
steps with a series of very high kicking steps.
Costumes worn for the cakewalk often included
large, exaggerated bowties, suits, canes, and top
hats. (from the
Wikipedia entry for "cakewalk")
Two very early published
cakewalks are Good Enough! (1871) and Walking
For Dat Cake (1877):
Jasen and Jones (2000:xxviii)
identify Opelika Cakewalk from 1892 as the
first composition published with "cakewalk" in the
title, although Jasen (1997:iii) identified Rastus
on Parade (1895) (below)
by Kerry Mills as starting the cakewalk craze and
also establishing the cakewalk music structure of
beginning in a minor key and finishing in a major
key. The Mississippi Rag (1897) (below) was the first piece of
instrumental music published with the word "rag" in
the title. Its composer was William H. Krell, a
(white) band leader. The first rag published by a
black composer, the Harlem Rag, by way of
contrast, was published later in 1897 by Tom Turpin,
a well-known saloon owner from St Louis. There is
some irony in The Mississippi Rag being the
first instrumental rag published in print since the
piece is really a "cakewalk" and not a classic rag.
And even though The Mississippi Rag and
Harlem Rag have their place in history as the
first instrumental "rags" published, it has been
pointed out, however, that ragtime was certainly
known and played before 1897 (Gammond
1975:39).
The potential confusion or
mislabeling of rags as cakewalks and vice versa
arises in part because both forms of music are
syncopated and have an "intoxicating" effect. Some
rags included "cakewalk" in the title even though
there were closer being a rag than a cakewalk (e.g.,
Scott Joplin's Swipesy Cake Walk, which is a
rag); alternatively, the Mississippi Rag
includes "rag" as part of its title, although it is
a cakewalk. This labeling was likely done,
in part, by the publisher to better promote the
piece, depending on which form of music was more in
vogue at the time.
It seems that cakewalks were not
without controversy over the issue of
whether it placed African-Americans in
a stereo-typical light. In an 1893
edition of the Cleveland Gazette (see
story to the right), a church pastor
is chastised for allowing a cakewalk
to occur in his church since cakewalks
were "disgraceful relics of slavery
days and should not be tolerated for a
moment in intelligent Afro-American communities,
to say nothing of churches."
|

Source:
Ohio
History Connection
|
The effects of the cakewalk
craze (and classic ragtime) did not escape Canadian
listeners and composers where there was a minor boom
itself in this sort of music. Typical of the
Canadian version of cakewalk music would be The
Cake Winner (1909) by GW Adams (below), mentioned here in
The
Canadian Encyclopedia. The
earliest reference I could find in the Globe newspaper
(Toronto) was an August 1, 1890, story (page 8)
under the title "Colored People Jubilate Today":
This is Emancipation Day, and
a number of our coloured citizens will jubilate in
a benefitting manner at Berlin, in company with
brethren from Hamilton, Chatham, Windsor, St.
Catharines and other places . . . . There was an
opening ball last night and this evening there
will be a grand concert and cake walk.
A July 3, 1896, story in the
Globe (page 2) describes a "sports meet" in
Quebec where there is mention of a cake walk as
entertainment at the event.
Finally, an August 21, 1899,
story in the Globe describes a mass
cakewalk at a summer party at the "cottage" north of
Toronto of what I believe to be the summer home of Sir
Henry Mill Pellatt:
Mr. and Mrs. Pellatt's annual
at-home at Southwood Hall, Orillia, came off on
Friday, August 11th. Mrs. Pellatt was desirous of
introducing some new feature on the occasion and
decided upon holding a "cake-walk." It was felt
that this would be at the same time a novelty to
the people of Orillia, and particularly gratifying
to the national pride of the summer visitors, many
of whom are from the Southern States.... At about
5:30 the Orillia Band, whose services had been
secured for the occasion, broke into an energetic
burst.... A detour among the shrubberies brought
the procession in full view at the bottom of the
lawn and the dancers advanced up the tennis court,
two and two, in the cake walk step, to the ragtime
music of the band.
The popularity of cakewalks
spread even beyond North America to Europe where
even Claude Debussy wrote Golliwog's Cakewalk
(1908) (below), a "take" on
the cakewalk from a classical composer's point of
view. Despite their simple nature, many
cakewalks are enjoyable and fun to play and listen
to.
Ultimately, however, the
cakewalk craze gradually subsided as classic ragtime
gained in popularity; in addition, new dance crazes,
such as variations on the fox trot, were introduced
prior to and during World War I and eclipsed the
cakewalk, which by that time, must have seemed very
dated and quaint.
Jasen and Jones
(2000:xxix) sum up cakewalks in these terms:
In many of the best rags,
especially those by Joplin and Lamb, there is a
harmonic richness which gives them a hint of
melancholy that is without counterpart in the
cakewalk. The cakewalk was neither designed for
introspection nor capable of it. It offers
liveliness and nothing else.
For more information on
cakewalks, there are a number of websites that
discuss the cakewalk in more detail - see:
- Basinstreet.com. "The
Cakewalk 1897-1915: The Evolution From the
Quadrille, March to Ragtime"
(available online: basinstreet.com/cake-walk/).
2) Recordings
of Cakewalks [top]
I can highly recommend the
following CD by the Lake Arrowhead Early Jazz Band
which contains 23 cakewalks played in the style of a
small orchestra or military band:
- Lake Arrowhead Early Jazz
Band. The Cakewalk, 1897-1915.
