In the 1890s in New Orleans a new style of music was born. It combined elements from both African and European music traditions with improvisation and the syncopated rhythms of ragtime .
Ragtime was a style of playing developed by barroom pianists toward the end of the century. It involved ragging
or syncopating a tune—shifting the stress onto what would normally be an unstressed beat. It produced a catchy, hypnotic effect, and quickly became popular. After leading ragtime player
Scott...