Ragtime Week #1 — Fred Van Eps — "Maple Leaf"
Fred Van Eps was one of the greatest banjo pickers in early recording history (along with Vess Ossman, Harry Reser, and Olly Oakley). His recordings are a bit hard to make out past the inevitable surface noise afflicting the cylinders and shellac of his day, but are nevertheless worth a listen. Here's a not-half-bad sounding recording of Scott Joplin's "Maple Leaf Rag."