Stomp Off Records 1365. Purchase
details (includes positive reviews by Jack
Rummel and Eddie Cook).
3)
Online Cake Walk Sheet Music [top]
Set out in the table below are
links to the sheet music and sheet music covers to
over 160 cakewalks or ragtime-era compositions with
the word "cakewalk" in the title. The list of
compositions below is not exhaustive; I have not
included every cakewalk song (i.e., cakewalks with
lyrics) and I have also not included the more
racially offensive compositions.
Beneath the table is a list of 15 cakewalks that I have
not been able to source online.
To find sheet music for
cakewalks not listed below, check out the various online sources of
ragtime sheet music.
Online
Sheet Music for Cakewalks
 |
After the Cakewalk. Nathaniel
Dett. Toronto, ON: Whaley, Royce & Co,
1900.
[view sheet
music] [top]
|
 |
Alabama Dream (Rag-Time Cake Walk).
George D Barnard. Cincinnati, OH: The John
Church Company, 1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Lester
S Levy Sheet Music Collection
[top]
|
 |
Alagazam! Cake Walk, March, and Two
Step. Abe Holzmann. New York:
Leo Feist, 1902.
[view
sheet music]
Source: IN
Harmony: Sheet Music from Indiana [top]
|
 |
Allonzo, Allons-y! Cakewalk.
Fernand Heintz. 1903.
[view sheet
music]
Source:
Le
Passe Temps (Vol. 9, no 214 (6
juin 1903) at 157-59) as digitized by the
National Library of Québec [top]
|
 |
At A Da*ktown Cakewalk.
Charles Hale. Philadelphia, PA: Belmont
Music Co, 1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source: IN
Harmony: Sheet Music from Indiana [top]
|
 |
At A Georgia Camp Meeting: A
Characteristic March Which Can be Used
Effectively as a Two-Step Polka or Cake
Walk. Kerry Mills. New York: FA
Mills, 1897.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Lester S Levy Sheet
Music Collection [top]
|
 |
Audacious Arabella: Cake Walk March.
Hanna Rion. New York: FA
Mills, 1900.
[view sheet
music]
Source:
Photocopy from Center
for Popular Music [top]
|
 |
Aunt Hannah: March and Cake Walk.
William Loraine. New York: Hugo V Schlam,
1900.
[view
sheet music]
Source: The
E Azalia Hackley Collection,
Detroit Public Library
[top]
|
 |
Aunt Mandy's Wedding: March & Cake
Walk. Wm H Tyers. New York:
Jos W Stern, 1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Photocopy provided by Dave Kerr (England)
[top]
|
 |
Aunt Minervy Anns: Cake Walk and
Characteristic March. Joseph
St John. Montreal, QC: Canadian Foreign
Music Co, 1900.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Library
and Archives Canada [top]
|
 |
Bamboo Cake Walk. CG McIntosh.
Melbourne: Allan & Co, 1905.
[view
sheet music]
Source: National Library
of Australia Digital Collections [top]
|
 |
Belle of Richmond: Characteristic
March and Cake Walk. Hans
Liné. New York: Jos W Stern & Co,
1902.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Photocopy from the New
York State Library [top]
|
 |
Belle of the Cake Walk: March.
Lawrence B O'Connor. Boston, MA: BF Wood
Music Co, 1897.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Photocopy from the New
York State Library [top]
|
 |
Black Cinderella Cake Walk.
Florence Wood. Toledo, OH: Peter
McCormick, 1900.
[view
sheet music]
Source: IN
Harmony: Sheet Music from Indiana [top]
|
 |
Blackville Society Cake Walk and Two
Step. Bernard Franklin.
Boston, MA: GW Setchell, 1899.
[view
sheet music].
Source: Charles H
Templeton Sheet Music Collection (MSU)
[top]
|
 |
Bluffton Carnival Rag: Cake Walk.
Verdi Karns. Bluffton, IN: Verdi Karns,
1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source: IN
Harmony: Sheet Music from Indiana [top]
|

|
Boardin' House Johnson: Cake Walk.
Sadie Koninsky. New York: Joseph W Stern,
1899.
[view sheet music]
[top]
|

|
The Bos'n Rag: Cake Walk. Fred S
Stone. Detroit, MI: Whitney Warner Pub Co,
1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source: The
E Azalia Hackley Collection,
Detroit Public Library [top]
|

|
A Bran Dance
Shuffle: A Rag Time Cake Walk.
Wade Harrison. Nashville, TN: H.A. French,
1902.
[view sheet music]
Source:
Digital copy provided by Peter Persoff [top]
|
 |
The Brooklyn Cake Walk (also known
as The Permans'
Brooklyn Cake Walk). TW
Thurban. Melbourne: Allan's, 1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
National
Library of Australia Digital
Collections [top]
|
 |
Bunch O' Blackberries: Cake-Walk &
Two-Step. Abe Holzmann. New
York: Feist & Frankenthaler, 1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Maine
Music Box [top]
|
 |
The Cake-Walk in the Sky. Ben
Harney. New York: M Witmark & Sons,
1899.
[view sheet music]
Source:
University of
Colorado Digital Sheet Music
Collection [top]
|
 |
The Cake Walk Patrol: Two Step.
WH Krell. Chicago, IL: The S Brainard's
Sons Co, 1895.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Lester
S Levy Sheet Music Collection
[top]
|
 |
The Cake Winner. GW Adams.
