In this particular case, this piece was either written for or commissioned by dancer Mazie King, and titled on the cover as The Mazie King Midnight Trot. A popular venue for doing so was with the many professional dancers and dance teams who performed in public and threw private parties/lessons for those who could indulge themselves. One sure way to sell music was to get it out in front of the public. I did my initial recording of Cactus Rag in 1992, so it may have been the first one of this unusual rag. The rag was interesting enough that it garnered a reprint in Axel Christensen's Ragtime Review magazine of February, 1918, which was potentially paid advertising by Stark, but still good exposure.
The C section itself is a conventional 16 bars in length, but with some difficult octave work that is similar to that found in Scott Joplin's Euphonic Sounds. The transition into the C section may possibly have been added by Matthews, as it nearly identical to the same transition in Pastime Rag #3. The B section is also 24 bars in length, and has much in common with the B section of Gibson's earlier Jinx Rag. In fact, compare this A section with that of Matthews' Pastime Rag #3 and you will find many similarities. The A section, which is more about chords than melody, is a full 24 bars in length, though not in a blues progression. There is a lot interesting material to work with as well. If you believe that any review contained on our site infringes upon your copyright, please email us.Although Matthews is not specifically cited as the rag's arranger, the fact that he had also arranged Gibson's Jinx Rag for John Stark and the content of this arrangement make it clear that it was his hand at work here.
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