Toronto, ON: Amey & Hodgins,
1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Library
and Archives Canada [top]
|
 |
Campbell Cakewalk. Brun
Campbell (transcribed by Richard A Egan,
Jr). Sheet music available in
Richard A Egan, Jr, ed, Brun
Campbell: The Music of "The Ragtime
Kid" (St Louis, MO: Morgan
Publishing, 1993).
|
 |
Car-Barlick-Acid Rag: Two-Step-Cake
Walk. Clarence C Wiley.
Detroit, MI: Jerome H Remick & Co,
1905.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Charles H Templeton
Sheet Music Collection (MSU) [top]
|
 |
Careless Sam: Cake Walk & Two Step.
John H Davies. Kansas City, MO: JW
Jenkins' Sons Music Company, 1900.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Kansas
City Sheet Music Collection [top]
|
 |
Carlton Cake Walk. Theo
Bonheur. Melbourne: Cassell & Co,
[189-].
[view
sheet music]
Source:
National
Library of Australia Digital
Collections [top]
|
 |
Carolina Tar Heel Cake Walk.
Dan Sullivan. New York: White-Smith Music
Pub Co, 1898.
[view
sheet music]
Source: IN
Harmony: Sheet Music from Indiana [top]
|
 |
Chocolate Drops: A Da*ktown
Improbability. Suitable for March, Cake
Walk or Two Step. Harry Von
Tilzer. New York: Harry Von Tilzer Music
Publishing Co, 1902.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Lester
S Levy Sheet Music Collection
[top]
|
 |
Colored Aristocracy:
Cake Walk. Gus W Bernard.
Indianapolis, IN: DH Baldwin, 1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source: University
of South Carolina Sheet Music Collection
[top]
|
 |
The Colored Major: Characteristic
March And Two. Stephen R
Henry. New York: The Lyceum Publishing Co,
1900.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Maine
Music Box [top]
|
 |
A C**n Band Contest: Jazz Fox-Trot.
Arthur Pryor. New York: Emil Ascher, 1918.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Lester
S Levy Sheet Music Collection
[top]
|
 |
C**n Hollow
Capers: Cake Walk & Two Step.
Frank R. Gillis. New York: Hugo Schlam,
1900.
[view
sheet music]
Source: The
E Azalia Hackley Collection,
Detroit Public Library [top]
|
 |
C**ntown Jubilee: Rag Time Cake Walk,
March and Two Step. Leo
Friedman. Chicago, IL: Sol Bloom, 1898.
[view
sheet music]
Source: The
E Azalia Hackley Collection,
Detroit Public Library [top]
|
 |
C**n-ville Festival Cakewalk.
Gus H. Kline. Chicago, IL: G.H. Kline,
1898.
[view
sheet music]
Source: IN
Harmony: Sheet Music from Indiana [top]
|
 |
The Cotton Pickers: Characteristic Rag
Time, Two Step or Cake Walk.
Will Hardy. Haverhill, MA: Hardy Music
Publishing Co, 1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source: IN
Harmony: Sheet Music from Indiana [top]
|
 |
Cotton Pickers Rag: Original Cake Walk.
Wm J Braun. New Orleans, LA: Louis
Grunewald Co Ltd, 1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source: IN
Harmony: Sheet Music from Indiana [top]
|
 |
Creole Belles: March-Two-Step.
J Bodewalt Lampe. Detroit, MI:
Whitney-Warner Publishing Co, 1900.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Lester
S Levy Sheet Music Collection
[top]
|
 |
Cuban Cake Walk. James T
Brymn. New York: Richard Saalfield, 1901.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Charles H
Templeton Sheet Music Collection
(MSU) [top]
|
 |
Dandy Dan: Two-Step & Cake-Walk.
Julian Fredericks. New York: Jos W Stern
& Co, 1909
[view sheet music]
Source:
University of
Colorado Digital Sheet Music
Collection [top]
|
 |
The Da*kies Delight: Two Step and
Cakewalk. Samuel Lapin.
Springfield, MA: AH Goetting, 1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Lester
S Levy Sheet Music Collection
[top]
|
 |
The Da*kie's Drill: Cake Walk.
Agnes Melville. Boston, MA: Avon Music
Company, 1902
[view
sheet music]
Source: Maine
Music Box [top]
|
 |
Da*ktown C**n: Cake Walk.
Benoit F Pourier. 1904.
[view sheet
music]
Source:
Le
Passe Temps (Vol. 12, no 305
(1 décembre 1906) at 538-41) as digitized
by the National
Library of Québec [top]
|
 |
Da*ktown Excitement: March and Cake
Walk. William Brown.
Baltimore, MD: George Willig & Co,
1900.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Lester
S Levy Sheet Music Collection
[top]
|
 |
Da*ktown Is Out To-Night: A
Senegambian Review. March Two-Step.
Will Marion. New York: M. Witmark &
Sons, 1899.
[view sheet music]
Source:
Charles H Templeton
Sheet Music Collection (MSU) [top]
|
 |
De C**ntown Jubilee: Cake Walk: An
African Ragtime Oddity.
Clarence L Partee. Kansas City, MO: CL
Partee Music Co, 1897.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Kansas
City Sheet Music Collection
[top]
|
 |
Democratic Fun: A Campaign Cake-Walk.
Robert Buechel. Denver, CO: Tolbert R
Ingram Music Co, 1908.
[view sheet music]
Source:
University of
Colorado Digital Sheet Music
Collection [top]
|
 |
Deo Gratias: Lucien!!! Cake-Walk.
Samuel Emmanuel Duguay. 1903.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Le
Passe Temps (Vol. 9, no 222
(26 septembre 1903) at 287) as digitized
by the National Library of Québec [top]
|
 |
Dixie Flyer: Cakewalk and Two Step.
AE Henrich. Mt. Vernon, IN: AE Henrich,
1901.
[view
sheet music]
Source: IN
Harmony: Sheet Music from Indiana [top]
|
 |
Doc Brown's Cake Walk: Kansas City Rag.
Charles L Johnson. Kansas City, MO: JW
Jenkins' Sons, 1899.
[view sheet
music]
Source:
Personal copy [top]
|
 |
Down on The Old Plantation: Cake-Walk.
Bayard Wilson. Philadelphia, PA: MD
Swisher, 1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Maine
Music Box [top]
|

|
Drake’s Cake Walk.
Edwin F Kendall. Brooklyn, NY: Drake
Brothers Company, 1909.
[view sheet music]
Source:
Digital copy provided by Peter Persoff [top]
|
 |
Dusky Dinah: Cake-walk and Patrol.
Dan J Sullivan. Boston, MA: Chas
Shackford, 1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Historic
American Sheet Music, 1850-1920 (from
Duke University) [top]
|
 |
Dusky Dudes. Jean Schwartz
(lyrics by Will Heelan). New York:
Shapiro, Bernstein & Von Tilzer, 1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
African-American
Sheet Music, 1850-1920 (from
Brown University)
[top]
|
 |
Dusky Troopers March & Cake Walk.
Will Hardy. Havervill, MA: Premium Music,
1900.
[view sheet music]
Source:
Historic
American Sheet Music, 1850-1920
(from Duke University) [top]
|

|
Easy Pickin’s: Characteristic Dance and
Cake-Walk. Egbert A Van Alstyne.
Chicago: Will Rossiter, 1902.
[view
sheet music]
Source: University of
Colorado Digital Sheet Music Collection [top]
|
 |
Ebony Echoes: A Good Old-Fashioned
Cake-Walk. Dan Walker. New
York: Shapiro, Bernstein & Co, 1915.
[view sheet music]
Source:
Historic
American Sheet Music, 1850-1920 (from
Duke University) [top]
|
 |
Echoes From Old Kentucky: March,
Two-Step and Cake Walk. Mynnie
Dillingham. Sydney: Alberts, 1901.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Digital copy provided by Peter Persoff [top]
|
 |
Eli Green's Cake Walk: March & Two
Step. Sadie Koninsky. New
York: Jos W Stern & Co, 1898.
[view
sheet music]
Source: IN
Harmony: Sheet Music from Indiana [top]
|
 |
Eli Green's Cake Walk (song).
Sadie Koninsky (words by Dave Reed). New
York: Jos W Stern & Co, 1896.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Charles H Templeton
Sheet Music Collection (MSU) [top]
|
 |
An Ethiopian Mardi Gras. March,
Two-Step and Cake Walk.
Maurice Levi. New York: The Rogers Bros
Music Publishing Co, 1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Lester
S Levy Sheet Music Collection
[top]
|
 |
Freaks of Blackville: Cakewalk and
Two-Step. Charles [Clarence?]
W Dalbey. Toronto: Harry H Sparks, 1899.
[view sheet
music]
Source:
Personal copy [top]
|
 |
Fun on the Levee:
Cake Walk. Charles L. Johnson.
Chicago: FJA Forster Music Publisher, 1917.
[view sheet music] [top]
|
 |
The German Cake Walk. Paul
Rubens. New York: Sol Bloom, 1903.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Library
of Congress Sheet Music Collection
(Music, Theatre and Dance) [top]
|
 |
Give Cinda the Cake: March and Two
Step. Theo Metz. New York:
Edward Schuberth & Co, 1898.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Lester
S Levy Sheet Music Collection
[top]
|
 |
Golliwog's Cakewalk. Claude
Debussy (1908).
[view sheet
music] [top]
|
 |
Good Enough!. Rollin Howard.
Chicago, IL: Lyon & Healy, 1871.
[view sheet music]
Source:
Historic
American Sheet Music, 1850-1920 (from
Duke University) [top]
|
 |
Hannah's Promenade: Characteristic
March and Two-Step Dance.
Jacob Henry Ellis. New York: Willis
Woodward, 1897.
[view
sheet music]
Source: International
Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)
[top]
|
 |
"Happy Hannah": Cake Walk.
Theo Havermeyer. Chicago, IL: McKinley
Music Co Place Pub, 1898.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Maine
Music Box [top]
|
 |
Happy Hottentots: Cake-Walk. J
Fred O'Connor. Boston, MA: Chas Shackford
& Co, 1900.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Maine
Music Box [top]
|
 |
Happy Mose Cake-Walk and Two-Step.
Phil Kussel. Cincinnati, OH: Philip
Kussel, 1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Charles H
Templeton Sheet Music Collection
(MSU) [top]
|
 |
Harlem Rag. Tom Turpin (revised
and arr by WH Tyers). New York: Jos W Stern
& Co, 1899.
[view sheet music]
Source:
Library of
Congress [top]
|
 |
Harriman Cake Walk - Fox Trot.
Lee S Roberts. Chicago, IL: Lee S Roberts
Pub Co, 1915.
[view
sheet music]
Source: IN
Harmony: Sheet Music from Indiana [top]
|
 |
High Yellow Cake Walk and Two-Step.
F Henri Klickmann. Chicago, IL: Frank K
Root & Co, 1915.
[view sheet music]
Source:
Charles H
Templeton Sheet Music Collection
(MSU) [top]
|
 |
Hello My Baby! Joseph Howard
(lyrics by Ida Emerson). New York: TB Harms,
1899.
[view sheet music]
Source:
Historic
American Sheet Music, 1850-1920 (from
Duke University) [top]
|
 |
Hester on Parade. Charles L
Johnson. Kansas
City, MO: J.W. Jenkins Sons Music Co., 1899.
[view sheet music] [top]
|
 |
His Rag-Time Walk Won the Prize.
Nathan Bivins. New York: Hugo Schlam, 1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
African-American Sheet
Music, 1850-1920 (from Brown
University) [top]
|
 |
Hoe-Cake Shuffle: A Characteristic
Virginia Dance. Claudia Jenkins.
Boston, MA: BF Wood Music Co,
1903.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Charles H
Templeton Sheet Music Collection
(MSU) [top]
|
 |
Hog-Town Pig-Aninnies: Two-Step
Cake-Walk: A Very Warm Number.
Edmund Braham. New York: Edmund Braham,
1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Lester
S Levy Sheet Music Collection
[top]
|
 |
Honey Boy: Cake Walk. M
Cadenza. Los Angeles: RL Durant, 1901.
[view
sheet music]
Source: IN
Harmony: Sheet Music from Indiana [top]
|
 |
Hop-Lee: A Chinese Cake Walk for Piano.
Ellis Ephraim. Baltimore, MD: PJ Lammers,
1901.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Lester
S Levy Sheet Music Collection
[top]
|
 |
Hot Off the Griddle: Novelty Cakewalk.
James White. Chicago, IL: Frank K Root,
1915.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Personal copy [top]
|
 |
A Hot Old Time in Dixie. Nat
Rothman. New York: New York Music
Publishing Co, 1904.
[view sheet music]
Source:
Historic
American Sheet Music, 1850-1920 (from
Duke University) [top]
|
 |
A Hot Old Time in Ragtown:
Characteristic Cakewalk.
Charles B Brown (arranged by Lewis
Reiterman). Chicago, IL: Will Rossiter,
1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source: IN
Harmony: Sheet Music from Indiana
top]
|
 |
Huckleberry Finn Cake Walk Two-Step.
HS Brennan. Philadelphia, PA: Jos Morris,
1900.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Historic
American Sheet Music, 1850-1920 (from
Duke University) [top]
|
 |
Hu-la Hu-la Cake Walk. Egbert
van Alstyne. Omaha, NB: A Hospe, 1899.
[view sheet
music] [listen to 1915
recording by John Philip Sousa]
Source:
Digital copy provided by Peter Persoff [top]
|
 |
Hunky-Dory: Characteristic Cake Walk,
March, and Two Step. Abe
Holzmann. New York: Leo Feist, 1900.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Lester
S Levy Sheet Music Collection
[top]
|
 |
Impecunious Davis: Characteristic
Two-Step, March and Cake-Walk.
Kerry Mills. New York: FA Mills, 1899.
[view sheet music]
Source:
Historic
American Sheet Music, 1850-1920 (from
Duke University) [top]
|
 |
In Dahomey: Cakewalk Smasher. Percy
Grainger. (circa 1903-1909).
[view sheet music] [listen
to performance by Marc-André Hamelin] [top]
|
 |
In Ole Alabam: Rag Time Cake Walk and
Two-Step. Hortensia Weisman.
Albany, NY: Henry P Volgel, 1900.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Photocopy from the New
York State Library [top]
|
 |
Jasper Jenkins: Characteristic
Two-Step. Henry Vogel. Albany,
NY: Henry Vogel, 1898.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
African-American
Sheet Music, 1850-1920
(from Brown University) [top]
|
 |
Jemima's Wedding Day: Cake Walk.
Martin Saxx (words by Jere O'Halloran).
Boston, MA: Saxx Music Co, 1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Historic
American Sheet Music, 1850-1920 (from
Duke University)
[top]
|
 |
Jolly Pick*nninies:
Cake Walk and Two Step. Ernst
Rueffer. New York: E Rueffer, 1905.
[view sheet music]
Source:
Historic
American Sheet Music, 1850-1920 (from
Duke University) [top]
|
 |
Jolly Sam: March & Cake Walk.
Russell Dickinson. Boston, MA: Tremont
Music Pub Co, 1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Maine
Music Box [top]
|
 |
A Jolly South Carolina Cake Walk:
March and Two Step. Henry
Volmer. Philadelphia, PA: JF Bellois,
1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Lester
S Levy Sheet Music Collection
[top]
|
 |
Keep Moving Cake Walk. William
White. New York: Jos W Stern, 1915.
[view sheet music]
Source:
Historic
American Sheet Music, 1850-1920 (from
Duke University) [top]
|
 |
The Kentucky Cornshuckers: Two Step
March and Cake Walk. Alfred
Rosenberg. New York: Gagel Bros, 1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Photocopy from the New
York State Library [top]
|

|
Kentucky
Rosebuds: Cake Walk or One Step.
Arthur Lange. New York: Joe Morris Music,
1915.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Photocopy provided by a reader [top]
|
 |
Laughing Lucas: Characteristic March
and Two-Step. Florence
McPherran. Chicago, IL: Ellis Music Co,
1901.
[view
sheet music]
Source: IN
Harmony: Sheet Music from Indiana [top]
|
 |
Limber Libby: Characteristic March,
Two Step and Cake Walk. Edward
Hogben. New Haven, CT: Edward J Hogben,
1900.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Copy
from University
of Toronto Music Library [top]
|
 |
A Little on the Rag-Time (Makes the
Piano Talk): Cake walk, March and
Two-Step. SG Kiesling. New
York: CH Ditson, 1900.
[view sheet music]
Source:
Historic
American Sheet Music, 1850-1920 (from
Duke University) [top]
|
 |
Liza Skinner: De Cake-Walk Winner.
NH Moray. Detroit, MI: Zickel Bros, 1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
African-American
Sheet Music, 1850-1920
(from Brown University) [top]
|
 |
Looney C**ns: Cake Walk & Two Step.
John T. Hall. New York: John T. Hall Music
Publishing Co, 1900.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Historic
American Sheet Music, 1850-1920 (from
Duke University) [top]
|
 |
Loquatias Moll: Characteristic Cake
Walk. Sam Bennett and Theodore
Northrup. New York: Armstrong Music, 1900.
[view sheet music]
Source:
Historic
American Sheet Music, 1850-1920
(from Duke University)
[top]
|
 |
Ma Tiger Lily. AB Sloane. New
York: M Witmark & Sons, 1900.
[view
sheet music]
Source: UCLA
Archive of Popular Music [top]
|
 |
The Main Gazabo at a Corn Party: Cake
Walk. Chris Praetorius. New
York: Crown Music, 1903.
[view sheet music]
Source:
Historic
American Sheet Music, 1850-1920
(from Duke University) [top]
|
 |
Miss Cinda's Walk Two-Step and
Cake-Walk. Samuel Lapin.
Philadelphia, PA: HL Morris, 1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Charles H
Templeton Sheet Music Collection
(MSU) [top]
|
 |
Mississippi Rag. William
Krell. New York: S Brainard's Sons, 1897.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Historic
American Sheet Music, 1850-1920 (from
Duke University)
[top]
|
 |
The Mississippi Side-Step: March and
Cake Walk. Leo E. Berliner.
New York: Berliner & Co, 1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Maine
Music Box [top]
|
 |
The Mobile Prance: Characteristic
March, Cakewalk or Polka. Chas
B Brown. Milwaukee, WI: Chas K Harris,
1901.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Lester
S Levy Sheet Music Collection
[top]
|
 |
Mumblin' Moss: American Cake-Walk.
TW Thurban. Melbourne: Allan's, 1902.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
National
Library of Australia Digital
Collections [top]
|
 |
Nicodemus and His Banjo: Cake-walk March
& Two Step. E Ascher. New
York: Standard Music Company, 1899.
[view sheet music]
Source:
Historic
American Sheet Music, 1850-1920 (from
Duke University) [top]
|
 |
Noires et blanches: cake-walk.
Beauchamp. Jos. 1904.
[view sheet
music]
Source: Le
Passe Temps (Vol. 10, no 236 (9
avril 1904) at 94- 95) as digitized by the
National Library of Québec [top]
|
 |
Old Jasper's Cake Walk. Saint
Suttle. New York: S Brainard's Sons Co,
1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source:Lester
S Levy Sheet Music Collection
[top]
|
 |
An Old Virginia Cake Walk.
Louise Gustin. Detroit, MI: Belcher
& Davis, 1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source: IN
Harmony: Sheet Music from Indiana [top]
|
 |
Ole Eph's Vision: A Characteristic March
(Two-Step Polka or Cake Walk).
Lee Orean Smith. Williamsport, PA:
Vandersloot Music Pub Co, 1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Lester
S Levy Sheet Music Collection
[top]
|
 |
Parson Johnson's Rag-Time Mule: A
Characteristic Two Step and Cakewalk.
EE Huston. Denver, CO: Tolbert R Ingram
Music Co, 1900.
[view sheet music]
Source:
University
of Colorado Digital Sheet Music
Collection
[top]
|
 |
Le petite nègre: cakewalk.
Claude
Debussy (1909).
[view sheet music] [listen
to performance by Ichiro Kaneko] [top]
|
 |
Phoebe Thompson's Cake Walk.
Sadie Koninsky. New York: Edw M Koninsky
& Bros, 1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Maine
Music Box [top]
|
 |
Pickaninny Shuffle. Emma
Suckert. Detroit, MI: Central Music Pub
Co, 1896.
[view
sheet music]
Source: The
E Azalia Hackley Collection,
Detroit Public Library
[top]
|
 |
Pickin' On De Ole Banjo: Old Fashion
Cake Walk. Henry Widmer. New
York: Chas K Harris, 1915.
[view sheet music]
Source:
Historic
American Sheet Music, 1850-1920 (from
Duke University) [top]
|
 |
Policy Sam: Cake Walk & Two Step.
Joseph Gioscia. New York: TB Harms & Co,
1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Lester
S Levy Sheet Music Collection
[top]
|
 |
Pop-corn: Cake Walk & Two Step.
May Summerbelle. Australia?: sn, 189-?.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
National
Library of Australia Digital
Collections [top]
|
 |
Possum Hall Rag: Cake Walk and
Two-Step. Bennett Fritch.
Copyright: Bennett Fritch, 1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Personal copy [top]
|
 |
Prancin Jimmy: A Rag Time Dream:
Characteristic Cake Walk and Two Step.
EB Claypoole. Baltimore, MD: Cohen &
Hughes, 1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source:Lester
S Levy Sheet Music Collection [top]
|
 |
Prancing Pickaninnies: Cake Walk.
Max Dreyfus. St Louis, MO: St Louis
Post-Dispatch, 1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source: IN
Harmony: Sheet Music from Indiana [top]
|
 |
Rag Knots: A Cake Walk and Two-Step.
W.C. Coleman. Galveston, TX: Thos. Goggan
& Bro, 1899.
[view sheet
music]
Source:
Digital copy provided by Peter Persoff [top]
|
 |
Ragelies: Two Step or Cake Walk.
WM Fassbinder. St Paul, MN: WM Fassbinder,
1899.
[view sheet
music]
Source: Copy
from University
of Toronto Music Library [top]
|
 |
A Ragtime Masquerade: Cake Walk and Two
Step. Philip Meahl. Chicago, IL:
John Allen, 1900.
[view
sheet music]
Source: The
E Azalia Hackley Collection,
Detroit Public Library [top]
|
 |
A Rag-Time Skedaddle: March & Cake
Walk. George Rosey. New York:
JW Stern, 1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Charles H
Templeton Sheet Music Collection
(MSU) [top]
|
 |
Rastus on Parade. Kerry
Mills. FA Mills, 1895.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Charles H
Templeton Sheet Music Collection
(MSU) [top]
|
 |
Rastus Thompson's Rag-Time Cake Walk.
Harry Von Tilzer (words by Andrew Sterling).
New York: Jos W Stern & Co, 1898.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
African-American
Sheet Music, 1850-1920
(from Brown University) [top]
|
 |
Raz Ma Taz: Cake Walk & Two-Step;
What it is? William Smith. New
York: George Krey, 1901.
[view sheet music]
Source:
Historic
American Sheet Music, 1850-1920 (from
Duke University) [top]
|
 |
Remus Takes the Cake: Characteristic
March and Two Step Dance: A Southern
Melody. Jacob Henry Ellis. New
York: Willis Woodward & Co,
1896.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Lester
S Levy Sheet Music Collection [top]
|
 |
S*mbo at the
Cake Walk. Alfred Marks. New
York: C Schuster & Son, 1896.
[view sheet music]
Source:
Historic
American Sheet Music, 1850-1920 (from
Duke University) [top]
|
 |
Simple Simon: Cake Walk.
Louise Howarde. Sydney: Mason's Music
Stores, 1906.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
National
Library of Australia Digital
Collections [top]
|
 |
Smoky Mokes: Cake Walk
and Two Step. Abe Holzmann.
New York: Feist & Frankenthaler, 1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Lester
S Levy Sheet Music Collection [top]
|
 |
Sourires printaniers: marche ou cake
walk. Auguste Bosc. 1899.
[view sheet
music]
Source:
Le
Passe Temps (Vol. 5, no 105 (1
avril 1899) at 73- 75) as digitized by the
National Library of Québec [top]
|
 |
The
Sousa's Cakewalk. G.
Wittman. Paris: Edward Salabert, 1902.
[view sheet music]
Source: Le Ragtime Français
[top]
|
 |
South Car'lina Tickle: Cake Walk.
Adam Geibel. Philadelphia, PA: Theodore
Presser 1898.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Historic
American Sheet Music, 1850-1920 (from
Duke University) [top]
|
 |
Stuttering Jasper: March and Cake Walk.
Robt. Cohn. New York: FA Mills, Music
Publisher, 1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Lester
S Levy Sheet Music Collection
[top]
|
 |
The Sun Do Move: Cake Walk and Two Step.
John Stromberg. New York: Weber, Fields
& Stromberg, 1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Lester
S Levy Sheet Music Collection [top]
|
 |
Swipesy Cake Walk. Scott
Joplin and Arthur Marshall. St Louis, MO:
John Stark and Son, 1900.
[view
sheet music]
Source: IN
Harmony: Sheet Music from Indiana [top]
|

|
Three Black Crows: Cake Walk and Two Step.
Raymond Miller. Philadelphia, PA: Welch
Wilsky, 1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Personal copy [top]
|
 |
Too Much is Plenty: An Ideal Southern
Two-Step and Cake Walk. Henry
Tiedemann. Galveston, TX: Thos Goggan
& Bros, 1906.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Charles H
Templeton Sheet Music Collection
(MSU) [top]
|
 |
Trombone Johnsen:
Rag Time Cake Walk. EJ Stark.
St Louis, MO: John Stark & Son, Sheet
Music Publishers, 1902.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Lester
S Levy Sheet Music Collection
[top]
|
 |
Uncle Jasper's Jubilee: Dance
Characteristique. ET Paull. New
York: ET Paull Music Co, 1898.
[view sheet music]
Source: Maine
Music Box [top]
|
 |
Uncle Jerry's New England Two-Step and
Cake-Walk. JC Rhell.
Philadelphia, PA: Standard Music Publishing
Co, 1907.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Lester
S Levy Sheet Music Collection
[top]
|
 |
Uncle Rufus' Cake-Walk: Characteristic
March and Two Step. Ellis
Ephraim. Baltimore, MD: The Baltimore Music
Co, 1898.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Lester
S Levy Sheet Music Collection
[top]
|
 |
The Vienna Rag: Cake Walk á la
"Strauss." Paul Rubens. New
York: Jos. W. Stern & Co., 1905.
[view sheet music]
Source: Charles H Templeton Sheet
Music Collection (MSU)
[top]
|
 |
Le vrai cake-walk. Leon
Dequin. 1904.
[view
sheet music] [listen
to an .mp3]
Source:
Le
Passe Temps (Vol. 10, no 239
(21 mai 1904) at 136-39) as digitized by
the National Library of Québec [top]
|
 |
Walkin' on de Rainbow Road. SM
Roberts. Philadelphia, PA: MD Swisher,
1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Lester
S Levy Sheet Music Collection
[top]
|
 |
Walking for Dat Cake. David
Braham (lyrics by Edward Harrigan). New
York: William A Pond, 1877.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Historic
American Sheet Music, 1850-1920 (from
Duke University) [top]
|
 |
A Warm Proposition: Cake Walk.
Paul Knox and Monroe Rosenfeld. Brooklyn,
NY: Chas W Held, 1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Maine
Music Box [top]
|
 |
A Warm Proposition: Greatest Cake Walk
Ever. James Glionna. Toronto,
ON: HH Sparks, 1901.
[view sheet
music]
Source: Toronto Reference
Library Microfiche [top]
|
 |
A Warm Reception: Characteristic
March, Two-Step and Cake-Walk.
Bert Anthony. Fall River, MA: GH Munroe
& Co Place Pub, 1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Maine
Music Box [top]
|
 |
A Warmin' Up In Dixie: Cake Walk,
March and Two Step. ET Paull.
New York: ET Paull, 1899.
[view sheet music]
Source:
Historic
American Sheet Music, 1850-1920 (from
Duke University) [top]
|
 |
Way Down South: Characteristic March,
Cake-Walk and Two-Step. LS
Fisher. Boston, MA: GW Setchell, 1899.
[view sheet music]
Source:
Historic
American Sheet Music, 1850-1920 (from
Duke University) [top]
|
 |
Whistling Rufus: A Characteristic
March. Kerry Mills. New York:
FA Mills, 1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source: Lester
S Levy Sheet Music Collection
[top]
|
 |
Yon Yonson's Version of a Cake-Walk.
Jay Youmans. Platteville, WI: Jay Youmans,
1899.
[view
sheet music]
Source:
Photocopy from University
of Wisconsin-Madison Library [top]
|
I am currently looking for copies of the following
pieces, set out in rough chronological order; if I
obtain copies, I will digitize them and add them to
the table above:
- 1903: Boston
Banjo Band: Cake Walk Two Step. MC
Ives. London: WH Broome, 1903 [check Google] [Source: NLA].
4) Bibliography [top]
- Berlin,
Edward A. Ragtime: A Musical and Cultural
History. Berkeley, CA: University of
California Press, 1980.
- Emery, Lynne Fauley. Black
Dance in the United States from 1619 to Today.
2nd rev ed. Princeton, NJ: Princeton Book Company,
1988.
- Fletcher, Tom. The Tom
Fletcher Story: 100 Years of the Negro in Show
Business. New York: Burdge and Co,
1954.
- Gottschild, Brenda Dixon. The
Black Dancing Body: A Geography from C**n to
Cool. New York: Palgrave Macmillan,
2003.
- Haskins,
James. Black Dance in America: A History
Through its People. New York: Harper
Trophy, 1990 [Internet Archive version].
- Hitchcock, H Wiley and
Pauline Norton. "Cakewalk," Grove Music Online,
ed. L. Macy (Accessed 02 April 2006), <http://www.grovemusic.com.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca>
- Jasen, David, ed. Cakewalks,
Two-Steps and Trots for Solo Piano: 34 Popular
Works from the Dance-Craze Era.
Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, 1997. Publication
details.
- Jasen,
David & Gene Jones. That American Rag:
The Story of Ragtime from Coast to Coast.
New York: Schirmer Books, 2000 [Internet Archive version].
- Long, Richard. Black
Dance: The Black Tradition in American Modern
Dance. New York: Rizzoli, 1989 [Internet Archive version].
- Lotz, Rainer. German
Ragtime & Prehistory of Jazz.
Chigwell, England: Storyville, 1985.
- McKinley, Ann. "Debussy and
American Minstrelsy" (1986) 14(3) The Black
Perspective in Music 249 (JSTOR).
- Morgan,
Thomas & William Barlow. From Cakewalks
to Concert Halls: An Illustrated History of
African American Popular Music from 1895 to
1930. Washington, DC: Elliott &
Clark, 1992 [Internet Archive version].
- "Ragtime" in Encyclopedia
of Music in Canada. Historica
Foundation of Canada, 2006. Available online.
- Septoff, L. "C**n Songs and
Cakewalks: Ragtime Antecedents" (1983) 3 Jazz
Research Papers (NAJE) 106.
- Sutton, A. Cakewalks,
Rags and Novelties: The International Ragtime
Discography (1894-1930).
- Walker, Edward Samuel. English
Ragtime: A Discography. Woodthorpe,
England: Edward S Walker, 1971.
- Ware, Chris, ed. The
Ragtime Ephemeralist (information here).
[top]
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